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Embroidery Production & Operations |
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Can I use the same needle on everything, or do I need different needles for different garments? Different fabrics may require the use of different types of needles. Needles are categorized by size and needle point. Larger needles are used on heavier fabrics, whereas smaller needles are used on lightweight fabrics. The most common points are ball-point and sharp-point. In general, ball-points are used on knits, while sharp-points are used on wovens. To gain a thorough understanding of needle use and selection, DOWNLOAD our Embroidery Needle Training Instructions. A wide variety of needles are available at the Hirsch Online Store. [ Back to Top ] |
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How do I estimate stitch count for a design? If you have are a user of Tajima DG/ML By Pulse Microsystems and have the autodigitize tool, it makes for a great stitch count estimator. Otherwise, it is a combination of educated guesses and calculations. Figure roughly 1,000 stitches for every square inch of fill. 125 stitches per linear inch of satin stitching. 150 stitches per small to average size letter and then add a little for error. If there is detail on top of fill, add that too. [ Back to Top ] |
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How much can I enlarge or reduce a design? Though your computer will allow you to resize a freely resize a design to virtually an dimension, that doesn't mean you can actually embroider it. The problem is, you're dealing with physical stitches, not graphical elements. In the case of reducing a large design, you start merging together stitches as it gets smaller resulting in a loss of visual detail, thread breaks and needle breaks. Also, many of your fill areas need to be changed to satins. When enlarging a design, you start to gain large open areas with very little detail. In addition, satins become wider, possibly too wide to sew properly. Some of them will need to be changed to fills. A Digitizer always takes into consideration the sewing size of the design when punching it. A fish that goes on a jacket-back has much more detail than one that goes on a hat. In fact, most Digitizers would re-punch the design from scratch when making a radical change in size, rather than just trying to edit the design to fit. Another angle to consider in the resizing game is what type of file you are dealing with, outline or stitch? A stitch file (such as .exp, .dst, .psf, etc.) already has the physical stitches locked into place. Resizing does not add or remove stitches which means the existing ones are either pushed together or pulled apart. The golden rule here is no more than 10% resizing. An outline file (such as .pof, & .cnd) does not have the physical stitches locked into place. When resizing this type of file, the density will change in proportion to the amount of resizing. But you still have the problems of stitch types needing to be converted, and details not being consistent with the design size. With this type of file, no more than 20% scaling should be attempted. However, depending on the characteristics of the design, you may find that you can resize to a moderately higher percentage than 20%. Don't be afraid to experiment, but also don't assume that what works for one design will work for all designs. If you stick with these parameters, then you should be able to maintain your stitch quality while resizing. Anything more is questionable. [ Back to Top ] |
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I'm having sewing quality issues with cap embroidery, what am I doing wrong? Embroiderers are constantly complaining about sewing on caps. The embroidery is crooked or slanted or puckered or whatever. There are two basic rules for successful cap embroidery: Rule #1- The Design Must Fit The Cap. All too often, you try and put too much embroidery on the cap. It's not a jacket-back! Limit designs to 2.25” high by 4.50” wide and you will go a long way towards overcoming cap sewing problems. Sure, some caps can go larger, but if you always work within these parameters, you will be assured that the design will fit. In fact, use a business card as a size reference for your customers. It's smaller than 2.25” X 4.50”, but it gets them thinking. Rule #2 – The Cap Must Fit The Frame. If you have to force the cap to hoop it, chances are it doesn't fit the frame properly. If not, then you will be forever destined to have cap quality problems. The best test for fit, is to match the curve of the base of the crown (where the bill meets the crown) to the curve of your cap frame. Some people even remove the bill from the crown (of a test cap), then place the curved portion that was attached to the crown against the cap frame to ensure a good fit. As you will find, not every style or brand of cap is a good candidate for your particular cap frames. If you stick with these rules, you will find that most of your cap challenges will disappear. [ Back to Top ] |
