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Posts Tagged ‘Pointers’

What do i look for in a good embroidery machine ?

November 19th, 2012 4 comments

I am just opening my first home business, doing childrens clothing, and would like to get a sewing machine with embroidery options (LOTS and LOTS of ebroidery options)

i dont know what to look for,
or how it works (are you just stuck wiht what you purchase ? or is there a machine that allows you to buy extra embroidery programs to use ?? [kind of like a cricut machine products..])
What exactly do you mean when you say .pes formats, what are the other types of formats, and how does this one compare to the others ??

and is there a way to create your OWN embroidery patterns ??

i am looking for something that i can get a WIDE variety of fonts.. any pointers ??

EDITED TO ADD:

Embroidery designs are formatted and there are several formats (think of it as a language).

Each brand of embroidery machine has a format and this can vary by brand.

Formats can be converted, so if you have a machine that reads only .pes and you see a design that you love and it is .hus, it can be converted to .pes using conversion software, for which you can find free downloads. Pulse Ambassador is one that I have used.

There is software with which you can edit designs and create your own. Embird is a popular brand. Most have a trial which you can test to see how user friendly it is and if it is what you wish to purchase.

You may find most embroidery machines have only the basic fonts. This is something to keep in mind when shopping.

You may be able to work a deal where a font package is included with the purchase of an embroidery machine.

ORIGINAL REPLY:

All the major brands are good machines.

Brother and Babylock use the .pes format, which is a very popular, easy to find embroidery format. These machines are also very user friendly.

Visit dealers with your wish list, this should include price.

Once you tell them you want the machine for a home business, they will let you know if the machine’s warranty covers this type of use.

It would be best to have a sewing machine and an embroidery machine and not just one machine.

The stitching area for embroidery is limited and will be indicated by the hoop size. The standard 4 x 4 hoop is very limiting.

Any design larger than the stitching area of the embroidery will require software for editing and splitting the designs into smaller segments that will require re-hooping for each section.

An embroidery machine with at least a 5 x 7 hoop is a better choice.

There are thousands of designs available on the Internet, many are free. A machine with a flash drive (aka, stick drive or thumb drive) would be the most convenient method of getting designs from the PC to the embroidery machine.

Create a folder on the hard drive of your PC and name it Embroidery. As you download, save to this folder and then create sub-folders for each category. Keeping the designs organized will save you a lot of headache later on.

This is a very good site for machine embroidery tips and techniques – http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/holder.aspx?page=techniques

Keep in mind, Disney and other licensed designs cannot be use on items that you will be selling.

Best wishes in your new adventure!

What is the best embroidery machine to buy to start my business?

November 13th, 2012 7 comments

I want to eventually have a substantially large embroidering and altering business and need a few pointers on what to start with.

You should call Mr. Vac and Mrs. Sew and ask them about their commercial machines. I know my friend just started an embrodery business (she is doing great by the way) and she just purchased the Ricoma 12-Needle Commercial Embroidery Machine. The Ricoma is the best commercial machine available that gives you the most bang for your buck. The Ricoma is a true commercial machine. It will run at 1,000 Stitches Per Minute. The Ricoma also has twelve needles which is great for a person starting a business or is producing the same thing over and over again. I know from experience that many designs, logos etc. use more than 6 colors (say like the PR-600) and changing the thread colors constantly is gets fairly boring and eats up a lot of time. However with the Ricoma you can have up to 12 Needles and you can sew many designs and logos that have over 6 colors. The Ricoma also comes with many more extras. With the Ricoma you have an embroidery field of 13" x 19.5" THAT IS HUGE!!! The Ricoma comes with 2, that’s right , 2 cap hoops and is able to embroider on an astonishing 270 degrees of the cap. You also receive with the Ricoma 2 Shirt Front Round Hoop 9 cm (3.5"), 2 Shirt Front Round Hoop 12 cm (4.7"), 2 Shirt Front Round Hoop 15 cm (5.9"), 2 Shirt Front Round Hoop 23 cm (9"), 2 Jacket Back Square Hoop 30 x 30 cm (12" x 12"), 1 Sash Frame 56 x 38 cm (22" x 15") and of course the 2 cap hoops. But they give you 2 sets of every hoop (except the Sash Frame) which is important because if you were going to embroider say 50 bags. You can hoop one bag and embroider on that one, then hoop the other and wait until the one being embroidered on is done and put the hoop that is already hooped in the machine. This will save you a lot of time because you can always have the machine embroidering and there would be no lag time in between because you will always have a pre-hooped hoop on hand. With the Ricoma you also will receive a FREE!!! full digitizing program worth well over $2000 .This state-of-the-art software package allows you to create your own embroidery designs from scanned images, clip art, logos, and more. The Embroidery Software’s easy-to-use drawing tools make digitizing a simple task, even for beginners. This software has no limitations and grows with your business. Adding text to your designs is easily accomplished using the lettering tool, which is compatible with true type fonts as well as the pre-digitized fonts included with the software. Import bitmap or vector graphics and use the embroidery software’s One-Touch auto-digitizing feature to convert them to stitches with a few easy clicks. With this software you be easily and quickly able to transform artwork and lettering to high quality embroidery. The Ricoma also comes with a stand with wheels for easy movement FREE!!! You also receive 8,000 Stock Embroidery Designs with the machine FREE!!! You also will receive a Gunold Introductory Kit which is full of a variety of top embroidery products. It contains Sulky‚rayon spools, Gunold Poly‘ spools, bobbins, scissors, needles, touch-up pen, small can of KK-2000‘, Puffy Foam‘ pack, Perforated Solvy‚ Filmoplast‚ three types of backings, color cards, information sheets and more. This kit is great for Embroidery businesses just starting out.

And if that was not enough you will receive a FREE!! Approx. 7 hour training on how to use your machine.

Best of all my friend got the Ricoma on sale for only $9999 with free shipping and no tax because she does not live in New York.

Here is a link:

http://www.mrvacandmrssew.com/go/product/id/832