Understanding Embroidery Branding for Clothing: Key Terms and Processes

Embroidery branding is a popular method for customising clothing with logos, designs, and promotional messaging. To help you navigate the world of branded clothing and promotional items, here’s a guide to some common terms used in the industry. These insights will give you a better understanding of the processes involved in producing high-quality embroidery that often outlasts the garments it's applied to.

What is Embroidery?

Embroidery is the process of applying stitches using various types of threads to fabric in order to create a design, logo, or text. This can be done by hand or through machine embroidery, depending on the complexity and quantity required.

Machine Embroidery

For branding purposes, machine embroidery is the most commonly used method. There are two main types of machine embroidery:

1. Freehand Machine Embroidery:Typically used in arts and crafts, this method involves using a domestic sewing machine to create freestyle designs. It's capable of producing highly detailed, multi-coloured pieces, although it’s usually reserved for one-off or artistic designs.

2. Industrial Machine Embroidery:This method is the go-to for branding logos on clothing and promotional products. It uses specialised industrial embroidery machines that work with digitised logo files created in embroidery software. These machines can have multiple heads and needles, allowing for the production of multi-coloured designs in large quantities. With modern technology, designs can be sent directly to machines via Wi-Fi, speeding up the process significantly.

Digitising for Embroidery

Digitising (or digitizing) is the process of converting your logo or design into a digital file that can be read by embroidery machines. At Thread Studio, we use Wilcom software, one of the best in the industry, to ensure your logo is digitised to perfection. The digitising process determines the stitch path, colours, and how the design will look on the fabric. It’s a highly skilled job that takes years to master.

Why Digitising is Crucial

The quality of your digitised logo directly affects the speed at which the machines can run and the quality of the final product. Poor-quality digitising can result in slow production and subpar embroidery, so it’s essential to get this part right. As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out." High-quality digitising leads to high-quality results.

Set-Up Fee

To convert your logo into a machine-ready file, a set-up fee is required. This is a one-time cost, and at Thread Studio, our fee for a standard-sized chest logo is £20, with more complex or larger designs priced accordingly. We can provide a custom quote for your specific needs.