manufacturer, inquire about a panel program. If available, you can have the individual jacket panels sent for stitching and eliminate having to sew through the lining.

FABRIC

Embroidery sews out well on most jacket fabrics. Cotton poplin, twill and cotton canvas, for example, have smooth, tight surfaces that show off small text or delicate design elements without the need of a layer of under-stitching. Embroidery also works reasonably well on wool, leather and the newer rip stop nylon fabrics. Polar fleece and corduroy, on the other

EMBROIDERING ON JACKETS

Digitizing and Embroidery Tips

WHEN TO CHOOSE EMBROIDERY

Jackets are, for the most part, made of sturdy, tightly woven fabric and offer an ideal surface for embroidery. They run the gamut from conservative, ivy-league jackets to “off-the-wall” designer styles available in bright colors and bold geometric shapes. With such a broad range of jacket styles available, embroidery applications are appropriate in a wide variety of styles themselves—from small, signature logos to flashy “billboard” treatments.

LOCATION

In addition to traditional locations such as left and right chest, pocket and sleeve, the jacket back is available for embroidery and just the ticket for the popular “billboard” style used on wool and leather varsity jackets. The same “billboard” format works extremely well for high profile companies like Nascar, with its numerous sponsors, or Harley-Davidson, a company closely identified with leather jackets and a perfect candidate for a full jacket back treatment.

Remember that the maximum size of any design is dependent on your embroiderer’s hoop size. Since the maximum size of most embroidery hoops is 14”, we recommend limiting your jacket back designs to 12” or 13.” Also, keep in mind that raglan or drop sleeve styles have more room for a large design than a jacket with an inset sleeve.

A relatively new embroidery application making an appearance today is the “locker room tag,” a small or partial logo, without accompanying text, sewn 1 to 1 ?” below the back collar seam. This is a sharp look that’s growing in popularity throughout the States. An application currently appearing in the Western region of the United States, is a chenille sewout of a student’s name embroidered next to the pocket welt on his or her varsity jacket. Staying on top of current styles will help you gain your customer’s confidence and could give you a competitive edge.

On fully assembled garments, we recommend removing the lining before applying embroidery if at all possible. This keeps back-stitching concealed from the wearer and gives a more finished appearance to the completed garment. If you are working directly with a jacket manufacturer, inquire about a panel program. If available, you can have the individual jacket panels sent for stitching and eliminate having to sew through the lining.

FABRIC

Embroidery sews out well on most jacket fabrics. Cotton poplin, twill and cotton canvas, for example, have smooth, tight surfaces that show off small text or delicate design elements without the need of a layer of under-stitching. Embroidery also works reasonably well on wool, leather and the newer rip stop nylon fabrics. Polar fleece and corduroy, on the other

d” treatments.

LOCATION

In addition to traditional locations such as left and right chest, pocket and sleeve, the jacket back is available for embroidery and just the ticket for the popular “billboard” style used on wool and leather varsity jackets. The same “billboard” format works extremely well for high profile companies like Nascar, with its numerous sponsors, or Harley-Davidson, a company closely identified with leather jackets and a perfect candidate for a full jacket back treatment.

Remember that the maximum size of any design is dependent on your embroiderer’s hoop size. Since the maximum size of most embroidery hoops is 14”, we recommend limiting your jacket back designs to 12” or 13.” Also, keep in mind that raglan or drop sleeve styles have more room for a large design than a jacket with an inset sleeve.

A relatively new embroidery application making an appearance today is the “locker room tag,” a small or partial logo, without accompanying text, sewn 1 to 1 ?” below the back collar seam. This is a sharp look that’s growing in popularity throughout the States. An application currently appearing in the Western region of the United States, is a chenille sewout of a student’s name embroidered next to the pocket welt on his or her varsity jacket. Staying on top of current styles will help you gain your customer’s confidence and could give you a competitive edge.

On fully assembled garments, we recommend removing the lining before applying embroidery if at all possible. This keeps back-stitching concealed from the wearer and gives a more finished appearance to the completed garment. If you are working directly with a jacket manufacturer, inquire about a panel program. If available, you can have the individual jacket panels sent for stitching and eliminate having to sew through the lining.

