Machine embroidery is now so heavily utilized for product branding, corporate advertising, uniform adornment and also for personal sewing and craft projects by hobbyists that the word "embroidery" is now generally more readily associated with forms of Machine Embroidery.
"Computerized Machine Embroidery" involves using an embroidery machine or sewing/embroidery machine.
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[edit]Free motion machine embroidery
Free-motion machine embroidery is the process whereby embroidered designs are created utilizing a basic zigzag sewing machine. This type of machine is primarily used for tailoring and lacks the automation and specialist assistance of a specialist machine.
Free motion machine embroidery involves simultaneously running the machine and skillfully moving tightly hooped fabric under the needle in unison with the machine to create even stitches.
The operator thus builds up and sews out the embroidered design "manually", with either normal "running" stitching (running stitch) and/or with any supported fancy built-in stitch types to artfully create "an image" composed of stitching sewn into a piece of fabric or other similar item.
Producing many parallel rows of straight stitching is an effect that can be employed to fill in an area with a solid looking fill effect or using a machine's inbuilt zig-zag stitch can be used to depict thicker lines in a design or for bordering and appliqué applications.
This process involves stopping and "re-threading" the machine manually for each subsequent color in a multi-color design as the machine only has one needle in addition to manually trimming out and cleaning up loose or connecting threads after the design is completed.
As this is a manual process rather than a digital reproduction any pattern created using this style is a "one off" and cannot be precisely reproduced the way a computerized machine can do.
With the advent of computerized machine embroidery, the main use of manual machine embroidery is in fiber art and quilting projects. While some still use this type of embroidery to embellish garments, with the ease and decreasing cost of computerized embroidery machine, it is rapidly falling out of favor. Many quilters and fabric artists now use a free machine embroidery process often called "thread drawing" (or thread painting) to create embellishments on items, or to create examples of textile art.
[Computerized machine embroidery
These days virtually all modern embroidery machines are computer controlled and specifically engineered for embroidery. Industrial/commercial embroidery machines and sewing/embroidery machines both have a hooping or framing system that holds the framed area of fabric tautly and securely underneath the sewing needle and move it around automatically to create a design from a digital embroidery file (pre-made pattern)
Both can read and sew out embroidery design files (of various types) with varying degrees of user input required depending on its capabilities.
For example sewing-embroidery machines generally only having one needle will require the user to change thread colors "on the fly" where as a multi-needle (industrial) machine having more needles can generally be threaded up all at once prior to running the design. This method also requires the user to input the correct color (needle) change sequence into the machine beforehand.
Modern (industrial) embroidery machines can trim and change colors automatically and can have anywhere up to 15 or more needles per "head"(available colors). The term "head" refers to the "sewing head" as some of the larger industrial embroidery machines can sew the same design out onto 20 (or more) garments at once (as any one of these industrial machines can have many sewing heads).
[edit]History
Before computers were affordable, most embroidery was completed by "punching" designs on paper tape that then ran through a mechanical embroidery machine. One error could ruin an entire design, forcing the creator to start over. This is how the term "punching" came to be used in relation to digitizing embroidery designs.
In 1980, Wilcom is thought by many to have introduced the first computer graphics embroidery design system running on a mini-computer. However, old timers often debate this. Melco created the first embroidery sample head for use with large Schiffli looms. This sample head became the first computerized embroidery machine marketed to home sewers. The sample head was needed to avoid sewing out the sample for the Schiffli loom and taking up valuable production time. Schiffli looms spanned several feet across and produced, lace, patches and large embroidery patterns. The economic conditions of the Reagan Years, coupled with tax incentives of the day for in-home business, helped propel Melco to the top of the market. At the Show of the America's in 1980 Melco showed the Digitrac. The original digitized design was produced at 6 times the size it would eventually be sewn out. The Digitrac consisted of a small computer, similar in size to today's Blackberry Devices, mounted on an X and Y axis on a large white board. It sold for $30,000. The original sample head with one needle sold for $10,000 with a 1" paper-tape reader, and 2 fonts. The digitizer would mark common points of the design to create elaborate fill and satin stitch combinations. Melco is the result of an international distribution network formed by Randal Melton and His partner Bill Childs. Melco patented the ability to sew circles with a satin stitch, arched lettering generated from a keyboard. An operator would "digitize" the design into the computer using similar techniques to "punching", to create a 1" paper tape, or later to a floppy disk. This design would then be run on the machine. The machine would stitch out the digitized design. Wilcom enhanced this technology in 1982 with the introduction of the first multi-user system that allowed more than one person to be working on a different part of the embroidery process, streamlining production times.
