Doesn’t the Murphy’s Lawseems to apply only when you need to get a large order done and are working against the clock!?
When using an embroidery machine, you are bound to come across some problems which can be frustrating, to say the least.
Especially if you have a lot that needs to be done.
In this blog post, we will go through some of the most common cap embroidery & digitizing mistakes and share with you some simple solutions to that so that you can run your business efficiently.
Let’s get started.
Embroidery Digitizing and Machine Errors: What’s Going Wrong!?
As is the case with any business and piece of equipment, you’re bound to come across some errors when it comes to embroidery digitizing as well as using an embroidery machine.
This can be frustrating.
Especially so when the fabric that you’re working with is highly-priced, or when you’re on a strict and imminently-approaching deadline!
People who are new to the business often feel helpless and confused which is why they fail to address the problems in the right way.
Mistakes happen.
In this section of the blog, we will go through some common cap embroidery & digitizing mistakes you may come across and their simple solutions so that you can get back to your tasks and save a lot of your precious time.
Mistake #1: A high-grade speed of the embroidery machine
Solution: Cool things down a little
Imagine this: You have a large order and not enough time to complete it. So, to meet the demand within the given time frame, you run your embroidery machine at a higher speed.
This can wreak havoc on your business as the biggest problems occur when you’re overworking your embroidery machine!
A lot of things can go wrong as the speed of the production increases.
Our best advice will be that you slow the production speed down a notch. For hat designs, we recommend you run the machine at 550-600 stitches per minute for a hat frame and 700-750 stitches for a flat one.
Additionally, it is also a good idea to slow your system down, especially if your design has intricate details. Higher delivery speed is nearly irrelevant if it means a poorly finished product.
Using a professional embroidery digitizer, will enable you to solve this problem because they can actually insert a fast and slow command in the design. So the design can run fast when its filling in larger areas but as soon as it goes to stitch small text, there can be a command to slow down so that the text is stitched at a lower speed and hence keep the quality crisp and clean
Mistake #2: Forgetting about the Bobbin
Solution: Check the Bobbin placement
It is essential for machine operators to double check the thread tension when changing bobbins. Make it so that it becomes an instinct and you don’t even need to think about it—like putting on the seat belt when you get in the car.
A bobbin that’s too tight or too loose is a problem as it’ll affect the quality of your product.
Checking your Bobbin tensions ensures that you don’t make damages and save precious time and money by getting more efficient machine runs.
Mistake #3: Inaccurate Design Placement
Solution: Check the placement
Keep in mind that when using an embroidery machine, you should place the embroidery lower on a hat and, ideally, next to the bill of a hat before you assemble the hat.
It is important to note that certain placements may affect the hat’s quality or embroidery. When working on the embroidery in the wrong region of a hat, it is likely that the bill or the frame can end up crashing the machine.
A change in the placement of the design may also need additional tweaking done by your embroidery digitizer to ensure best results.
Mistake #4: Forgetting About Digitizing
Solution: Keeping a check on the minute details
One of the biggest mistakes that we’ve seen businesses make while using an embroidery machine on caps is that embroidery digitizers fail to accurately digitize the designs and logos while keeping the specific product in mind.
Hats have curves, and the design needs to be digitized keeping that in mind.It isn’t surprising to see a few mistakes when you’re using a file designed for another garment!
To produce high-quality products, the embroidery digitizer needs to modify the data according to the specific product when working on the embroidery.
Embroidery digitizing while keeping in mind the product’s specific needs ensures that there won’t be any mishaps with the final product.
Designs that are going on caps should be digitized center out 99% of the times.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Thread Tension
Solution: Use proper thread tension
Some of the biggest blunders made in the business are due to thread tension malfunctions.
So, you should make it a point that the machine operators check the thread tension at regular intervals to ensure the quality of your product. The more accurate the thread tension, the higher will be your product’s quality.
Mistake #6: Improper hooping
Solution: Use proper hooping
It is not uncommon to come across errors in commercial embroidery. When you come across errors, make it a point to keep the item in the embroidery hoop. As you’re looking for the source of the error, it is important to determine the source of the problem.
You can do so by marking the stitch count down or recording the position through the stabilizer of the garment.
However, you’re wasting time and money if you leave the machine waiting for you try to figure the problem out!
We recommend that you reset the design and move on to sewing the next piece as the time wasted could cost you a lot. You should have extra Durkee hoops in several sizes so that the production can continue while a hoop is out of service.
Mistake #7: Not Changing Needles When Needed
Solution: Change the needles as and when necessary
When using an embroidery machine, there aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to changing the needles as it depends on various factors such as the number of hours the machine runs, the needles used, etc.
To ensure excellent quality, check if the needles need to be replaced on a weekly basis.
