How To Print Logo Designs for Embroidery
Created by Zac Jacobson | https://dribbble.com/shots/14457308-Custom-Mama-Tried-Flat-Out-Friday-Jacket
Want to know how to digitize your logo for embroidery? As a business owner, you want as many people as possible to be aware of your brand. There are many ways to increase brand awareness. Among them is using logo design embroidery.
But why would you want your brand logo design to be embroidered rather than, say, printed? After all, printing logos are common and more widespread. There are some reasons why. For starters, printed logos deteriorate over time, while embroidered ones don’t.
The fact that they are durable also means they can reach more people for a long time, which will help increase brand awareness. Embroidered logos are also considered more professional. With a professional image comes trust.
Sounds good, right? While business logo design embroidery offers many benefits, they are more complex than you think. You will need to put in more effort as well. No worries. We are here to help.
In this post, we discuss everything to know about logo embroidery. From logo digitization, why you want to embroider your business’ logo, what to prepare, how to digitize your logo for embroidery, and what to consider, to stitch counts and tips.
Created by Mr.Mockup™ | https://dribbble.com/shots/19037348-Embroidered-Patch-Mockup
What Is Logo Digitization?
Before we get any further, let’s discuss logo digitization first. More likely than not, your logo is in JPG or PNG format, maybe even both. While you can use these formats to print your logo on many branding materials, you can’t use them in an embroidery machine.
How do you embroider a logo design, then? First, you need to convert it into a format that an embroidery machine can accept. This is what logo digitization means. The type of format your logo file needs to be converted into depends on the kind of embroidery machine you use.
You need to convert the file properly to get the best results. Some of the formats embroidery machines can read and accept our
- .dsb (compatible with Barudan commercial embroidery machines)
- .dst (compatible with Tajima commercial embroidery machines)
- .exp (compatible with Melco commercial embroidery machines)
- .jef ((compatible with Janome commercial embroidery machines)
- .kwk (compatible with Brother commercial embroidery machines)
- .tap (compatible with Melco commercial embroidery machines)
These are some of the most popular brands, so you probably use one of them. If you are unsure, just double-check the machine and then convert your logo file into the format it can read and accept.
Created by Peltan Brosz | https://dribbble.com/shots/10066776-Conserva-Collective-Towel-Logo-Embroidery
Why Embroider a Logo?
1.Identity and branding
One of the benefits of embroidering a logo design is identity and branding. If you are like most businesses, the market is filled with other businesses that do the same thing you do.
How do you stand out from the crowd? One way to set your business apart from others is by wearing custom corporate apparel. Wearing a brand logo design embroidered shirt alone helps to build identity and branding.
In addition, the more people see your brand’s visual representation, the more likely they are to memorize your company the next time they need your product or service.
2. Trust and professionalism
If your customers associate professionalism with your brand, that is a huge plus. With a professional image comes trust. Wearing shirts with an embroidered logo does just that.
An embroidered logo communicates a sense of professionalism. It shows your customers that you truly care about your appearance, which is just another way of saying that you care about your customers. On top of that, it also shows that your company takes what it does seriously.
3. Building community
If you are looking forward to creating a sense of belonging and community for your employees, look no further than corporate apparel. Offering corporate apparel to your employees helps create a sense of belonging and community.
For an employee, such apparel can boost self-confidence and bring pride in them for working for the company. It shows that they belong to something larger than themselves. It is an excellent way to boost employees’ morale.
Created by Alec Schmidt | https://dribbble.com/shots/5105754-Envoy-Trucker-Patch
What You Need to Prepare
If you are planning to get your brand’s visual representation digitized for embroidery, there are several things you will need to prepare.
1. Choose the right thread colors
With printing, the printed result will have the same colors as the original. With embroidering, you won’t always get the same look. In some cases, the best you can do is to make sure that the embroidered result looks as close to the original as possible.
So, to get the best result possible, take your time to choose the right thread colors. If you can’t find the exact same color, find one that is at least comparable.
2. Decide on the stitch type
The next thing to prepare is the stitch type. There are three common stitch types used for logo embroidery: straight stitches, satin stitches, and fill stitches. Choose the type(s) that you think fits the most with your design.
- a. Straight stitch: This type of stitch is for making straight lines as well as curved shapes. Straight stitches are often used in outlining, shading, and detail work.
