# What kind of backing do you use?



## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

What kind of backing do you think is best?
Or do you guys (and girls) use different backings for different purposes?
I got a lot of different samples.
Madeira and gunold but they allseem to be different especially with hooping.
Or am I doing something wrong.


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## EnMartian (Feb 14, 2008)

What type of backing you use is generally dictated by the design and fabric that you're sewing. It also depends on whether you want to tear away the backing or cut it away, or whether or not you need a topping to keep stitches from sinking into the fabric you're embroidering. 

We're actually going to be doing a series on the EmbroideryTalk blog about backing. That might be of some help to you. Also, if you have questions you'd like us to cover in this series, please do let me know. We'll be happy to do that.


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

Great when does it start and is it accessible for me too?


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## lizd (Jun 20, 2009)

Here's a link to a helpful chart Diamond Threadworks Stabilizer Chart. As for brand, I go for low price before brand name and haven't had any issues with quality. My favorite for tees is no-show diagonal mesh. Good luck!

Liz


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## bungy (Aug 24, 2006)

As has been said above. Different backings for different fabrics and designs.
In my workshop, I have quite a few:
Black Tearaway and cutaway
White Tearaway and cutaway
White iron on in 2 different weights (thickness)
Sticky tearaway backing (for hoopless embroidery)
Water soluble

Never know what each job will require until the garments arrive


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## EnMartian (Feb 14, 2008)

Prinsz said:


> Great when does it start and is it accessible for me too?


Sure is. The second post in the series went up today. We try to do one a week.


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

Helpfull!
What kind of backing should you use on a cotton polo?


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## SunEmbroidery (Oct 18, 2007)

I use a medium-heavy weight cutaway on a cotton polo. If your design has very small text adding tearaway may help sharpen up the text. If the design has a large stitch count adding tearaway to heavier cutaway will help stablize the design.

I don't embroider many speciality items but I find that a few types of backing will cover all your needs. I use:

tearaway - towels
hat backing - hats & visors
medium cutaway - polos (smaller designs); sweats, jackets (heavier fabrics)
medium -heavy cutaway - use most of the time (I use a soft cutaway that I really like)
solvy - white text, some designs on pique, some knits, towels, some polar fleece
sticky backing (use with Fast Frames for bags)

I rarely embroider towels but if I did a lot of them I would invest in some black tearaway to use when embroidering darker colored towels. I have used no-show for low stitch count designs on light-colored polos but I don't see that it makes that much of a difference (I can still see it) although many will disagree. If I did a lot of "below the collar" designs I would get some dark tearaway.

I'm not sure what you mean by the backings are different when hooping. The thickness of the backing will affect the size of hoop as will the thickness of the garment. Cutaways and tearaways should be hooped the same. Occasionally some will slip an extra piece of backing under the garment without hooping it but I wouldn't stat out doing that. You can save on sticky by only replacing the area that was embroidered each time until your primary piece (piece on frame) "gives out". Often you don't need a full sheet of solvy. Rather than hooping a piece place a piece sized to cover just the embroidered area. Scraps of solvy can be saved to use for small areas. Occasionally I'll use a whole piece of hooped solvy because otherwise the unhooped scrap "bunches up" when embroidered and is harder to remove.


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

This is helpfull !
I embroidered on pure cotton and that is easy but on a polo that stretches a little bit more my backing lokks and sounds like a drum but the shirt still moves in the hoop.


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## EnMartian (Feb 14, 2008)

We often recommend a poly mesh backing for polo shirts. It has a soft feel, but is still strong enough to stabilize the garment. 

We had a question from a blog reader about this subject, and I wrote a post describing our suggestions for embroidering polos. It might be helpful for you as well.


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks again kristine
i will check your shop out


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## astitchinthyme (Nov 16, 2009)

if its moving use 505 temp adhesive spray available from TC Threads


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

I am gonna try that out!
It is a little more expensive though?


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## astitchinthyme (Nov 16, 2009)

one tin will do hundreds of garments though so it's pretty cost effective. One quick spray on the backing where the logo will be does the trick.


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## Prinsz (Oct 6, 2008)

Ah I am sorry I thought you were talking about the stick on backing.
God tip: the spray

Thanks


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## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

astitchinthyme said:


> if its moving use 505 temp adhesive spray available from TC Threads


505 spray is good but be careful where you spray it. Don't spray it around your equipment or you will have a sticky mess.


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