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Metallic Thread is causing me problems. Any suggestions? Metallic thread can be a challenge to deal with. Essentially, it's a lightweight cotton thread surrounded by metallic foil. Thus, it lends itself to kinking and twisting as it goes through the path from cone to needle, which invariably leads to the thread getting “hung-up” along the way, which in turn causes a thread break. With this in mind, it's important to find a way to either eliminate or reduce the kinking affect. One of the features of many new embroidery machines is plastic feed tubes that stretch from the thread trees to the first set of tensioners. These tubes not only reduce the twisting of metallic thread, they also provide a smooth passage and prevent it from catching on an adjacent thread or any other surface for that matter. For older machines, you can create a similar solution. It involves attaching a plastic drinking straw to the front of the thread tree, extending outward toward the tensioners. You can also attach a flexible drinking straw from the thread tree downward towards the cone of thread. The flexible joint allowed the straw to easily bend downward thus providing a smooth passage for the thread. It's not pretty, but it works quite well. Another popular method is to punch a small hole in the bottom center of a styrofoam cup, and place it upside down over the thread cone. The thread is fed up through the hole, and then on through the normal thread path. During the sewing process, the cup will eliminate a good bit of the twisting. Another point to consider when dealing with metallic thread, is that it costs about three times more than conventional threads, so now you have a difficult item that is expensive as well. Therefore, consider a surcharge for designs that require the use of metallic thread. Some shops charge an extra amount per thousand stitches, while others use a basic percentage rate. Regardless of how you decide to charge for metallic, just be sure that you do. After all, it really does cost more to use metallics, so it should be reflected in the selling price. [ Back to Top ] |
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Should I charge my customer for sample sewouts? In reality, it makes sense to provide the customer with a sample at no charge so he can give his approval. However, if the customer starts asking for multiple samples, then your costs are going to escalate quickly. Sew-outs take time to produce, and if you are a single-head shop, they monopolize your equipment. If this is happening to you, take a closer look at the situation. Are the endless sew-out requests due to a problem with the design, or is it just the customer trying out different looks? Consider setting a policy to limit how many “free” sew-outs you will provide. Typically the limit should be one, unless there is a real problem with the logo. After that, the customer should be charged for each additional sew-out and of course any editing that is not the result of a design problem. If you are a Digitizer, then you need to keep in mind, that producing a sew-out is part of the cost of doing a job, and you should incorporate that cost into the price. For example, if you were charging $40.00/hour for digitizing services and you spent one hour creating a design for a customer, then another thirty minutes producing a sew-out, you should have charged $60.00 for the job. That extra thirty minutes was not free! This job was 1 ˝ hours in length, not 1 hour. As a final thought, anytime a machine is “tied up” running a sample, it results in revenue producing work being put on hold. So not only are you losing money by not charging for the sew-out, you are also losing money by delaying the jobs that pay your bills. [ Back to Top ] |
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What information do I need to give my Digitizer for setting up a design? A top notch digitizer can provide high quality work, but only if they are provided with the right information to get the job done. Low quality artwork will lead to low quality digitizing. Artwork should be clear, precise and in color. Fuzzy images are not acceptable. There is a popular computer phrase that says: “garbage in equals garbage out.” This applies to artwork and digitizing as well. You must make every effort to obtain and deliver the best quality artwork that you can. A fax of a fax is not suitable. Graphic files from the internet tend to be very grainy and pixelated, and are usually to low in quality for digitizing. Vector files are ideal, but many customers don't have their logos available in vector format. High quality bitmaps are usually ok. Second, you must identify what type of fabric the design will be sewn on. A design will require different stitch characteristics depending upon the type of fabric, as the type, texture and thickness of a fabric will affect the embroidery. Typically a design created for denim, will not sew as well on knit. Third, the intended sewing size of the design must be clearly defined. You can't just say that the design will be sewn on a cap. A golf cap has a larger sewing field than a baseball cap. Be specific. Also be aware that small, intricate details do not work well on small embroidered designs. Just because it can be printed small, doesn't mean that it can be sewn small. This is caused by the action of the needle. It takes two penetrations of the fabric for a needle to lay down a visible stitch. If the needle penetrations are too close together, the result is a large hole rather than a stitch. So don't be surprised when the Digitizer tells you that some details are not practical. [ Back to Top ] |
