Embroidery Digitizing

Your logo turned into a stitch file that runs clean on the machine - programmed by hand, by people who will also be sewing the garment it goes on.

Macro photograph of dense satin-stitch embroidery

Digitizing is not a file conversion. Someone has to decide the stitch type for every shape, the order the machine sews them in, the underlay beneath, and how much the fabric will pull as it goes. Software that does it automatically produces files that look right on screen and pucker, gap or thread-break on the machine.

Detail

Embroidery Digitizing at FABRIOZA

What you get

  • A stitch file in the formats your machine reads - DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3 or EMB
  • Stitch path, density and underlay set by hand, per shape
  • Pull compensation set for your actual fabric and garment weight
  • A stitch count, so you know what the run will cost before it starts
  • A preview of how the design will sew out

Set for the fabric, not in general

  • A 180 gsm jersey tee and a 450 gsm brushed fleece need different underlay and different density. The same file on both gives you one good result and one puckered one
  • Pique, performance polyester and French terry each behave differently again
  • Caps need their own file - the frame, the seam and the sewing direction all change
  • This is the part a digitizer who never sees the garment cannot do

What does not work in thread, and why we will say so

  • Text below about 5 mm tall closes up and becomes unreadable
  • Gradients and photographic detail cannot be stitched - they have to be redrawn or moved to print
  • Very thin strokes disappear or distort under pull
  • Large solid fills add stitch count, cost and stiffness, and often look worse than a lighter treatment
Standalone pricing

What it costs on its own

Standalone prices, in USD, per design. Every one of these is INCLUDED when you place a production order for the same artwork - you only pay if you want the file on its own.

DesignPer design
Left chest, cap front or sleeveup to about 10,000 stitches$18
Medium - front, pocket or hat backabout 10,000-20,000 stitches$28
Complex or heavily detailedabout 20,000-30,000 stitches$45
Jacket back or full front30,000 stitches and upfrom $60

Standard turnaround is 24 hours. Minor edits to a file we made are free. A new size or a different fabric needs a new file, because the density and underlay change - we will say so before charging for it.

Questions

Frequently asked

What file formats do you supply?

DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3 and EMB. Tell us the machine - Tajima, Barudan, Brother, Ricoma or other - and we supply what it reads.

Is digitizing included if I order garments?

Yes. When you place a production order, digitizing for that artwork is included. If you only want the file, we quote it on its own.

Do you digitize by hand or with software?

By hand. Automatic digitizing is quick and it is why so many files stitch badly - it cannot judge underlay or pull on a particular fabric.

Can you digitize for caps and for garments from one logo?

They need separate files. The cap frame, the seam and the sewing direction all differ, so a garment file run on a cap distorts.

How much does digitizing cost?

Standalone: $18 for a left chest or cap, $28 for a medium front, $45 for a complex design and from $60 for a jacket back. It is included at no charge when you place a production order for the same artwork.

What do you need from me to start?

The best artwork you have - vector is ideal, a clear PNG is usually workable - plus the garment, fabric and the finished size in millimetres.

Enquire

Send us your artwork

Or your brand name, if that is all there is yet.

Also from us

The rest of the package

Macro photograph of overlapping translucent coloured film sheets

Vector Art & Logo Design

Macro photograph of a merrow-stitched border, woven label weave and chenille pile

Custom Patches & Labels

Macro photograph of dye pigment bonding into white polyester fibres

Sublimation Printing

Start a brand from scratch →

Ready when you are

Send the artwork you have, or tell us the name and we will draw it.

Open the Designer Talk to us

Get a quote in 24 hours

Send your design and quantities and we reply within one working day with unit price, lead time and landed cost. No account, no obligation.

Prefer email? info@fabrioza.com — we reply within one working day.