The Steps

• Your Marketing Idea
• The Product: Hat? T-Shirts? Aprons?
• Shop Our Online Store
• Call Us for a Quote: 865-774-7307
• Send Us Your Design or Idea
• We Make Your Marketing Idea a Reality!

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ):

What is the process (and associated costs) when you send a design to us for embroidery?

• If the design is a low resolution bitmap, such as a scanned or web page image (usually 72 dpi screen resolution), i.e., JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.:
  • (1) We will need to have our artist redraw it in vector format -- there is a setup charge for this.
  • (2) The file will then be converted to the correct embroidery format -- depending upon the complexity of the design, there may or may not be a charge for this.
  • (3) Once the design is ready for embroidery, there are costs for the materials and equipment needed to sew the design onto the final product: The product itself (such as a hat, a shirt, an apron, etc.), plus threads and backing, and sometimes some finishing work such as packaging.
  
  

• If the design is a high resolution bitmap (at least 300 dpi screen resolution) and a clean image with sharp edges and colors, i.e., JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.:
  • (1) We may need to have our artist redraw it in vector format -- there may be a setup charge for this depending upon the complexity of the design..
  • (2) The file will then be converted to the correct embroidery format -- again, depending upon the complexity of the design, there may or may not be a charge for this.
  • (3) Once the design is ready for embroidery, there are costs for the materials and equipment needed to sew the design onto the final product: The product itself (such as a hat, a shirt, an apron, etc.), plus threads and backing, and sometimes some finishing work such as packaging.
    
  
  

• If the design is a true vector image with sharp edges and colors (not a bitmap just "converted" to a vector format), i.e., AI, EPS, CDR:
  • (1) The file will just need to be converted to the correct embroidery format -- again, depending upon the complexity of the design, there may or may not be a charge for this.
  • (2) Once the design is ready for embroidery, there are costs for the materials and equipment needed to sew the design onto the final product: The product itself (such as a hat, a shirt, an apron, etc.), plus threads and backing, and sometimes some finishing work such as packaging, and if applicable, shipping.
    
    
• Note: If the design is a highly-detailed design or a design with a lot of enhancements such as shading or embossing, regardless of whether it is a bitmap or a vector file, it may need to be redrawn to be used for embroidery. As awesome as embroidery looks, there is a limit to the detail that can be depicted using thread! The size of the final product may also affect whether or not the design needs to be redrawn.
  

What is the difference between a Bitmap and a Vector file?
Computer images can be either vector or bitmap images. Think of a bitmap as a flat photographic-style image (or painted drawing) of your design; it looks nice on a piece of paper or on a computer screen, but making changes to a bitmap design has serious limitations. You can change some colors if it is a high quality design (300 dpi screen resolution or better), or maybe edit out sections of the design, but that's about all. A vector image is also a computer image, but it is an actual computer drawing with the underlying lines, curves, nodes, etc. Typical vector image formats are AI, EPS, and CDR. Because vector files have colors and image sections separated, they are much easier to edit.

 

What is the difference between Digital Image and a Digitized image?
A digital image is a computer image of any kind, i.e., PNG, JPG, PSD, AI, EPS, TIF, GIF (and many more formats). A digitized image is a file that has been converted to a particular embroidery format, such as OFM, DST, etc. Different embroidery machines use different formats. The conversion process is rarely as simple as pushing a computer key; the machine must be told the correct order of elements to be embroidered, the types of stitches, bordering if needed, the color changes, the density of the threading -- just to name a few of the variables that can affect the outcome. If it is not done correctly, the final product will have unsightly gaps or excessive criss-crossing, resulting in bulges in parts of the design.