I have been thinking about getting some golf shirts embroidered with our company logo. Went to a local store that does that kind of thing and was told that "all they needed was a JPG of the logo" and they would convert that to the necessary file format needed by the embroidery machine. ALSO mentioned that the file setup is a LARGE part of the expense.
I am thinking that since I obviously have our logo in a vector format they should be able to use it, in whatever file format they want.
Why pay someone else to re-vectorize what I already have?
Does anyone know of a Canadian t-shirt/golf shirt/hat embroiderer that can work from existing vector artwork?
I'm not trying to be cheap here but it is kinda annoying to think I have to pay someone else to "re-invent the wheel". Specially when they probably aren't as good at it as I am!!! LOL LOL *kidding*
Posted by Jake Lyman (Member # 3280) on :
Dave,
When i looked into it I was told that they have to "digitize" it. Which is somehow setting it up to stitch it properly with the proper thread count. He told me file format didn't matter because of that. Probably all a bunch of bull, I dont know.
JAKE
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Digitizing is a whole different ballgame. With vectorizing, you just care about the outlines, which will be cut. Look at something that's embroidered. Digitizing sets up each stitch.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Dave...you could always go out and buy the program for digitizing the stiching pattern!
In the old days (BC) my brother and his wife use to do that, one stich at a time....very tedious. The newer programs do it much fasdter and easier....but...you wind up paying for their time, just like doing a logo for your customers.
PS.....Even with a computer...it is still a PITA!!!!!!!
[ June 03, 2004, 06:08 PM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Nope Dave, they can't use your vector logo any better than they can use a JPG because they still have to sit there and program each stitch so it's put together right. Even the programs that are supposed to do this work for them don't do it very well, they still have to go in and manually clean up the stitches. If there's a large field of solid color they'll love ya even more cause now they gotta put in rows of stitches every 1/4" or so.
I bet the embroidery people *really* get irked when their customers say "All you gotta do is type it in and hit 'Print', right?" or "You just gotta hit a few buttons and it's done." Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
DAVE I SAW THAT HEADER... thought you was going GAY....hahahahahahahahahahaha go to sears and look at the $2000 sewin machine they got.....will do almost anything....
[ June 03, 2004, 07:58 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Dave, I had visions of you sitting in a rocker beside the fireplace with an embroidery hoop and a basket of floss. Kinda like Betsy Ross! Love...Jill
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
They used to call it a tape charge because the art was converted to a tape with holes in it. The tape was fed into the embroidery machine and each hole was a stitch location.
Set up has gotten cheaper with computer programs, but the above statements were correct that they have to clean up what the computer does, like we have to clean up a scan before we vectorize it. Some companies do a better job of clean up and might have a higher charge over another outfit that doesn't bother to make it look great.
Now the files are saved to disk and a computer runs the embroidery machine, but just like in our business where its faster to crank out letters for a sign than to hand paint, it isn't any cheaper because of the equipment we must purchase.
Emroidery file charges are just part of it. The embroidery itself is usually charged by per thousand stitches. It's all about time in the machine.
My supplier has the following charges for the emroidery of any item. (US funds) 1 to 11 items .75 /1000 stitches 12 to 35 items .50 /1000 stitches 36 to 71 items .35 /1000 stitches 72 to 143 items .30 /1000 stitches
Digitizing $16.00 per 1000 stitches
A couple examples of stitch count: 2 1/8 by 3 1/8 with 60% thread coverage is 6972 stitches.
2 1/4 by 3 1/2 with 90% stitch coverage is 11,812 stitches.
Hope this helps.
edit for spelling. grrrr
[ June 03, 2004, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: Dave Sherby ]
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Thanks for the info folks...Never thought about the "stitch lines". I guess it IS a different technology.
As far as me turning gay and sitting with an embroidery hoop......NOT!!!!!!!!!
NOW..if I had a cool beer beside me...I might be able to do the "hoop" thing..The "gay" thing??? not freakin likely!!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted by Jeremy Vecoli (Member # 2278) on :
I had this blazer crest embroidered for me in Pakistan using the picture I showed them:
Total cost? Five bucks. (really!) Digitizing charge? None. All done by hand with real gold & siver bullion thread!
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Lol...But the airfare to Pakistan is the bad part....let alone them not liking us, right now!
[ June 04, 2004, 01:42 AM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Well I guess thats the reason so many US companies are going over seas with their factories.
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Appy, We get faxes on a regular basis offering free digitizing services with shirt orders. No minimum quantities. The shirts are name brand and they claim to offer a money back guarantee. I'll keep an eye out for the next one and post a number.
Cheers,
Checkers
Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :
"Stich" counts can be thought of as...X,Y,Z moves similar to routers! zxyz,xyz,xyz or thread in,lenght,thread in,move width. Is needed per stitch!
hope this helps
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Besides a huge learning curve for the embroidering digitizing softwares, experience (read, "trial and error") is also a factor. You could be an expert with the software, but still have to know what the embroidery machines are going to do with the file, or you'll have a worthless mess to show for the effort. Different kinds of stitches are used for different parts of a design, and lots of times the order of the stitches is a factor. The software doesn't tell you which or when...you program those according to your own experience.
Posted by Danny Palmer (Member # 95) on :
Send me the vector. I'll digitize it for you.
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
Hey Danny, you see where I'm from? I live on the other side of the bridge from you.
Posted by Danny Palmer (Member # 95) on :
I didn't until you pointed it out. How about that! I'll look you up sometime.
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