EMBROIDERING ON JACKETS
Digitizing and Embroidery Tips
WHEN TO CHOOSE EMBROIDERY
Jackets are, for the most part, made of sturdy, tightly woven fabric and
offer an ideal surface for embroidery. They run the gamut from
conservative, ivy-league jackets to “off-the-wall” designer styles
available in bright colors and bold geometric shapes. With such a broad
range of jacket styles available, embroidery applications are
appropriate in a wide variety of styles themselves—from small, signature
logos to flashy “billboard” treatments.
LOCATION
In addition to traditional locations such as left and right chest,
pocket and sleeve, the jacket back is available for embroidery and just
the ticket for the popular “billboard” style used on wool and leather
varsity jackets. The same “billboard” format works extremely well for
high profile companies like Nascar, with its numerous sponsors, or
Harley-Davidson, a company closely identified with leather jackets and a
perfect candidate for a full jacket back treatment.
Remember that the maximum size of any design is dependent on your
embroiderer’s hoop size. Since the maximum size of most embroidery hoops
is 14”, we recommend limiting your jacket back designs to 12” or 13.”
Also, keep in mind that raglan or drop sleeve styles have more room for
a large design than a jacket with an inset sleeve.
A relatively new embroidery application making an appearance today is
the “locker room tag,” a small or partial logo, without accompanying
text, sewn 1 to 1 ½” below the back collar seam. This is a sharp look
that’s growing in popularity throughout the States. An application
currently appearing in the Western region of the United States, is a
chenille sewout of a student’s name embroidered next to the pocket welt
on his or her varsity jacket. Staying on top of current styles will help
you gain your customer’s confidence and could give you a competitive
edge.
On fully assembled garments, we recommend removing the lining before
applying embroidery if at all possible. This keeps back-stitching
concealed from the wearer and gives a more finished appearance to the
completed garment. If you are working directly with a jacket
manufacturer, inquire about a panel program. If available, you can have
the individual jacket panels sent for stitching and eliminate having to
sew through the lining.
FABRIC
Embroidery sews out well on most jacket fabrics. Cotton poplin, twill
and cotton canvas, for example, have smooth, tight surfaces that show
off small text or delicate design elements without the need of a layer
of under-stitching. Embroidery also works reasonably well on wool,
leather and the newer rip stop nylon fabrics. Polar fleece and corduroy,
on the other hand, have heavy, plush and/or ribbed surfaces on which
small text elements can become buried or distorted if the design is not
reinforced or lifted above the pile in some way.
Among the newest jacket materials today are the water-repellant coated
nylon, coated oxford and coated Supplex®, primarily used for sports
jackets. When applying embroidery to lighter weight materials, (like
those used in windbreakers) keep in mind that your embroiderer will need
to use a good quality backing or double up on the backing to keep the
material from puckering. This will increase the cost somewhat but
provide the quality appearance you’re shooting for in a finished
garment. (Using a little adhesive on the backing to secure the material
helps to minimize the puckering or distortion of the fabric during the
sewout process.)
Plain twill weave, a soft supple material with a velvety feel, is
popular for business or professional jackets. A type of fabric that’s
growing in popularity in this arena is the new poly micro fibers. Both
of these fabrics are ideal for the classic look of tone-on-tone that
especially appeals to professional and business groups. Black thread on
black wool, for example, creates an elegant look, similar to debossing.
We can’t go into the qualities of every fabric here. Just keep in mind
that each fabric has its own strengths and weaknesses, and we suggest
consulting with your digitizer to assure the best possible engineering
of your embroidery tape to suit your fabric.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
On large, complex designs (like a jacket back) it’s not uncommon for
stitches to run as high as 75,000 to 100,000. A creative way to reduce
the sewout cost and still maintain the high-quality look of embroidery
is to use appliqué. In appliqué, a top layer of material is adhered to
the jacket fabric. This additional piece of material usually contains
design elements applied with a less-expensive silk-screening process.
Embroidery is applied over that silk-screened fabric and either adds or
highlights design elements. The illustration here demonstrates this
layered look and is especially desirable when you’re customer wants a
photographic quality for their design.
An ongoing problem with embroidery design elements for all types of
fabrics is text size. Script or serif fonts are not advisable for text
up to ½”. For best results, use capitalized letters in a sans serif font
such as Ariel. (Your digitizer will let you know if the text in your
design will sew out well at its original size.)
Suggested minimum letter height:
Polar fleece and corduroy..…. 1/ 4”
Most other fabrics………….. 3/16”
MARKETING IDEAS
If you are bidding on a jacket project for a customer, you may want to
tie in complimentary items during your presentation. A number of apparel
items go well with a jacket. Hats, sweaters, vests and golf shirts can
all be worn once a jacket is removed and provide your customer with a
higher profile. If you have samples ready at the time you make your
presentation, you’ll have an additional story to tell. Your creativity
could spur a secondary sale as well as give your customer an opportunity
for increased visibility.
(Note: You may be able to use the same digitized design for the
complimentary items (hat, vest, golf shirt). This will minimize the
expense of creating your samples. However, once an order is received,
each digital design will need to be produced specifically for that
garment to be certain the design sews out correctly—Hats require a very
specific sewout pattern, usually from the middle-out.)
Copyright 2005. Unauthorized Duplication Prohibited. Contact Fast Embroidery Tapes for permission.
