# Can you embroider 6 panel caps?



## lkallus (Nov 9, 2009)

Hi everyone, we have never embroidered caps before (and just started shirts actually) so I am very new to this.

Do we have to use a 5 panel cap? Can you embroider over the center seam of a 6 panel?

Our Meistergram has an cap attachment that we haven't figured out just yet. Is there a step by step tutorial somewhere I can use??

Thanks for always helping!
Laura


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## stitch187 (Nov 15, 2010)

Practice on several and get comfortable with your machine. Yes, you can embroidery through the seams.


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## ikkuh (Apr 8, 2010)

Maybe you can find something here: meistergram.us and yes, you can embroider over the seams.


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## irish (Dec 13, 2008)

Almost all the hats we do are 6 panel. One hint - use sharp needles, not ballpoints - it works much better. You also might have to slow the machine down a bit. As others said - practice.


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## SEWORIGINALEMB (Nov 12, 2010)

To help flatten the center seam you cam rub it w/ the handle of a screw driver. As everyone else has said....practice & then practice some more. I know from experience! What model of Meistergram do you have? I have the older model of PRO1500. Good Luck

Lucy


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

irish said:


> One hint - use sharp needles, not ballpoints - it works much better.


Interesting, I was just working on a hat order this past weekend and getting a lot of thread breaks on lettering. I tried a ballpoint instead of a sharp and had a lot less breaks, go figure...

My PR600's don't like the 6 panel caps but my SWF1501 has no problem with them. I find the 75/11 needles work better than the 70/10's on the 6 panel buckram hats.


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## irish (Dec 13, 2008)

tfalk, it could be that the needle has a slight burr on it and was causing the thread break. I am not saying that ballpoints won't work because that is what we keep in our machine all of the time. However if we are running a large order with buckram and having problems with threadbreaks, looping, etc. we switch to sharps.


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## bungy (Aug 24, 2006)

lkallus said:


> Hi everyone, we have never embroidered caps before (and just started shirts actually) so I am very new to this.


We all had to start somewhere. It can be a bumpy road at first, but it does get easier. 



> Do we have to use a 5 panel cap? Can you embroider over the center seam of a 6 panel?


5 panel caps are more for screen printers, as they generally don't have a front seam, as it is challenging to get a good print over a seam.
6 Panel are more for embroidery as the front seam presents less of a challenge for embroiderers.
Having said that, you can still embroider in a 5 panel cap.



> Our Meistergram has an cap attachment that we haven't figured out just yet. Is there a step by step tutorial somewhere I can use??


Check any manuals that came with your machine, contact your agent.
Do an internet search using "meistergram" "cap embroidery" "cap frame" etc.

Good luck.


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## AndTees (Jul 6, 2009)

Start out with the Hooptech cap frames. If you have one of those round medieval clamps with all the screws and adjustments... put it in a dark corner somewhere and forget you have one.

I fought with caps for several years... HATED doing them. Now... easy-pleasie with a good hoop.


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## Red Fox (Sep 12, 2010)

We have had good luck using #80 needes for caps. They seem to flex less while stitching and seem to break less when stitching. We stitch mostly 6 panel and run at 950 spm. 

As some one also said doing caps seems to nick up your needles more often than flats.


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## twilightdancer (May 26, 2009)

HATS ARE EVIL---- LOL..


we struggled with hats for a long time-
make sure you tell your digitizer when requesting an emb. file that it is for hats.
Designs basically need to be digitized sewing from the center out and the bottom up.

we also have a hat hot press (for transfers)- that we use to press the hats before we sew them- it has become a godsend. sometimes sprtizing them with a bit of water and then steaming them flattens the seams very well....especially in the case of those oh so fun FlexFits....

and yes - PRACTICE!!!!


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## Hugo888 (Apr 14, 2020)

The best would be embroidering the 2 front panels alone, on flat surface, then sewing the caps.
Embroidering the cap already done can modify the shape of the cap.


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## djque (Feb 5, 2013)

Hugo888 said:


> The best would be embroidering the 2 front panels alone, on flat surface, then sewing the caps.
> Embroidering the cap already done can modify the shape of the cap.


these post are old. like this is 10yrs old post.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Yes they are. FlexFit has a new "seamless cap", model 180. It is like sewing on butter though, we had to make some adjustments to get puff looking good. The front seam is almost invisible and doesn't have the traditional problems of a six panel cap.


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