Embroidery Software

[Martin Pearson]

Don’t have a machine myself but one of the local company’s I know very well have one and when they first got it I can remember the guy telling me that not only was it a very steep learning curve with the software but actually learning to use the machine properly wasn’t a walk in the park.
John had been in the sign industry for about 14 years at the time and was very experienced with vinyl plotters and software so don’t think that because you got to grips with a plotter fairly quickly this will be the same.

Have you looked at pricing to get someone else to digitize designs for you? Don’t think it is that cheap so unless you get large orders it might not pay to have someone else do it for you.

[Geraint Rhys Williams]

Thanks Martin.
Dont get me wrong, I know its not going to be easy, but I think I will get to grips with the software (in the end).
Theres an Expo coming up, so think I will go along to that and see what they all have to offer.

[Neil Speirs]

I would just sub the digitizing out unless you’ve got the free time to learn how to do it, I’ve got the basic Wilcom lettering software and think it’s a hand full 😕

Got a company who only charge £15 for digitizing a 15x15cm chest logo & they can do a fantastic job even from the roughestof artwork

[Geraint Rhys Williams]

Thanks Neil.
Im adding this on to my current business (totally unrelated) which gives me a lot of spare time, so I may be willing to roll my sleeves up and learn 😮 .
Like you say however, subbing it out is also a good option (Ive seen some people offering digitizing for under a tenner – but I guess you get what you pay for there maybe).

Thanks again.

[Earl Smith]

Ive been in embroidery for a while now. Using The Wilcom ES. Very good but also very expensive. Do not think it is like using a plotter/cutter. Only the vectorising of the design is the same. When you come to put it into embroidery you will have to change everything. Stitch type, density, direction, stitch per mm etc etc. Dont rely on the Auto digitising feature either, it only gives a basic idea of what the stitching will look like. Every time I do a complicated design I stitch it out on some spare cloth. Looks good but guaranteed to look totally different when its stitched onto a polo or t-shirt. Every type of garment needs to be digitised slightly differently.
That all said, its not that hard, if I can learn it then anyone can.
Look on http://www.t-shirtforums.com/ and ask your question there. There are plenty of relativly cheap software programs out there. Embird is one of them.
Also, dont think you will make money from a one head machine. It pays for its self but thats about all.
Good advice would be to go to the shows, listen with your eyes open. All salesman will tell you how wonderful their product is ( Machine and software). What is the service, support, backup like? Machine might look great but without backup its a giant doorstop.
You could buy a Brother PR610, some basic software is installed on the machine.
Rambling on now. Good luck.
Earl

[Graeme Harrold]

Think your next show is http://www.trophex.com as Ive sen a few embroidery companies exhibit in the past……

[Geraint Rhys Williams]

Thanks for your post Earl. I may just stick with paying someone else to do the digitising for me by the sounds of it. The single head will be all I need (I think) as this part of the business is not going to make my first million lol.

Thanks for the note on the show Graeme, may take a look at that one, never heard of that one before.

Cheers guys

[Graeme Harrold]

quote Geraint Rhys Williams:

Thanks for your post Earl. I may just stick with paying someone else to do the digitising for me by the sounds of it. The single head will be all I need (I think) as this part of the business is not going to make my first million lol.

Thanks for the note on the show Graeme, may take a look at that one, never heard of that one before.

Cheers guys

Suppose they are trying as a bolt on business to engraving……….

[Earl Smith]

http://icliqqdemo.ning.com/
Here is a link to some new software just coming on the market. Looks as though it will do a lot but I notice it as 3 levels too. The lowest at 2195$ and I think the highest at 7,000$. Still cheaper than most of the others and it has a demo version too. I also hear that Wings is a good program and at a reasonable price too.
Besides the fair that Graeme mentioned you could try Printwear and Promotion at the NEC in March ( I think) or come to Germany and see in February the TvT fair in Stuttgart. http://www.tecstyle-visions.com/en/home.html
Earl