# Text looks blurry



## Duds88 (Oct 5, 2007)

Hi All

I'm having problems with small text that I'm embroidering underneath a clients logo. I've had this contract a while now and am getting more and more frsutrated with the state of the individual text.

I use 2 Brother PR600's, (not the greatest but they'll do until I can afford better) and Brothers PE Design version 7. 

The garmnents are Polo shirts (golf shirts in the states?), 65/35 mix tight weave.

I use the built in fonts within the software. I'm not a dab hand at using the software to be honnest as I outsource my main digitising then just add the individual text / names using PE Design.

For this particular contract (that I've had for 2 years now) The text looks blurry and not at all crisp when stitched out. I have tried adding extra stiffner to the back, re-tensioning and new needles (they are changed twice a week as a rule) and run the machine at 600 spm for the small text. The text is around 5 mm high. It just never looks great.

Can anyone give me any pointers as to where I'm going wrong please

Thanks in advance
Duds


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## piet louwrens (Aug 13, 2009)

Hi Duds
What is your satin spacing in mm?


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## Earl Smith (Sep 30, 2008)

Three things you could try if your software allows you. 
Ist , reduce the density of the stitch to be a little tighter or closer. Hard to say what settings as I dont use the Brother program. But you are probably using 40 guage thread. Default setting in my Wilcom is 90% or 40. Bring it down to 35 to bring the text tighter together. 
2nd. Change your thread to a 60 guage and bring the density down to 30. Change the needle to a 60 thread too. Really small thread. 
3rd. Change the underlay. If you are using zig zag then try a center line underlay. Every suppliers Polo will act differently to each setting. 

Good luck and if you have no joy with your software then you could PM with the text and I will tighten it up for you. 

Earl


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

I also have 2 PR600's... Make sure you have the underlay turned on, increase the stitch density to the max it will let you and use 60 weight thread with thinner needles (I think I have 8's or 9's). You will not be able to use the automatic threader so you will have to thread the needle by hand.


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## Duds88 (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you all for your answers.

Spacing In mm Piet, not sure where that is. Sorry, I just type the text in PE Design, grab the sizing handles and size it down to where it fits the outsourced main design.

I'll up the density and do a few stitch outs, see what works best. Sometimes the text looks spot on, but other times it looks really pants. I use a semi cutaway backing, Stiffy 1980. 

Eartl and TFalk : The Needles I use are Schmetz 75's, I was told by my suppliers that these are a general all round needle and they work well with everything else I do.

I use Robson Anton threads, not sure of the guage, again a good general all round thread, I've tried cheaper threads but find they break too easily. I've contacted another sundry supplier for their catalog and wil see if they do different guage threads. 

I bought the PR's as I was always being asked if I do embroidery, it was an addition to my transfer printing business. I'm a one man band, so haven't really got the time at the moment I need to get indepth with embroidery. Most stuff I do is just plug n play so to speak. Gte the design digitised, set the machine up with the threads and bang in the item for embroidery. Leave it to run whilst I print what ever jobs need prinitng. But needs must, so I'll need to sign up on the YES course here and see what pointers I can gleam from that. 

Once again, thank you all for the answers and advice. I'll let you know how it works out.

Cheers
Duds


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## Earl Smith (Sep 30, 2008)

[media]http://www.madeira.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Englisch/022_PB_Nadeln_Produkte_ENG.pdf[/media]

The above link is a PDF from the madeira site. Could be a help with the needles you need to buy. Also if you telephone madiera and ask them for a leaflet they have on how to stitch small text. Could be of help too. I dont know where you are so cant help with the tel number. 
Maybe your backing is wrong, try using a cut away. Gunold do one , its soft and ideal for Polos. Cat N° 2040. 
Everybody uses different backing. This is my favourite.


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

You're probably running the Schmetz 75/11's which are a good all around needle for the 600's. For fine lettering, I'm using either the 70/10 or 65/9 needles, I usually keep one on the machine just for this type of stuff. The 'normal' thread you get from Robison Anton is 40 weight, you might want to pick up a couple of spools of 50 or 60 weight thread just for small lettering. It's a finer thread and better suited for small detailing.


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## SunEmbroidery (Oct 18, 2007)

I would reduce density, use 60wt thread plus a 65/needle and solvey if necessary. If that doesn't work and you can't increase the size of the text you can add a fill (same color as shirts) under the text.


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