Brother International got into the embroidery business as a result of being contracted by several computerized embroidery companies to provide sewing heads. Their sewing heads were mounted and branded on several different brands of computerized embroidery machines. Adler was also a common choice. Later Tajima, from Japan, provided sewing heads that were capable of using multiple threads. Singer failed to remain competitive during this time. Melco was acquired by Saurer in 1989.
Recently Singer was acquired by Affiliates of Kohlberg & Co., L.L.C. ("Kohlberg"), a leading U.S. private equity firm specializing in middle-market investing, they also acquired VSM is a leading supplier of high-end consumer sewing machines and accessories under the Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff brands.
Saurer and Wilcom, Tajima, Brother, began to innovate. The early functionality of the computerized commercial systems were adapted and marketed to compaines such as Janome for home use.
As costs have fallen for computers, software, and embroidery machines, computerized machine embroidery has grown in popularity since the late 1990s. Many machine manufacturers sell their own lines of embroidery patterns. In addition, many individuals and independent companies also sell embroidery designs, and there are free designs available on the internet.
[edit]The computerized machine embroidery process
These are the basic steps for creating embroidery with a computerized embroidery machine.
- purchase or create a digitized embroidery design file
- edit the design and/or combine with other designs (optional)
- load the final design file into the embroidery machine
- stabilize the fabric and place it in the machine
- start and monitor the embroidery machine
Design files
Digitized embroidery design files can be either purchased or created (digitized) with industry specific embroidery digitizing software.
Embroidery file formats are many and varied and broadly fall into two categories:
Source formats, Specific to the software used to create the design. (i.e. the original file the digitizer keeps for the purposes of editing.) and
Machine formats, Specific to a particular brand of embroidery machine. (i.e. the files available for use with particular embroidery machines which are not so easily edited or scaled.)
Generally every different embroidery machine manufacturer (brand of machine) has one or more specific embroidery "machine formats" specifically designed to service this particular brand.
However even although generally "Machine Formats" where originally designed to service only their own specific machine brand, some formats such as Tajima's ".dst", Melco's ".exp"/".cnd" and Barudan's ".fdr" have become so prevalent that they have become ad-hoc standards in themselves and are often even supported by machines built by companies actually in competition with the companies/machines that these represent.
These "Machine formats" generally contain primarily stitch data (offsets) and machine functions (trims, jumps ETC) and are thus not easily scaled (with-out affecting the stitch density) or edited (without laborious manual stitch by stitch editing).
Many embroidery designs (in various popular machine formats)can be downloaded from web sites on the net and one can be sewing them out within minutes. Please note however that there are many different brands of machines, and each may use a different format. So when purchasing or downloading free designs it makes a lot of sense to ensure you get the right format for your machine. If your format is not available, conversion programs are available to convert from one machine format file to another (i.e. from .PES to .HUS or from .DST to .PCS) however it should be noted that the results from many of these conversion programs (and even from some of the more reputable digitizing packages) are unreliable.
A person who creates a design is known as an "embroidery digitizer" or "puncher". The digitizer, or puncher, users digitizing software to create their embroidery design. The digitizer creates the design in the native file format for the digitizing software. These are 'Object Based' design and allow the digitizer to easily reshape and edit the design later.
The native file formats retain important information such as:
- Object outlines
- Thread colors
- Original artwork used to punch the designs
As a digitizer it is critical to maintain and keep the original digitized design file. Converting the design to a stitch file such as .DST, .PES and .DSB will lose many of the valuable information, and make editing and changing the design very difficult or impossible.
Software vendors often advertise "auto-punching" or "auto-digitizing" capabilities. However, if high quality embroidery is essential, then industry experts highly recommend either purchasing solid designs from reputable digitizers or obtaining training on solid digitization techniques.
[edit]Editing designs
Once a design has been digitized, it can be edited or combined with other designs by software. With most embroidery software the user can rotate, scale, move, stretch, distort, split, crop, or duplicate the design in an endless pattern. Most software allows the user to add text quickly and easily. Often the colors of the design can be changed, made monochrome, or re-sorted. More sophisticated packages will allow the user to edit, add or remove individual stitches. For those without editing software, some embroidery machines have rudimentary design editing features built in.
[edit]Loading the design
After editing the final design, the design file is loaded into the embroidery machine. Different machines expect different files formats. The most common home design format is PES. Common design file formats for the home and hobby market include: ART, PES, VIP, JEF, SEW, and HUS. Embroidery patterns can be transferred to the computerized embroidery machines in a variety of ways, either through cables, CDs, floppy disks, USB interfaces, or special cards that resemble flash and compact cards.
[edit]Stabilizing the fabric
To prevent wrinkles and other problems, the fabric must be stabilized. The method of stabilizing depends to a large degree on the type of machine, the fabric type, and the design density. For example, knits and large designs typically require firm stabilization. There are many methods for stabilizing fabric, but most often one or more additional pieces of material called "stabilizers" or "interfacing" are added beneath and/or on top of the fabric. Many types of stabilizers exist, including cut-away, tear-away, vinyl, nylon, water-soluble, heat-n-gone, adhesive, open mesh, and combinations of these.