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What is the best material to use for sample swatches? One quality issue that many customers complain about, is that the embroidered garments they receive from the Embroiderer, don't look as good as the embroidered sample they were given prior to the start of the job. And of course, the approval for the order was based on their customer's review of the sample. Some Embroiderers wave this aside and accuse the client of being too critical or blame the garment of being substandard if the customer supplied it. In reality, the quality of stitching is affected by many variables, including the garment itself. What sews great on denim, may not look as good on a t-shirt. The characteristics of the fabric have a direct impact on the embroidery. To avoid falling into this trap, try to provide a sample of embroidery on the same fabric as the garment that will be used for the actual job. This will give your customer a clear picture of what the final result will look like. It's a known fact among Embroiderers that everything looks good sewn on felt. It's great for creating a portfolio, but not for creating samples upon which important buying decisions must be made. In addition to supplying a proper sew-out, spend some time educating your customer about how different fabrics affect the sewing quality. They should understand that the concept of “one design fits all” doesn't necessarily work for embroidery. Take the time to sew a “Test Design” on a variety of fabrics and have it readily available to demonstrate the affect of the fabric on the stitches. [ Back to Top ] |
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Which is the best thread to use, rayon or polyester? Rayon and Polyester are the two most popular types of threads, but there are others including metallic and cotton. In general, Rayon has more sheen (shine) and is available in more colors than polyester. However, polyester thread is stronger and more color-fast, meaning it resists bleach and stands up well to industrial laundering. For more detailed information about embroidery threads, DOWNLOAD our Embroidery Thread Training Instructions. A wide variety of threads are available at the Hirsch Online Store. [ Back to Top ] |
Machine Maintenance Tips |
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Clean Underneath The Needle Plate Weekly With the newer style universal needle plates people tend not to remove the needle plates when performing maintenance on their machines. When enough of the tails build up, the knives will not open to cut the thread. In addition, if enough lint builds up behind the knives they may not fully retract after trimming so that the needle passage is blocked. The end result is a broken needle and possible a broken knife. Remember to remove the needle plates once a week during the cleaning portion of your maintenance schedule and brush or blow out the thread tails and lint. [ Back to Top ] |
Starting an Embroidery Business |
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How Do I Create the Ideal Embroidery Business? Embroidery shops come in all shapes and sizes, including home-based operations, mall kiosks, mobile units and even small factories. We'll tell you about the many options and help you create the best model for your needs. We suggest that you attend one of our How To Start An Embroidery Business Seminars where you will learn what it takes to be successful in the industry. These events are held in locations throughout the country. We also offer an ever-growing list of Business Tools in our RESOURCE LIBRARY such as sample business plans, embroidery price calculators, etc. Plus we are building the industry's largest online Applications Guide so that you will have access to the techniques and processes required to produce high quality embroidery. |
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How Do I Make Business Plans? A comprehensive business plan is the key to developing a successful business model. We suggest that you attend one of our How To Start An Embroidery Business Seminars where you will learn what it takes to be successful in the industry. These events are held in locations throughout the country. We also offer an ever-growing list of Business Tools in our RESOURCE LIBRARY such as sample business plans, embroidery price calculators, etc. [ Back to Top ] |
