Impressions - April 2020 - 34

When using a cap hoop, the lettering needs
to be ordered so that it sews from the center
of the design and outward.
Panel Placement
When sewing on the left or right front
panel, I prefer to start lettering embroidery on the center seam side and work
toward the outside seam, pressing the
material away from the center seam. If
sewing on the side of the cap past the
brim using a cap hoop, remember to
secure the fabric to the stabilizer to ensure smooth stitching. This area has no
structural reinforcement; thus, securing
it to the stabilizer will prevent movement
and loss of registration.
I typically lay down a manual center-run
underlay to control the tie-in point, then
do a contoured or edge-run underlay to
secure the edge, followed by a zigzag or
double zigzag to add loft to the lettering.
Again, the order must proceed from the
center and outward in this situation, as
the fabric is only held tightly by the
cap-hoop band, which is pressed into
the sweatband where the cap material
and brim meet.
Profile height will dictate lettering
height. For example, a design digitized at 2
inches tall may be too big for a low-profile
hat; similarly, a low-profile cap design
will look too small on a high-profile
cap. A design that's too large will cause
the material to stretch on the end of the
stitching arm and throw off registration.
Wider lettering tends to sew better
than thin lettering.The extra width allows
for more underlay stitching to attach the
fabric to the stabilizer, which results in
better registration.

difficult for producing clean, legible text.
If embroidering a fill-stitch letter, plan
on outlining it using a satin stitch, which
gives the fill's edge definition.
If you use a contrasting thread for the
outline, it can help make the text stand
out against the background fabric. Keep
in mind that the satin outline should be
at least 1mm wide. Set your lettering up
to run one complete letter - the inside
and the outline - to maintain registration.When doing an outline on 3-D
puff text, it's better to do the outline first

and the puff text second.This will keep
the outline from distorting the puffed
letters' edges.
These are the many things to consider
when digitizing for embroidery on caps.
The design dictates the sewing order, but
using these methods ensures a successful
finished product. 
Jeff Fuller is the owner of Fuller Embroidery
Works LLC and helps run embnerd.com. For more
information or to comment on this article, email
Jeffat jeff@fullerembroideryworks.com.

Stitch Type and Size
The majority of lettering on caps, including 3-D puff, is done using satin stitches.
Fill and run stitches sometimes also are
used.When digitizing small text for a cap,
a center-run underlay is almost always
needed.The underlay's stitch length needs
to be short - about 1mm - to ensure
it doesn't poke outside of the finished
satin.
I don't digitize satin text smaller than
5mm, or with satin columns narrower
than 1mm. Anything smaller will prove
P.34

I don't digitize satin text smaller than
5mm, or with satin columns narrower
than 1mm.Anything smaller will prove
difficult for clean, legible text.

I M P R E S S I O N S M A G . C O M APRIL 2020

32-34_IMP_0420_TMD_EmbDigitizing 34

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Impressions - April 2020

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