SHARPRINT BLOG

Did you know embroidery thread is sewn in different types of stitches to re-create your customer's logo or design on a garment? It’s true! These stitch types are called out by the digitizer when creating a stitch composition for your image. Each stitch type has a unique look and is best for specific design elements. Here are the top three:

It’s pretty magical when a t-shirt design and specialty ink fall into perfect alignment. With all of the specialty printing we do around here, this occurrence is a lot less common than you might think. In a perfect world, the design allows the specialty ink to exemplify it’s capability while the technical aspects are executed effortlessly, like making a box of mac-n-chesse. When we reach this utopia, we step back, take a deep breath and nod our heads in silent confirmation. Yes. It’s perfect.

There are numerous variables that go into placing, producing, and delivering a custom decorated textile order. A tight and organized process is key in making sure the decoration order goes off without a hitch and keeping you informed along the way. This process illustration details the key points we focused on back in 2005. And guess what? These key points are executed in 4 simple steps every day, to this very day - to get your order out on time and correctly. 

In the decorated apparel industry, it is very important to capture the greatest level of detail possible to leave the customer with the end result that they expect.

Embroidery’s craft origin gives it an air of refinement, elegance, and respectability. For this reason, designers utilize embroidery for custom embellishment in many applications from functional uniforms to high fashion. Technology advances in the embroidery industry have made high quality custom garments an affordable option for even the more casual affairs like golf tournaments and trendy retail items. These days, we add versatility to list of words that describe embroidery.

Digital printing on fabric is very similar to the way an inkjet photo printer prints on paper. There are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) ink jets that spray the design onto a substrate. These inks are translucent and the amount of each color that is sprayed on the material determines the end color produced.

Your logo consists of 3 colors, yet you’re being charged for a 4-color screen printing job. What? Why? Are decorating companies trying to pull a fast one on you? Though at first you may think otherwise, the answer is, no they are not.

One thing that plagues us as printers of apparel is those pesky seams. When the squeegee passes over a seam, it disrupts the constant and even pressure it applies. The resulting print will be uneven in the area immediately surrounding that seam.

Embroidery is a beautiful application for embellishing a garment or adding a branding element to apparel and accessories. Vector graphics on a computer screen often do not translate well to stitches based for a number of reasons including the fabric you wish to apply the logo to. There is a simple set of guidelines to follow that will ensure your art will look as exquisite embroidered as is does in your design software.

1. ILLUSTRATOR EFFECTS

Illustrator has some nifty effect options, but you’ve got to be careful when using them.  A good portion of these options apply raster elements to your art, negating vector’s resizing abilities and requiring separations for screens.