Professional Embroidery Digitizing Services in Washington, D.C. is a service that converts any artwork or logo into a file that an embroidery machine can read. The digitized files dictate where each stitch should go and what type of stitch to use. This is a highly specialized process that requires a lot of skill and can be considered an art form if done well.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using digitization?
The first step is to analyze the design and determine the size, complexity and placement of each element in the embroidery. The digitizer must then make the necessary adjustments to ensure that the design will sew correctly on the fabric. This includes adjusting the pull compensation (pull comp) to compensate for different fabrics. For example, a polyester/spandex blend polo stretches much more than a cotton t-shirt would, and therefore the design should be digitized to account for this.
There are three main types of embroidery stitches: run stitches, satin stitches and fill stitches. Run stitches are tiny, thin threads that are used for small text and very thin borders. Satin stitches are more common and are tight, flat stitches that cover large areas of the design. Fill stitches are tightly packed stitches that cover thicker regions of a design and there are many variations of them as well.
The digitized file will also include instructions on how to sew the design and what order to do each part of the design in. This is called the pathing and it can greatly impact how a design looks when finished. For example, if the design is embroidered out of order, you could end up with undesirable patches of fabric or lopsided text.