What is Digitizing? Digitizing is a process utilizing specialized software to design, draw and convert logos for stitching on the embroidery machines. SewMIuses the latest, state of the art software in the industry ensuring that your logo is duplicated as closely as possible onto the items to be embroidered.

How long does it usually take to get my product? When you are a new client, we usually ask you to plan on two weeks to allow for the time to digitize your design and get the product embroidered. Once you are an established client, the turn around is normally within a week of your order. Orders can be completed faster depending on our current workload and the time of the year. We always accommodate rush orders and rush charges may apply. October through December is our busiest time of the year so try to plan on more lead time.

I have a digital picture of my design/logo, why must I pay a digitizing fee? If your design is provided in any form of “bitmap” image (.BMP, .GIF, .JPG), it must be converted into a “vector” image (.AI, .EPS, .CDR) before it can be digitized.

Can you embroider a design I already have? What is involved? We usually work from a vector art file and digitize the design from that. However, if you’ve got other art file formats, we can work with those as well. Depending on the quality of the art file, artwork charges may be charged in addition to set up fees.

Can you put embroidery on anything? We try very hard to be as diverse as possible to satisfy our customer's requests. Our standard response is that if we can hoop it and get it on the machine -- we can stitch it. We embroider many items that seem out of the ordinary yet are common for Sew MI Embroidery. We have many clients with custom embroidery and we regularly stitch on the following less common items: aircraft and car upholstery and door panels (prior to installation), parachute gear, headliners, head rests, golf bags, hockey bags, briefcases, portfolios, quilt squares, tree skirts, holiday stockings, pillow cases, dinner and cocktail napkins, table linens, wedding dresses, wedding items and even toilet paper.

What is the material behind the embroidery inside my shirt? That material is referred to as backing which is used as a stabilizer.

When is Polyester or Rayon thread chosen for embroidery? At SewMIwe prefer to use Polyester thread over Rayon as it is a color fast thread that will not bleed when chlorine bleach is used in washing. Sometimes we will use Rayon thread when a specific Pantone color match is required that is not available in a Polyester thread.

What is meant by “tone on tone” embroidery? “Tone-on-tone” refers to using the same color embroidery thread as the color of the fabric making the embroidered design subtle rather than popping off the fabric. This often presents a more elegant look.

What are the requirements for embroidering a design on a cap? Due to the construction of a cap, the design is usually limited to 2” high but can be up to 4” or 5” wide. Don't forget about the back of the cap, many corporate clients like to put their web address here. The overall height for a low profile hat is 1.85". Higher profile hats can have logos up to 2.25”.

What is a recommended size for a custom embroidered left or right chest logo? For a typical left/right chest size embroidery design, we recommend 3.5" - 5". The smallest text size is usually an indicator for the overall length of an embroidered logo. To be readable, we recommend lettering of one-fourth of an inch (.25). Although it is possible to do lettering as small as an one-eight of an inch in height, it does depend on the type of material it is being sew onto. Small text may have to be modified or removed in order to embroider.

How large can a jacket back embroidery design be? A jacket back design can be as large as 16.5" x 16.5". Most embroidery machines can only embroidery a 12" sewing field. We have equipment with a larger sewing field. The area available for embroidery is also dependent on the jacket size.

What is the difference between Pique, Jersey, & Woven fabric? Pique: a knit fabric that is characterized by its waffle-like appearance. Jersey:- a type of fabric with a flat appearance, knit on a circular, single-knit machine; its principal distinction is that it is not a fabric with a distinct rib. Woven: fabric constructed by the interlacing of two or more sets of yarns at right angles to each other.

What should I do if a loose thread appears on finished embroidery? We use a lock stitch when starting and stopping each color thread. However, it’s not uncommon that a thread may pull out, usually due to rough use or snagging on something. When that happens, we recommend: (1) applying a “dot” of clear fingernail polish to the back of the design where the thread is pulling out, and (2) trimming the loose thread as close to the fabric as possible.

Can embroidery be put onto a previously washed garment? Yes, we can. For some garments and fabrics, this is not recommended as the garment may have already begun to shrink and the embroidery may shrink at a different rate, making a uneven appearance.

What is Sew MI’s minimum order? Our minimum embroidery order is 1! However, for most uses, it’s really not practical to embroider or print any quantity less than 12 pieces due to setup charges.

Do you charge by the color for embroidery? We do not charge by thread color for embroidery except when matching specific pantone colors. Pricing is based on stitch count, complexity of the design and quantity of products.

How many colors can I use or choose from? Most designs will use 1 to 4 colors. We have many colors to choose from. Colors that are always in stock include black, white, red, navy blue, royal blue, Kelly green, yellow, gold, silver, brown, orange and purple. Do you need a specific Pantone color? We can even match thread to Pantone colors.

Can you match PANTONE PMS colors? Some PANTONE colors have exact matches for thread colors and others do not. Those colors that do not have an exact match can be matched either as close as possible or thread specially dyed to match. Any threads requested to be matched to a PANTONE color must be approved prior to embroidering the products.

When is screen printing better than embroidery? Screen printing works well when you want to cover a large area (i.e. center chest or full back). With screen printing, it’s the number of colors that affects the price, not just the size of the design.

Do you have other questions? Please send us an e-mail and we will be happy to answer your questions!

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