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My Finance Company asked for monthly cash flow projections. How do I do this? Cash Flow projections are used to compare the anticipated monthly revenues versus the anticipated monthly operational costs in order to determine what it costs to run your business. It is common for new businesses to operate with a negative cash flow, meaning that it costs more to run the business than it is bringing in. However, as your sales increase, you should eventually see a positive cash flow. Cash Flow projections are very important, as they help the new Business Owner understand what it costs to be in business. In addition, it creates a basis for setting prices and sales goals. By examining the figures on a monthly basis, the Entrepreneur can make adjustments in business practices in order to increase profit margins, while reducing expenses. To DOWNLOAD our instructions for calculating Monthly Cash Flow or visit our RESOURCE LIBRARY, located in the Support section of the website. [ Back to Top ] |
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What About Sourcing? As a successful embroiderer, you'll need to have the right sources for embroiderable merchandise. Caps, jackets, golf shirts, uniforms, towels, sweaters and more... we'll share our favorite sourcing secrets, so that you can stock your business with nothing but the best. Simply fill out an Information Request Form and we will respond to your question. [ Back to Top ] |
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What are my Equipment Options? Choosing the right equipment can make the difference between success and failure. Its important to first create a Business Model for your new business. Try to determine who your potential customers are going to be and what you will be producing for them. This in turn will give you an indication of the capabilites that you will need, which will help you determine what is the right equipment to service your customers. For example, if you plan to do a lot of headwear, then you will need a machine has a cap attachment. And because caps come in a wide range of sizes, you will need a machine that offers a variety of different types of cap attachments, such as frames for child-sized caps. Contact us today, and let one of our Embroidery Specialists work with you to help you determine the best equipment to suit your needs. [ Back to Top ] |
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What Are My Financing Options? There are three basic methods for purchasing embroidery business equipment: cash purchase, bank loan, or equipment lease. This is an important decision because each method has different impacts on your cash flow and tax liabilities. For example, with a cash purchase or loan you will be able to depreciate your equipment at tax time, whereas with a lease, you typically can deduct the lease payments, but not depreciate the equipment. Equipment Leasing has become very popular in recent years and the approval process is quick and simple. [ Back to Top ] |
Technical Service |
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How come one head will not stay in time with the others since I had a bird nest or had a broken needle? Inspect the plastic bevel gear on the end of the rotary hook shaft for the head that will not stay in time. The bevel gear may be cracked or damaged requiring replacement. [ Back to Top ] |
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How do I get out of Standby mode? Press and hold the "SET" key, then press the "A" key and release at the same time. You may need to turn the machine off then on before this will take. [ Back to Top ] |
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How do I reset a 3A6 error code? The movable knives are stuck open under the needle plate. Clean out any bird nest (build up of thread) or if you've had a needle break any needle pieces or any other obstruction which may be preventing the knives from closing completely. Close the knives completely, press SET to reset the code then try a manual trim or press START. [ Back to Top ] |
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How do I rotate my design? TMFX, TFHX, TMEX AND TEHX Machines: Press the B button three times to get to the Data Conversion screen, (leave setting at X:100), press SET (leave setting atY:100) press SET a second time, this screen will be the R: for rotation, select the degree of rotation and then press SET to lock it in. TMED & TMEH Machines: Go to Row 1 Column 3 Put in the number that corresponds to the rotation you would like then hit SET. NEO TEJT-C1501: Press the EDIT key once, rotation will be the first selection. Select the degree of rotation you would like with the left or right arrow key then press SET. |
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How do I stop a 2CE error code? The beam sensor may not be aligned correctly, (both the green and red lights on the top of the sensor, on at the same time indicate proper alignment). Move/adjust the sensor or the reflector in order to line them up and ensure both lights are lit. On TEHX or TMEX Machines if the beam sensor is properly aligned (see above) then check the emergency stop button; turn it to the right to release it. [ Back to Top ] |