- b. Satin stitch: This stitch is commonly used for designing the logo, writing the text, and for the borders. Satin stitches give the embroidery a shiny appearance.
- c. Fill stitch: As the name suggests, fill stitches are stitches used for filling up the blank spaces. They are also used to create a textured look for the embroidered logo design and increase its durability.
3. Prepare a scrap piece of fabric
You might be excited to see how your logo looks when it is embroidered. But don’t embroider it on any branding material just yet. You want to test it out first. Prepare at least a scrap piece of fabric for the sample test.
Created by Matt Naylor | https://dribbble.com/shots/18114825-Dunn-Lumber-Hat-detail
How to Digitize Your Logo Design for Embroidery
1. Upload your file to the embroidery digitizing software
The first step is to upload the logo file to the digitizing software. Before uploading, make sure that the file is in a machine-readable format like JPEG or PNG. Remove any irrelevant spaces surrounding the image.
2. Set the dimension
How big do you want it to be? If you haven’t measured the space you want your logo to be on your product, now is the time. Don’t lock the picture unless you have set the dimension and placed the embroidery correctly.
Keep in mind that the dimension you set will be the final size of the logo embroidered on the product. So, make sure it is right. If necessary, double-check it.
Created by Eight Hour Day | https://dribbble.com/shots/6866787-Car-Car-Club-Patches
3. Choose the stitch type
Next, choose the stitch type. There are various stitch types to choose from. The most common stitch types are straight stitch, satin stitch, and fill stitch.
Note that each offers something different. For example, the straight stitch is great for outlining, shading, and smaller details finish, while the fill stitch is great for adding strength and durability to the embroidery. Choose the stitch type that fits the overall design.
4. Choose stitch direction
After choosing the stitch type, the next thing to do is to choose the direction of the chosen stitch. This determines in which direction the chosen stitch should be falling on the product. The stitch direction can give the fabric different contours and shades to replicate the design of the logo.
The last thing you want is embroidery with uneven stitches and jumps. After all, mistakes in the embroidering process cost money and time. As such, consider the stitch direction carefully.
Created by Dan Lehman | https://dribbble.com/shots/16568603-Yakoda-Fuji-Type
5. Select the right thread colors
After all the major parameters are set, now is the time to select thread colors. Depending on the colors in the design, you may or may not find the exact thread colors.
If you can find them, that’s great. But what if you can’t? If you can’t find the exact same colors, select ones that are comparable. A tiny bit of difference in colors shouldn’t be an issue.
6. Transfer and digitize the file for embroidery
Now that the JPEG or PNG file has been converted into an embroidery file, you will need to transfer and digitize it for embroidery to the machine. The process is rather straightforward. You just need a flashcard, USB cable, or any other data transferring means. Make sure that the machine reads and accepts your file before proceeding.
Created by Matthew Goshman | https://dribbble.com/shots/9366648-Ruff-Logo-Embroidery
7. Prepare the machine
Before the embroidery machine can do its magic, you need to set the guideline it has to follow for the embroidery process. You need to select the threads, needles, stitching sequence, orientation, etc. Once you are done with the settings, place the fabric or product you the embroidery on in the machine loops.
8. Test it out
To see if everything is the way you want it to be, do a sample test. See if there are any last-minute adjustments are required. If there is something wrong or the embroidery doesn’t look the way you want it to, check the guidelines you have set again.
9. Start embroidering
If everything is the way you want it to be, then you can start embroidering your logo design on your product.
Created by Titus Smith | https://dribbble.com/shots/15645811-Aunt-B-s-Blossoms-sweatshirt
Some Things to Consider
1. Where will the logo go?
Is it on the left chest of a T-shirt? In the front of a bag? Perhaps on the face of a trucker hat? The placement of a logo determines the size and complexity of the embroidery.
2. How complex will the logo design be?
Before the embroidering process starts, think of how detailed you would like the embroidered logo to be. Sewing machines have limitations. Depending on the complexity of the design, you might need to make some adjustments so it can be embroidered.
Oftentimes, some logo design elements must be altered or dropped altogether and the overall design distilled. For example, the size of the text that is smaller in the original is increased for the embroidery, the outlining is dropped, and some detailed parts are removed; you get the idea.
