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 Embroidery at MCO means Tajima machine embroidery with the latest creative and production software. We create original designs right here, and stitch them on caps, jackets, polo shirts, denim shirts, fleece, totes, and all kinds of accessories.
How many colors can I use?
Most designs use up to 6 colors, but you may use as many colors as are needed for your design. Our machines can hold 12 different thread colors. For more than 12 colors, the design is sewn out with 12 colors, the cones of thread are removed and the new colors added, the needles are re-threaded, and the rest of the design is sewn out. Obviously, this makes a 16-color design much more expensive than if it has 12 colors or less.
What kind of artwork do I need to provide?
See our FAQ for complete information on artwork and file types. High-resolution art is not required. A business card will do for some logos, photographs are needed for vehicles, and artwork from a website will often suffice for a color logo. Generally, however, the better the artwork or photo, the easier it is to work from. Artwork files smaller than 500 k may be sent as an attachment to an email. Large, high-resolution artwork may be sent on floppy disk, zip disk or CD, in either Windows or Macintosh format.
How is embroidery priced?
Generally, our prices are based on the number of stitches in the finished design. Digitizing: Since creating a new design is time consuming, the fees may be based on time rather than number of stitches. A small but detailed logo may take more time than a jacket back design that uses simple filled shapes and lettering. We like to quote individually on digitizing charges. Sewing: The sewn-out design is priced by the number of stitches in the design. A larger design takes more time to sew. You may use our Request for Quote form to get a detailed quote on your project.
 Basic Steps:
1. Send your artwork. This can be in the form of a jpg or gif, sent as an email attachment. You could also mail or bring in your artwork, and we will quote on it or prepare it for embroidery.
2. Choose your garments. Choosing at this stage is important, because our designer must know what kind of material your logo will be sewn on. Different materials require different treatments, and one treatment may be substantially different from another. You can check our Sportswear section for a wide selection of top-quality, economical choices.
3. Approve the quote. This will get us started on creating your logo in embroidery.
4. Approve the sewout. We'll send you a sample of the design sewn on fabric similar in character to the item or items you've chosen. Refine your colors here, and make minor adjustments. (We can match Pantone colors) When you approve the sewout, we can get down to work producing your order!
5. Receive your new stuff! Everyone loves that moment when you unpack the first item.
When you are thinking about embroidery:
Henry David Thoreau said it well: "Simplify, simplify!"
Words to live by... and to sew by! (also see Digitizing for Embroidery)
 Embroidery is not the same as printing. What looks good on a business card may not work for embroidery. Small lettering, excessive detail or very small shapes don't lend themselves to reproduction in thread. They are difficult to work with, and don't look good on the finished product. Lettering that is at least a quarter-inch high will sew out best.
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Don't expect any finer detail than you can draw with a felt-tip pen (such as Flair).
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An embroidered design is a special kind of graphic. It is made of thread instead of ink, so it has a different texture and sheen. In an area filled with stitches, there are about 64 threads in every inch. In graphic terms, that would be "low resolution." That means that artwork (especially subtle curves and feathery effects) needs to be emulated rather than reproduced. An example: In a design with an Irish harp, the customer's art had 24 strings. On the design we created for dark green hats, the harp had 9 strings. The golden thread on the dark green hat was so effective, no one was counting strings!
Colors on a color sample card may look significantly lighter when they're sewn out, because of the sheen of the thread. A color card has threads lying flat next to each other. A design sewn on fabric has stitches that pull down into the fabric, and take the shape of the garment. There are many more highlights on the sewn design, making it seem lighter.
Please remember that we do this every day, so our suggestions carry the weight of experience. Customers are generally very happy with our version of their designs. We know how to emulate the intended shape with thread so the final sewn image will give the same impression as the printed logo, even if it is significantly simplified. |
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