# do you need multiple digitized files for different colors



## positiveattitude (Jul 3, 2009)

I have a design (words with some additional accents) and I am wondering if I want to change the colors in one of the words, will I need to have a new digitized image created. (white embroidery on dark colored shirt, black embroidery on light colored shirt?

Diane


----------



## thutch15 (Sep 8, 2008)

No, you just tell your machine what color you want it to use.


----------



## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

The only way you would need to change the digitizing would be if you were wanting to change just part of the colors, such as you want to change part of the words to a different color or part of a design. For instance if you had "I love Grandma" all in black and you wanted to change Grandma to white but leave I love in black. Or if you had a bird with a black beak and feet and you wanted to change the beak to orange but keep the feet black. Otherwise, like Troy said your colors are set on the embroidering machine so you change whatever colors there.


----------



## thutch15 (Sep 8, 2008)

Good point


----------



## imeccentric (May 13, 2007)

I don't know of any machine you can't stop in the middle of a design at any point to change colors. Lord knows, it's easier than redigitizing just for a color change. If it's a single needle home machine, you will have to watch for a jump stitch to that area and stop it. Then just change threads. Commercial machines are easier.


----------



## AndTees (Jul 6, 2009)

I have quite a few patterns where I break some elements into separate colors for those occasional opportunities where that could be a benefit - like an underline separating words for example. Then I just normally assign them to the same needle and it makes no difference until I actually want to break up the colors.


----------



## positiveattitude (Jul 3, 2009)

BML Builder said:


> The only way you would need to change the digitizing would be if you were wanting to change just part of the colors, such as you want to change part of the words to a different color or part of a design. For instance if you had "I love Grandma" all in black and you wanted to change Grandma to white but leave I love in black. Or if you had a bird with a black beak and feet and you wanted to change the beak to orange but keep the feet black. Otherwise, like Troy said your colors are set on the embroidering machine so you change whatever colors there.


OK, let me see if this is correct.

I have a design and the first letter of the first word is in Pink. The rest of the words are in black. There is also a graphic in the design that has pink, green and orange. If I wanted to change the first letter of the first word to blue and leave everything else the same, I would need a new file because I am changing the first letter from pink to blue but leaving the graphic alone with pink, green and orange.

However, if the first letter is pink and the graphic is yellow, green and orange and I want to change the first letter to blue, I wouldn't need a new file because there isn't any pink or blue in the design except for the letter I am changing.

Am I understanding this correctly?


----------



## thutch15 (Sep 8, 2008)

Correct as long as the pink is done all at one (most likely), but if for some reason the pink letter is done and then the pink in the graphic is done at some other point (not likely) then you would not have too.


----------



## imeccentric (May 13, 2007)

You don't need it redigitized for any of that. That can all be done in almost any basic editing program.


----------



## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

Your cheapest alternative would be something like EmBird, then you could edit the designs yourself and change whatever you need. In the long run, that would be cheaper than paying someone to make the changes for you all the time.


----------



## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

I have to agree with Troy, Jim, & Ted on this. If you have an editing software you will not need to get this redigitized and can do this yourself. If however you do not have any software to edit your designs you will need it redigitized as long as the pink is being sewn together. If the pinks are separate then you can just change colors right on the machine. If however you have a word like Grandma that all is in one color and you want to split it up and sew the letters in different colors you can do as Jim said and stop the machine after each letter and change the color and restart the sewing or you will need to edit the design or have it redigitized.


----------



## positiveattitude (Jul 3, 2009)

Thanks all...you have given me something to think about with the colors in my design.

Diane
Positiv' Attitudes


----------



## cman9toes (Aug 6, 2009)

To sum this up for you, if you do embroidery as a business, you need editing software like embird.
If you are having a design digitized and want the freedom of color change specify to your digitizer that each element regardless of color should be a seperate color. Remember that the machine only knows what needle to use and cares less what color thread is on it, so you can stitch a design that is all the same color with three color color changes for future flexabilty.


----------



## ecreations (Jul 14, 2007)

positiveattitude said:


> Thanks all...you have given me something to think about with the colors in my design.


Are you digitizing your own design or outsourcing it? If you're digitizing your own design, what digitizing program you're using? If you're outsourcing your design, have you're design separated by colors so that when the design is digitize you just have to make color change through your machine.


----------



## positiveattitude (Jul 3, 2009)

I will be outsourcing the digitizing and the embroidery. I made sleep caps and scarves for people going through chemo and have decided to add some t-shirts a hats to sell.

Another question about the graphic and digitizing.

Should the graphic (ribbon) be outlined in black and is it possible to gradient colors in the graphic?

Diane


----------



## cman9toes (Aug 6, 2009)

You can outline the ribbon in black or not. your choice. A satin outline makes a design look nicer.
You can get a gradient effect with embroidery.

A suggestion, if you are subbing the digitizing and the embroidery, then just let the embroider handle it all.
You give the embroider a .jpg and details of what you want and they handle the rest.


----------



## positiveattitude (Jul 3, 2009)

cman9toes said:


> A suggestion, if you are subbing the digitizing and the embroidery, then just let the embroider handle it all.
> You give the embroider a .jpg and details of what you want and they handle the rest.


My concern with using the embroiderer for digitizing is the rights to my design. I want to have all my files if for some reason I need to go to a different embroiderer down the road.


----------



## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

positiveattitude said:


> My concern with using the embroiderer for digitizing is the rights to my design. I want to have all my files if for some reason I need to go to a different embroiderer down the road.


If you are concerned with having your embroidery files then you need to usa a digitizer that is independent of the embroiderer. They will send the file to you and then you send it to the contract embroiderer. That way you always have the original file and can take it to another embroiderer if necessary. 
And, remember, always back up your computer so you don't lose all those designs when you do (and it will happen) have a computer crash.


----------



## cman9toes (Aug 6, 2009)

Or as part of the agreement, request copies of the file from the embroidy company. 

If you pay for the digitizing then it is your design, and the company should have no issue with this if they are customer focused and provide you with good service. As they will give you no reason to go elsewhere.

Also, the design will be opimized for their machine and you will get the best design possible.


----------



## LUV DEM TIGERS (Jul 25, 2008)

cman9toes said:


> Or as part of the agreement, request copies of the file from the embroidy company.
> 
> If you pay for the digitizing then it is your design, and the company should have no issue with this if they are customer focused and provide you with good service. As they will give you no reason to go elsewhere.



That is an argument for another thread. Sometimes you may have to "fight" to get it if you didn't provide it.


----------



## zoom_monster (Sep 20, 2006)

LUV DEM TIGERS said:


> That is an argument for another thread. Sometimes you may have to "fight" to get it if you didn't provide it.


 If the design or digitizing charge is part of the invoice and not concidered a set-up fee, you should have the right to get a copy of the expanded file. The agreement (in writing) should always be made before you have someone do work for you, that way you have a contract to fall back on. If I digitize a design to entice a client, and do not charge them for this service(the digitizing), then at some point... they want to go somewhere else, I have it on my invoice that they will have to pay for the file at the going rate for digitizing. 

Ian


----------