Unless your logo design is quite simple, simplifying it is unavoidable. It is not necessarily a bad thing. As long as you keep it as close to the original design as possible, it shouldn’t be an issue. Try to keep its crispness and integrity as much as you can.
Created by Zachary Keimig | https://dribbble.com/shots/18233089-Spirited-Cap-02
3. How big will the design be?
This relates to the placement. Some places, like the left chest, are ideal for larger images. Meanwhile, the sleeves are great for smaller images. Also, do you want it to be legible and noticeable from several feet away? If so, then it needs to be big.
4. What colors do you need?
Although it is unlikely that you can match the color of your logo with thread, there are lots of options in embroidery threads. You might not get the exact same color, but you should be able to find something comparable.
5. What fabric are you using?
Since your logo design is going to be embroidered, the fabric you are using matters a lot. Some designs look amazing when the fabric shines through as the background. Some others don’t. You want to choose a fabric that suits your design. The fabric you choose also helps you choose stitch types.
6. What stitch are you using?
There are lots of stitch types out there; each one offers a different look. Stitches replicate an image with varying thickness and movement. Indeed, not unlike paint strokes for a painting. As mentioned earlier, there are three common stitch types: straight, satin, and fill.
Straight stitch is the basic building block. Despite the name, you can use straight stitches to build non-straight lines and even curves. You can use it to make a thicker line by adding more of these stitches, creating shading, outlining any objects or letters, and finishing smaller details.
Satin stitch is often used for text. It is shiny, which is why it is perfect for not just text and words but also borders and wherever you want a shiny finish.
As for the fill stitch, it is used to fill in the image. It is used in many big designs, textured embroidery, as well as filling backgrounds. The stitch is not for filling in the image and complimenting other stitches, however. Fill stitch is also used to strengthen the design and add durability.
Created by Zachary Keimig | https://dribbble.com/shots/18233077-Spirited-Cap-01/
About Stitch Counts
When it comes to stitching, the denser it is, the higher the count will be. At a glance, a higher stitch count might not seem to be an issue. However, it can significantly impact the overall cost of your project.
An embroidery with a higher stitch count will cost more than one that has a lower count. That’s just how significant it is. So, you want to pay attention to the stitch count of your project. This is especially important if you want to save money and/or are on a budget.
Created by Adam Smajstrla | https://dribbble.com/shots/5661627-Bao-Down-Hat
Some More Tips
Below are some helpful tips you want to keep in mind.
1. Keep the design simple
The simpler the logo design, the easier it will be to digitize. Simple designs look better than complex ones when embroidered, too.
2. Choose the right thread
The look and feel of your embroidery are determined by the thread. Take your time and choose the one that suits your embroidery.
3. Use high-quality images
If you want your embroidery to look sharp and clear, use high-quality images.
4. Some adjustments might be needed
Embroidering is an entirely different process from printing. For starters, the color options are much more limited. Depending on your design, you might not find the exact same color you used in the original.
There are also embroidery minimum requirements. While small letters can be printed as they are, the same thing can’t be said for embroidery. If the letters are too small, they will need to be enlarged. Likewise, intricate details can’t be all included.
When embroidering a logo design, some adjustments might be needed. In general, the more embroidery friendly the design, the fewer adjustments are needed.
5. Test before you stitch
As exciting as it might be, you wouldn’t want to commit to it right away. You might get everything right from the get-go. The problem is, there is no guarantee for that. And you shouldn’t take any chances.
To ensure that everything is right, do a sample test before you stitch. You can stitch on a scrap piece of fabric first, for example. See if it is everything is the way you want it.
Created by Designollo | https://dribbble.com/shots/15698503-Designollo-Brand-Logo-embroidery-Hat-Design
Conclusion
Now you are aware of how to digitize your logo for embroidery. Overall, logo embroidery is an excellent way to increase brand awareness. It is also quite flexible. You can use it on various branding materials, even merchandise and corporate apparel.
Logo embroidery requires more effort, however. The process of embroidering can seem a bit complex, especially if this is your first time doing it. There are things to prepare and consider. Not to mention you need to get the right setting for the best result.
But with all the benefits that it offers, embroidering logo design is certainly worth the effort. It increases brand awareness, shows the professionalism of your business, and adds a sense of belonging and community for employees.