The Tricks to Small Lettering for the Embroidery Digitizer
Intricate designs almost always garner more appreciation than any other kind; after all they are the leading demonstration of one's skill and expertise. However, small objects and lettering are one of the trickiest areas to deal with for most embroidery digitizers. The major challenges an embroidery digitizer faces while digitizing for small letters is setting the parameters on underlay, density, stitch angle and pull compensation, amongst others. It is mostly observed that small lettering jobs almost always magnify the issues faced by a professional during the digitizing process.
The major factor that makes small lettering such a bother for an embroidery digitizer is small stitches. Small stitches tend to get absorbed into the fabric, which makes the end result look cluttered and fuzzy. As an embroidery digitizer, you must have noticed that if you place the stitches at a distance of say 4mm, a closer look at the fabric will reveal that due to the tension of the top and bottom thread, the stitches will in fact only be left with a distance of perhaps 2mm. Irrespective of the kind of fabric you are using, every stitch will lose at least half a millimeter, if not more, once placed on the fabric.
The second factor that makes the fabric seem to absorb the stitches is nap. Nap refers to the tiny fibers that tend to stick out on the surface of a material. The fuzzier the appearance of a fabric, the more it is affected by the presence of nap, while glossier fabrics tend to have less nap. As an embroidery digitizer, it is essential to consider the effects of nap on small stitches, since that is what covers the stitches and merges them with the rest of the fabric.
A general rule that will help you as an embroidery digitizer to create crisp designs with small lettering is to keep a lower density and greater pull compensation. Beginning with a pull compensation of.02mm and then increasing it as needed will make a world of difference. Especially when dealing with complicated font types, where letters appear thick at a normal size and get skinnier in their smaller version, it is advisable to increase the column widths and set the pull compensation at a higher number.
Keeping an ideal density of 4.5mm for small letters as well as objects will help embroidery digitizers greatly. Also, this density can be increased, depending on the underlay settings, up to 6.0mm. It is further advisable to have more space between the stitches than the default setting in your software. For the underlay, selecting the zigzag or edge walk stitches comes highly recommended. While the zigzag provides a good foundation for the rest of the stitches to sit on, the edge walk gives the outer stitches of the column a firm foundation to hold on to.
The major factor that makes small lettering such a bother for an embroidery digitizer is small stitches. Small stitches tend to get absorbed into the fabric, which makes the end result look cluttered and fuzzy. As an embroidery digitizer, you must have noticed that if you place the stitches at a distance of say 4mm, a closer look at the fabric will reveal that due to the tension of the top and bottom thread, the stitches will in fact only be left with a distance of perhaps 2mm. Irrespective of the kind of fabric you are using, every stitch will lose at least half a millimeter, if not more, once placed on the fabric.
The second factor that makes the fabric seem to absorb the stitches is nap. Nap refers to the tiny fibers that tend to stick out on the surface of a material. The fuzzier the appearance of a fabric, the more it is affected by the presence of nap, while glossier fabrics tend to have less nap. As an embroidery digitizer, it is essential to consider the effects of nap on small stitches, since that is what covers the stitches and merges them with the rest of the fabric.
A general rule that will help you as an embroidery digitizer to create crisp designs with small lettering is to keep a lower density and greater pull compensation. Beginning with a pull compensation of.02mm and then increasing it as needed will make a world of difference. Especially when dealing with complicated font types, where letters appear thick at a normal size and get skinnier in their smaller version, it is advisable to increase the column widths and set the pull compensation at a higher number.
Keeping an ideal density of 4.5mm for small letters as well as objects will help embroidery digitizers greatly. Also, this density can be increased, depending on the underlay settings, up to 6.0mm. It is further advisable to have more space between the stitches than the default setting in your software. For the underlay, selecting the zigzag or edge walk stitches comes highly recommended. While the zigzag provides a good foundation for the rest of the stitches to sit on, the edge walk gives the outer stitches of the column a firm foundation to hold on to.