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I changed a needle and now it's not sewing properly. Whats wrong? It's very important that you install a new needle with correct orientation of the eye, to ensure proper sewing. The groove that runs the length of the lower portion of the needle must be in the front, while the cut-out section (scarf) is at the rear. Failure to achieve proper needle orientation can affect the timing process which is the basis for forming stitches. To simplify this critical process, try using a set of needle grippers (part # 10300 or 103001), also known as hemostats, available from our Online Store. Hemostats were originally designed for Medical use. They allow a Doctor to grip the thread of a suture and pull it through, when stitching a wound. As an Embroiderer you can use hemostats to assist with a different stitch related process: changing a needle. Hemostats, or needle grippers, allow you to clamp the needle tightly and then easily move it into position. The key is to align the front eye of the needle with the handles of the hemostats. This will allow you to know where the eye is without even seeing it. Simply push the needle up into the needle bar and then move the handles of the hemostat so that they are facing straight out. Now tighten down the screw and then release the hemostats. You're done and the needle is straight! [ Back to Top ] |
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I may have hit a hoop. Why won't the needles go up or down? Make sure the needle case is turned on. (Green light on or No light off) Make sure the jump motors are not disengaged. Try manual thread trims on multiple needles, if all the needles do not go down then the Reciprocator will need to be replaced. [ Back to Top ] |
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If I stop sewing in the middle of a design and need to start over, how do I get back to the center of the hoop (starting point) and begin the design over or start a new one? This is a two step process: 1. Go to D button screen 3 this is manual origin return, turn the dash to a circle hit SET and the frame will move to the starting point of the design. 2. Now you can either reload from memory the design you were sewing or you may load a new design from a disk and start over. NEO: 1. Press the P Origin button 2. The machine will ask if you want to cancel the embroidery 3. Press SET for yes the machine will move the frame back and put you at stitch zero on that design. [ Back to Top ] |
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Troubleshooting Thread Breaks - Burrs or Scratches On The Rotary Hook. Thread breaks are often caused by a scratch or burr on the rotary hook. This is likely the cause if you are having the problem on multiple needles on a particular head. The rotary hook doesn't have to be removed or adjusted to perform these steps. Remove the needle plate and the right side rotary hook cover. Turn the power off on the machine, the main shaft (degree wheel) can be rotated little by little from 100 to 220 degrees to have access to the outer areas of the rotary hook. Lightly rub your fingertip or fingernail along the outer edge to locate the burr. Any rough areas need to be polished smooth using very fine emery paper or sandpaper. 600 grit is recommended. If necessary, a more abrasive type may be used to polish a larger burr, however, be sure to follow that up with the very fine grit to ensure the area is smooth. Replace the cover and needle plate. Return the degree wheel to the red mark. Power on and test the machine. [ Back to Top ] |
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Troubleshooting Thread Breaks - Stitch Length Adjustment It has been my observation that in most cases when running production people tend to forget or over look the small / short stitches in there designs. I have seen a lot of cases where a designs small stitches are set at the default which is usually at .30 or .40 MM. This can cause several problems, It will cause excessive thread breaks and fraying, thread pullouts and cause the machine to even miss a few trims here and there. which we all know increases our production time and not to mention the frustration of continuously rethreading needles. When you have several stitches sewing in the same needle hole due to too short of a stitch length the machine looses control of the thread and could cause any one or any combination of these problems. There are a couple of solutions for this problem, you can set the small / short stitch default in your Embroidery software too .60 or .70 and when outputting the design to your machine it will be ready for your run or on our NEW M SERIES machine you can clean it up right on the control panel either way if you run your small stitches at .60 or .70 in 99% of the cases you will notice a considerable difference in production time and in sewing quality of your embroidery. NOTE: When running a design clean up notice the stitch count before and after you will see the amount of unnecessary stitches that it removes. [ Back to Top ] |
