Posted on 07/16/2014 at 12:00 AM by The Graphic Edge
The art of custom embroidery has evolved over thousands of years, with many cultures contributing different styles and techniques. From hand-woven garments to today’s automated machines, dozens of approaches can be employed to achieve high-quality products. Screenprinting and embroidery are relatively similar in regards to procedures and preparations, yet you will see that several elements distinguish the two apart.
If the color of thread exists, then it can be used to on your embroidered shirts. The amount of varying thread colors has significant bearing on the final product, as more intricate designs require multiple shades, which adds depth and diversity to the appearance. When seeking exact shades for your custom embroidery, an accurate matching system is used to create a perfect replica of any design or logo.
Just as millions of dots are used in screenprinting, embroidery requires thousands of threads, or stitches, to produce a high-quality appearance. Simply put, the more stitches integrated into your design, the better it looks. Your basic embroidered shirts might have 7,500 stitches, while highly complicated designs can use upwards of 20 or 30,000.
Screenprinting and embroidery both use computer software to digitize designs for mass production. However, whereas screenprinting creates a replica image that is burned into a screen, custom embroidery works by actually stitching the image into the garment. The machines recognize the measurements and colors, and then recreate them onto hats, shirts, and other garments. This is how your two-dimensional design is converted into a vibrant three-dimensional patch.
Although the automated embroidery machines have streamlined the custom embroidery process, the human element has never been eliminated. While Machines can determine what colors are needed in screenprinting, embroidery machines depend on production workers to insert the appropriate colors of thread before each job. As different color layers are applied in a specific order, this necessitates the need for skilled workers to adjust threads, as well as control the printing speeds of the machines.
As mentioned before, custom hats and embroidered shirts have varying stitch counts depending on the intricacy of the image. These stitch-count dependent designs are perfected by properly managing the multitude of layers for each color and element, with one being stitched over the other in a set order. This is another area where screenprinting and embroidery are similar. Crisp screenprinting is achieved by applying and setting the varying ink colors in a specific order, while clean custom embroidery is contingent on stitching the different colored threads at the appropriate times.
To learn more about custom embroidery services from The Graphic Edge, contact us today!
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