Boost Profits by Streamlining Embroidery Production

Eliminate time-wasting practices.
Aug 29, 2008

By Steven Batts, Contributing Writer

Earlier, we looked at the differences between home embroidery machines and commercial machines, and found the biggest difference, besides durability, is that commercial machines are designed for high production; it’s about getting work on and off the machine as quickly as possible.

This attitude of production must extend to the operator. In working with numerous people transitioning from hobbyist to small business owner, one thing I’ve noticed is that conventional commercial embroidery techniques and practices seem counterintuitive to them. 

That’s a big word, so let me explain. Things that are common practice for most commercial shops seem unnatural to many in the hobbyist world. This partly stems from the lack of education available and abounding misinformation. Many techniques will work, but are too time consuming to yield desired production results.

Don’t get me wrong. I strive to produce top-quality work, and will put my designs up against anyone in terms of embroidery quality. But some practices are overkill and eat up time you could use to produce more designs. Eliminating the following time-eating steps can lead to additional profits.

Pre-Washing Garments
The first time someone told me she washed a garment before she embroidered it, I was surprised. What was more surprising was her surprise that I didn’t wash anything before embroidering. Interestingly enough, the same woman also said she couldn’t make any money at embroidery.

The rationale behind pre-washing is to pre-shrink the garment so it will not shrink around the embroidery. It also washes away all the chemicals used in the garment manufacturing process, giving the end user a ready-to-wear product.

Not only is this practice incredibly time-consuming, it actually can work against you. When customers order from me, they expect new products. Washing eliminates the new look and feel. The possibility of shrinkage around the design is not a big issue, particularly if the design is properly digitized (which is another issue in itself) and the proper stabilizer is used.

Water-Soluble Topping
One of my biggest pet peeves is when decorators use water-soluble topping on all knits. This practice is not only common among home embroiderers, but also is becoming common in some established commercial shops. Water-soluble topping is designed for surfaces with a nap, such as towels and polyester fleece. Piqué knit and regular fleece are not considered nappy surfaces.

If your stitching is sinking into the fabric, try using underlay. The time it takes to sew a few extra stitches of underlay is far quicker than trying to remove little pieces of topping.

Shirts with topping may look marginally better than ones without, that is, until they are washed and the topping dissolves and washes away. Then they look the same. If the design was produced properly from the beginning, there will be little difference to start with, therefore, little or no change after it’s washed.

There are other time-saving practices we will look at next time. With these two, you can save hours of production time each week. And who knows, with this much extra production time, you might even make money doing embroidery. Now there’s an idea!

Steven Batts, a 14-year veteran of the embroidery industry, is a regular speaker at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows. He owns Righteous Threads Embroidery, Greensboro, N.C., which offers digitizing, embroidery, machine maintenance and repair, and consulting. Call him at (336) 379-9380, e-mail righteousthreads@gmail.com.

For Further Reading:

How to Make the Leap from Hobbyist to Commercial Embroiderer

Why a Consumer Embroidery Machine Is Not Cut Out for Commercial Work

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As we continue to look at the differences between a home hobbyist and a commercial embroiderer, let me reiterate that the difference between the two is not just a matter of location. I am a commercial embroiderer who works from home. The difference is mainly a matter of mindset. We can get technical and try to classify embroiders by their equipment, but the reality is that a commercial embroiderer is in business for profit and the other in it for fun.
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