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When I was sewing, suddenly the thread and fabric was pulled down into the hole on the needle plate, causing the machine to stop. What happened? This is typically referred to as a "bird's nest". If you look under the needle plate, you will see that there is a large ball of thread, which resembles a bird's nest, thus the name. Typically it is caused by one of the following situations: 1. Inadequate tensioning of the upper thread. 2.The upper thread is not through the take-up lever. 3. The upper thread not following the thread path correctly. 4. The fabric is bouncing up and down during sewing. (Referred to as Flagging) 5. The bobbin tension is incorrect. 6. The Hook Timing needs to be adjusted. Solutions: After cleaning out the "bird's nest" check both upper and lower thread tensionsDOWNLOAD our Adjusting Thread Tension Instructions for more information. Also, verify the correct thread paths as per your Operator's Manual. This is the most common cause. Typically Hook TIming is not an issue, unless you recently crashed the needle into the hoop. If this has occured, then check the hook timing as per your Operator's Manual. NOTE: Detailed instructions concerning thread paths and tensions for the NEO, TEHX and TFMX machines can be found in the Training Class Manuals that pertain to them. These can be found in the Resource Library located in the Support Section of this website. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why am I breaking needles while sewing caps? The design may be too low on the hat. It should be no closer then 15mm to the visor. The hooping may be too loose. Confirm that the cap is tight to the frame. The cap driver may need to be adjusted to sit lower on the machine. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why am I getting 291's and 293's when the top thread and bobbin thread are still connected? 1. Check the thread path make sure the thread has not come out of it at any point or has not looped around any part of the path. 2. Make sure the bobbin tension is not too loose. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why am I getting a 311 error after breaking a needle? 1. Inspect the rotary hook to see if a piece of the needle is stuck inside the hook. 2. Remove any pieces! 3. Once the rotary hook is clear press SET to reset the error code. 4. Do a manual trim. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why are there tiny loops of thread on top of my finished design? Looping is an indication of incorrect thread tensions. To correct the problem you need to tighten your upper thread tension and/or loosen your bobbin tension. For more information, download our Embroidery Training Instructions For Thread Tensions found in the online Resource Library. NOTE: Thread Tension gauges are available at the Hirsch Online Store. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why can't I color change and why I am getting a 382 error code? Visually inspect and make sure there is nothing preventing the needle case from moving back and forth (side to side). One of the take up levers may be out of adjustment. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why can't I get the needle selection screen to come up? Make sure the Auto Color and Auto Start are turned on. 1. Check the Auto Color and Auto Start settings (press "B" key once). 2. On the screen you will see AC: (Auto Color) selection set this to O. Press SET. 3. You will now be at AS: (Auto Start) selection. 4. Set to a > (greater than sign) then press SET. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why do I get a 1B2 error on the machine in the middle of a design? 1. Check the Auto Start setting (hit "B" key once). 2. On the screen you will see AC: O (Auto Color) leave setting alone, 3. Press SET this will take you to the second selection AS: (Auto Start) this may be set to an O (circle) if it is change it to a > (greater than sign) 4. Then press SET. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why do I keep getting pullouts after every trim and color change in the machine? 1. Check to make sure your tail lengths setting is set properly. 2. Adjust through parameter settings. 3. Make sure there is no scratch on the Upper Thread Hook. Make sure the Picker is not bent. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why does the machine give me a 1D2 error after so-many stitches? Check to see if there is a Preset Halt programmed into the machine. 1. Go to screen 5 (repeatedly press "C" key until screen 5 comes up) 2. Check for preset halts and reset accordingly. NEO, 1. Press machine settings key, setting #3 is preset halt setting, 2. Reset accordingly. 3. Press SET to clear 1D2. [ Back to Top ] |
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Why is the bobbin thread showing on the top of my finished design? Bobbin Thread showing on top is an indication of incorrect thread tensions. To correct the problem you need to loosen your upper thread tension and/or tighten your bobbin tension. For more information, download our Embroidery Training Instructions For Thread Tensions found in the online Resource Library. NOTE: Thread Tension gauges are available at the [ Back to Top ] |
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Why is the machine grinding when the frame moves after I just deleted all the memory? The system software needs to be reloaded into the machine. [ Back to Top ] |
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