FABRIC

Embroidery sews out well on most jacket fabrics. Cotton poplin, twill and cotton canvas, for example, have smooth, tight surfaces that show off small text or delicate design elements without the need of a layer of under-stitching. Embroidery also works reasonably well on wool, leather and the newer rip stop nylon fabrics. Polar fleece and corduroy, on the other

design is dependent on your embroiderer’s hoop size. Since the maximum size of most embroidery hoops is 14”, we recommend limiting your jacket back designs to 12” or 13.” Also, keep in mind that raglan or drop sleeve styles have more room for a large design than a jacket with an inset sleeve.

A relatively new embroidery application making an appearance today is the “locker room tag,” a small or partial logo, without accompanying text, sewn 1 to 1 ?” below the back collar seam. This is a sharp look that’s growing in popularity throughout the States. An application currently appearing in the Western region of the United States, is a chenille sewout of a student’s name embroidered next to the pocket welt on his or her varsity jacket. Staying on top of current styles will help you gain your customer’s confidence and could give you a competitive edge.

On fully assembled garments, we recommend removing the lining before applying embroidery if at all possible. This keeps back-stitching concealed from the wearer and gives a more finished appearance to the completed garment. If you are working directly with a jacket manufacturer, inquire about a panel program. If available, you can have the individual jacket panels sent for stitching and eliminate having to sew through the lining.

FABRIC

Embroidery sews out well on most jacket fabrics. Cotton poplin, twill and cotton canvas, for example, have smooth, tight surfaces that show off small text or delicate design elements without the need of a layer of under-stitching. Embroidery also works reasonably well on wool, leather and the newer rip stop nylon fabrics. Polar fleece and corduroy, on the other

ication currently appearing in the Western region of the United States, is a chenille sewout of a student’s name embroidered next to the pocket welt on his or her varsity jacket. Staying on top of current styles will help you gain your customer’s confidence and could give you a competitive edge.

On fully assembled garments, we recommend removing the lining before applying embroidery if at all possible. This keeps back-stitching concealed from the wearer and gives a more finished appearance to the completed garment. If you are working directly with a jacket manufacturer, inquire about a panel program. If available, you can have the individual jacket panels sent for stitching and eliminate having to sew through the lining.

FABRIC

Embroidery sews out well on most jacket fabrics. Cotton poplin, twill and cotton canvas, for example, have smooth, tight surfaces that show off small text or delicate design elements without the need of a layer of under-stitching. Embroidery also works reasonably well on wool, leather and the newer rip stop nylon fabrics. Polar fleece and corduroy, on the other

manufacturer, inquire about a panel program. If available, you can have the individual jacket panels sent for stitching and eliminate having to sew through the lining.

FABRIC

Embroidery sews out well on most jacket fabrics. Cotton poplin, twill and cotton canvas, for example, have smooth, tight surfaces that show off small text or delicate design elements without the need of a layer of under-stitching. Embroidery also works reasonably well on wool, leather and the newer rip stop nylon fabrics. Polar fleece and corduroy, on the other hand, have heavy, plush and/or ribbed surfaces on which small text elements can become buried or distorted if the design is not reinforced or lifted above the pile in some way.

Among the newest jacket materials today are the water-repellant coated nylon, coated oxford and coated Supplex®, primarily used for sports jackets. When applying embroidery to lighter weight materials, (like those used in windbreakers) keep in mind that your embroiderer will need to use a good quality backing or double up on the backing to keep the material from puckering. This will increase the cost somewhat but provide the quality appearance you’re shooting for in a finished garment. (Using a little adhesive on the backing to secure the material helps to minimize the puckering or distortion of the fabric during the sewout process.)

Plain twill weave, a soft supple material with a velvety feel, is popular for business or professional jackets. A type of fabric that’s growing in popularity in this arena is the new poly micro fibers. Both of these fabrics are ideal for the classic look of tone-on-tone that especially appeals to professional and business groups. Black thread on black wool, for example, creates an elegant look, similar to debossing.

We can’t go into the qualities of every fabric here. Just keep in mind that each fabric has its own strengths and weaknesses, and we suggest consulting with your digitizer to assure the best possible engineering of your embroidery tape to suit your fabric.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

On large, complex designs (like a jacket back) it’s not uncommon for stitches to run as high as 75,000 to 100,000. A creative way to reduce the sewout cost and still maintain the high-quality look of embroidery is to use appliqu?. In appliqu?, a top layer of material is adhered to the jacket fabric. This additional piece of material usually contains design elements applied with a less-expensive silk-screening process. Embroidery is applied over that silk-screened fabric and either adds or highlights design elements. The illustration here demonstrates this layered look and is especially desirable when you’re customer wants a photographic quality for their design.

An ongoing problem with embroidery