18th June 20143D Embroidery available on our stock headwear options

3D Embroidery NOW AVAILABLE. 

Over the past couple of months we have been busy working behind the scenes, developing a range of new branding techniques that can be achieved here in house.

There has been a lot of tweaking and head scratching but we are excited to announce that we are now in a position to offer 3D Embroidery on all of our OFF THE SHELF stock. 

With our state of the art embroidery machines, we now have the ability to offer near bespoke quality 3D embroidery here in house. 

Below are just a few examples of what can be achieved.

Before you grab the phone, below is a helpful guide to make sure your design looks stunning in 3D. 

What is 3D Embroidery?

 3D embroidery uses a foam base to achieve a three dimensional effect. The foam comes in Black, Grey, Red and White, which allows us to best match the cap and thread colour to give a clean crisp finish.  We stock 3mm thick foam which allows the design to sit away from the base and reduces the chance of the design being flattened as the machine embroiders over it, as you can see from the above examples.

In terms of the embroidery side of the technique there a number of subtle differences to take into account when creating your design.

3D embroidery works best with block or large round shaped letters and logos. Artwork for puff embroidery should have rounded corners so that the needle perforates the corners of the design and covers the foam completely making your design come alive.

Good spacing between letters or shapes is also required with puff as the foam causes the shapes to expand which in turn closes spacing i.e. letters will touch if spacing is not correct.  We would suggest at least a 3mm gap between individual elements of the design, to allow for a clean and crisp finish

We would advise against any design with lots of detail, such as crests and scripted text and as a rule of thumb lettering or elements of the logo must be at least 3mm width, anything less than this will end up in the foam coming through the stitching or worse being lost all together leaving a messy looking design. 

Applique Branding

Here is another branding option that we have been working on over the past couple of weeks.  Its a great looking option which allows for a huge range of colour/style combinations.  Using a range of Vinyl, Flock and Glitter backing, we are able to embroidered directly over the material and rip the excess away.  This leaves you with a great looking design, and allows for a range of tactile and colourful infills that just aren’t available with normal embroidered options.  The final process is to apply heat over the full design to cure and seal the design for a truly unique finish.

Below are just a small number of options available, with over 30 available colours of vinyl and a similar number of Glitter and Flock options there is a vast array of possibilities available.

As with 3D embroidered logos, there are a few limitations and guides to be aware of.  To get the very best results the borders of the design must be at least 5mm width, with an infill area of around 10mm+.  Spacing between elements of the design is also crucial with a gap of at least 3mm between the elements being necessary to allow ease of weeding the excess material from the finished cap.

Standard Embroidery  

Don’t worry, should we deem your logo to be too detailed or not suitable for 3D embroidery, we have the ability to offer flat embroidery. 

With flat embroidery we are able to replicate much more detailed and complex designs, and achieve really eye catching designs that many would say could not be achieved.

An example of how detailed a design we can offer would be the below, the tiny lettering is only 5mm height which in all honesty is something we would tend to be discouraged when embroidering onto a pre made hat, but with the technology that is available to us we can create amazing looking designs time and time again.

Don’t forget that you can still utilise the APPLIQUE design option with flat embroidery and, in some instances this can give amazing results as it adds another dimension to what could be a relative boring design.

Constraints of Embroidery onto OFF THE SHELF headwear options.  

There are a number of factors to take into account when creating any design to be embroidered to a pre made headwear item, be it flat embroidery, 3D or even print. 

• Minimum sizing for any lettering = 5mm height
• Maximum width for caps = 115-120mm width (subject to product)
• Maximum height for caps = 55-60mm height (subject to product)
• Maximum width for beanies = 120mm wide
• Maximum height for beanies = 55mm height for turn-up beanies 70mm for non-turn-up beanies

Summary for a good 3D puff Embroidery 

• KEEP IT THICK – Thick lettering or shapes from 3mm to 12.7mm – any less and the foam will be lost.
• SPACING – Good spacing between lettering/shapes is essential 3mm or more will allow for a crisp clean finish.
• SMOOTH – Round off or smooth endpoints allow for a cleaner finish and reduce the risk of excess foam creeping out from behind the logo.
• KEEP IT SIMPLE – try to keep the design as simple as possible, removing any unnecessary loops and curls.
• INFILL – make sure that if you are looking to go down the route of the APPLIQUE option that the infill space is at least 10-15mm gap otherwise it’s a waste of time. 

Summary for a good Applique Embroidery 

• KEEP IT THICK – Thick borders at least 3mm
• SPACING – Good spacing between lettering/shapes is essential 3mm or more will allow for the removal of the excess backing.
• SMOOTH – as with the 3D embroidery option smooth logos give a better finish and less bleed of the backing.
• KEEP IT SIMPLE – try to keep the design as simple as possible, large spaces and limited detail give the best results.
• INFILL – make sure that the infill space is at least 10-15mm gap otherwise it’s the effect just won’t be noticeable.

NOT ALL DESIGNS WILL WORK IF IN DOUBT CONTACT US BY EMAIL WITH YOUR LOGO AND OUR EXPERTS WILL ADVISE WHAT CAN AND CAN’T BE DONE. 

LEAD TIME FOR 3D EMBROIDERY AND APPLIQUE BRANDING OPTIONS ARE AROUND 2-3 WEEKS SUBJECT TO LOGO AND STOCK AVAILABILITY.

PRICING AVAILABLE ON RECEIPT OF ARTWORK  – ALL DESIGNS DIFFER AND SEEING THE DESIGN WILL ALLOW US TO QUOTE CORRECTLY.

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