# What is the best fabric to test digitized embroidery?



## n2mouse (Nov 1, 2012)

Hi:

I wondered if you could recommend the best fabric to teststitch digitizing on?

I am new to digitizing and noticed that stitching out a digitized design on a hoodie looks vastly different than stitched on jersey.

So rather than run to the fabric store and buy every fabric available to test the embroidery on the exact fabric that it will go on in the end I was wondering:

What is the most universally usable fabric to test embroidery on?

Would it be a medium t-shirt like fabric or should I teststitch on something thin like silk? 

In other words, if the digitizing stitches out great on really thin fabric (for example), it is likely to stitch out well on other fabrics or what fabric would you recommend?

Your input is appreciated!


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## digidana (Jun 20, 2016)

n2mouse said:


> Hi:
> 
> I wondered if you could recommend the best fabric to teststitch digitizing on?
> 
> I am new to digitizing and noticed that stitching out a digitized design on a hoodie looks vastly different than stitched on jersey.


the best plan is to always do a sewout on the type of fabric that the embroiderer will be sewing it on. if they're sewing it on t-shirts and, say, jackets, stitch it on the T-shirt fabric since that would be the most unstable and if it stitches out well on t-shirts then chances are it will do fine on the jackets.

if you want the sewout to look good...stitch it out on felt.

a lot of embroiderers stitch it out on double-backing...which i don't recommend. double backing always makes it look like the density isn't tight enough. it makes the edges of satin stitches look saw-toothy.

if you're just doing sewouts for your own satisfaction, i'd just dig up some old t-shirts. don't need to run out and buy t-shirt fabric.


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## LTPEMB (Jul 10, 2015)

The same type of fabric you will be running on. 

It is the only way to get an accurate idea of what the end product will be.


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## SunEmbroidery (Oct 18, 2007)

When starting its a good idea to a few sample shirts (styles you think you'll use) in different fabrics so you can accurately test designs. For example, you might order a pique, a T shirt (for jersey knit) and a 100% polyester shirt in size XL so you get the most fabric for your money. Soon you'll probably have some "scrap" shirts so only purchase a few shirts if at all. 

Its also important to test designs on a fabric that's similar in darkness / color contrast to what you'll be embroidering on. For example, if you'll be embroidering a design on a white shirt you'll want to test your design on a white or light-colored fabric. If you don't you can end up with unwanted surprises. For example, if you test a logo embroidered in black thread on a royal colored test fabric you might realize that your design looks much more ragged when embroidered on white shirts because every little flaw that was unnoticeable against the royal background stands out against a white background. Embroidering on felt is good for testing colors.


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## LTPEMB (Jul 10, 2015)

SunEmbroidery makes an excelent point about colors. 

For me when i do sewouts it inevitably ends up that all my test sewout material is accidental ruined items or discontinued samples that you get along the way. Unfortunately overtime if you are reallllllllly good at not ruining things you run out of the good sample material (and I warn you with 150 types of 100% polyester polos, that all move and pucker and run different you want as many samples as you can get a hold of...

Later in life/owning a business you may struggle to get every color/material combo without shelling out money, because you actually get pretty good at not ruining items, I have found that in the same way digitizers digitize with contrasting colors, embroidering with contrasting colors helps immensely for the same effect, sometimes you will run into situations where you only have one color of material with similar properties to what you are doing and totally the opposite color, to know the end result you need to contrast the color in order to spot digitizing mistakes instead of color accuracy mistakes. 

often I just use any contrasting color on the machine at the time to whatever color material I have then give a digital of the color unless it is really complex a file. Then if needed (depending on the client) I will run a true to color file with the knowledge that I know this will run correctly but some clients just dont get that. 

basic registration embroidery you can use any contrasting colors and be fine for the "testing Phase" 
gradient,shading, or complex color embroidery, than you need to actually put a tiny bit of effort and load colors, and find a similar color material.


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