For smaller embroidered items, the item to be embroidered is hooped, and the hoop is attached to the machine. There is a mechanism on the machine (usually called an arm) that then moves the hoop under the needle.
For large commercially embroidered items, a bolt of fabric can be worked by a long row of embroidery "heads", producing a continuous pattern of embroidery. Each embroidery head is a sewing machine with multiple needles for different colors, and is usually capable of producing many special fabric effects including satin-stitch embroidery, chain-stitch embroidery, sequins, appliqué, cutwork, and other effects.
[edit]Embroidering the design
Finally, the embroidery machine is started and monitored. For commercial machines, this process is a lot more automated than for the home embroiderer. For most designs, there is more than one color, and the potential for additional processing for appliqués, foam, or other special effects. Since home machines only have one needle, every color change requires the user to cut the thread and change the color manually. In addition, most designs will have a few or many jumps that need to be cut. Depending on the quality and size of the design, stitching out a design file can require a few minutes or an hour or more.
[edit]Embroidery machines
Not all machines are for embroidery only. Some are a combination of embroidery and sewing. Some of the more advanced features becoming available include a large color touchscreen, a USB interface, design editing software on the machine, embroidery adviser software, and design file storage systems. Commercial embroidery machines can be purchased as 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 15, and 18 head machines. Industrial embroidery machines are available from 12 to 56 head models.
[edit]Commercial and contract embroidery factories
Factories can have a few small machines or many large machines, or any combination of machines. Contract embroidery is a term used to describe embroidery being done on goods that are supplied by the customer to the embroidery house. Contract embroidery is limited to the trade. A company offering "Contract Embroidery" is embroidering wearable items for brokers, other embroiderers, ad specialty firms and screen printers at a wholesale rate. The customer of a contract embroiderer usually supplies the items to the factory and only pays the factory for the embroidery service. Commercial Embroiderers offer their services to the public and supply the wearable items.
[edit]Other supplies
Just about any type of fabric can be embroidered, given the proper stabilizer. For example, open lace and embroidering items are being developed. Anything from paper to fabric to lightweight balsa wood and more can be embroidered.
Machine embroidery commonly uses polyester, Rayon, or metallic embroidery thread, though other thread types are available. 40wt thread is the most commonly used embroidery thread weight. Bobbin thread is usually either 60wt or 90wt thread. The quality of thread used can greatly affect the number of thread breaks and other embroidery problems. Polyester thread is generally more color safe and durable. Madeira is just one of the many companies that sell high quality embroidery thread.
Other associated costs are thread, stabilizer, purchased designs, needles, bobbins, and other miscellaneous tools and supplies.
[edit]Embroidery glossary
- Appliqué
- French term meaning applying, usually by sewing, one piece of fabric to the surface of another. A cut piece of material stitched to another adding dimension, texture and reducing stitch count.
- Backer/Stabilizer
- Materials, generally non-woven textiles, which are placed inside or under the item to be embroidered. The backing provides support and stability to the garment which will allow better results to the finished embroidered product. Backings come primarily in two types: cutaway and tear-away. With cutaway, the excess backing is cut with a pair of scissors. With tear-away, the excess is simply torn away after the item is embroidered. Additional types which are dissolved either by water or heat also exist. For all of these the terms backing and stabilizer are often used interchangeably.
- Bobbin
- A bobbin is a small spool of threads inside of the rotary hook housing. The bobbin thread actually forms the stitches on the underside of the garment. The bobbin on an embroidery machine works in the same manner and for the same purpose as on a standard sewing machine.
- Digitize
- The computerized technique of turning a design image into an embroidery program. Special software is used to create plotting commands for the embroidery machine. The commands are transferred to the machines logic head by a designated embroidery "language."
- Fill Stitch
- Fill stitches are a series of running stitches sewn closely together to form broad areas of embroidery with varying patterns and stitch directions.
- Hoop
- A clamping device used to hold the backer and fabric in place in the machine.
- Running Stitch
- A running stitch is one line of stitches which goes from point A to point B. A running stitch is often used for fine details, outlining, and underlay.
- Satin Stitch
- Also known as the zig-zag stitch by which a line, border or edge is produced by thread being alternately stitched to either side of a baseline. Satin stitches are generally limited to a maximum of 1/2" in stitch length before some alternate technique such as split stitching or fill stitching must be used.
- Underlay
- A stabilizing pattern of embroidery which, if used, precedes the main body of satin or fill stitching. It consists of one or a combination of running stitches for centering, edging, paralleling or zigzagging the design area.
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