Embroidery types

Flat embroidery

*3D puff and Partial 3D puff are not available for shirts.

• Flat embroidery is a technique where stitches are embroidered flat on the shirt
• Minimum thickness for shapes: 0.05″ (1.3 mm)
• We use satin stitch for shapes between 0.05″ (1.3 mm) and 0.5″ (12.5 mm)
• We use tatami stitch for shapes thicker than 0.5″ (12.5 mm)
• Minimum height for lowercase letters: 0.25″ (6.4 mm)
• Minimum height for uppercase letters: 0.3″ (7.6 mm)
• Any text smaller than 0.25″ (6.4 mm) in height will be a run stitch

Must-follow guidelines

1. Design true-to-size graphics
   The graphics you upload must be true to their size on the end product.
2. Use solid shapes and colors only
   Don’t include photographic images, gradients, fade or blend effects. Elements like these cannot be embroidered.
3. Use transparent backgrounds
   Graphics should include transparent backgrounds. Elements outside the main design will be picked up and result in unwanted embroidery stitches on the end product.
4. Outline your fonts
   All fonts should be converted to outlines unless your graphic is in PNG format. That way you don’t have to send us the font files.
5. Submit vector files in EPS or PDF format
   We highly recommend submitting your embroidery graphics as vector files (EPS or PDF). Raster graphics (PNG) can be used as well if the resolution of the graphic is at least 300 DPI.
6. Stay within the maximum stitch count
   If your graphic covers a very large part of the embroidery area, it may exceed the maximum limit of 15,000 stitches. In such case, your order will be put on hold.
7. Remove embroidery file template guidelines
   If you use our downloadable templates, delete the guide layers before saving your files. If you don’t delete them, they’ll be embroidered.

Digitization

Digitization is a process that converts your design file to a format that supports embroidery.

• Text-only designs made with the text tool in our mockup generator cost only $3.95 (€3.70) to digitize.
• For other designs digitization costs $6.50 (€5.75) per file. Each embroidery type (flat/3D/partial) requires a separate digitized file. You can re-use your digitized files for future orders of the same embroidery type.
• Stitch density and direction differ in hat and apparel embroidery. If you want to use hat files for shirt embroidery and vice versa, the files need to be adjusted for $2.95 (€2.50) per file. 3D or Partial 3D puff files can’t be adjusted, so they have to be digitized from scratch for $6.50 (€5.75).
• We only digitize files when they’re part of an order.
• Our digitization process is designed to match our machine capabilities, so we don’t accept files that have been digitized elsewhere.

Tips for best results

• Order samples
  The best way to make sure your embroidery design looks the way you want is to order a sample of your work. We also recommend ordering an embroidery sample to learn about our techniques and stitch types.
• Follow our embroidery guidelines
  Check out this page for tips on how to create perfect embroidery files.
• Create embroidery-unique designs
  Embroidery is not printing, so most graphics that work on other products won’t be suitable for embroidery.
• Keep it simple
  Clean designs with bold lines and text work best for embroidery. If your design is too complex (e.g. contains gradients or intricate details), your order will be put on hold.

Embroidery disclaimers

• If it’s physically possible to digitize your graphic, we’ll digitize it. If your design doesn’t meet our guidelines, we can’t guarantee desirable results.
• We use a run stitch for fine details in flat embroidery.
• The generated preview on the mockup is for visual reference only and will not always match the final result.