# what Embroidery Digitizing does the NBA., MLB use?



## nlikens (Dec 7, 2009)

OK. I am starting my own clothing line and want to get my logo digitized ONE TIME and get it done right. I went to LIDS and asked them how its done that told me I need my logo digitized. SO now Im looking for a good place to get that done and they all look like crap. SO I have decided I want to GO to the exact place that the pros go to have there hats done. I WANT TO LOOK JUST LIKE THE NBA AND MLB quality so why not go to the source. 

Does anyone know who does the digitizing and embroidery for the MLB or NBA?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Antigua does some of the fulfillment for MLB and does there own digitizing in house.....But I do not think they offer digitizing as a separate service....


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## lalove (Aug 16, 2007)

If you are the owner of an embroidery machine there are countless digitizers on the forum who would
be more than happy to digitize your logo and give you a professional stitch out. If not I suggest you
contact one of them to have either the competed garments or the pieces before they are sewn, embroidered.


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## treefox2118 (Sep 23, 2010)

lalove said:


> If you are the owner of an embroidery machine there are countless digitizers on the forum who would
> be more than happy to digitize your logo and give you a professional stitch out. If not I suggest you
> contact one of them to have either the competed garments or the pieces before they are sewn, embroidered.


I second this entire statement.

One thing to remember is that you're looking to have something done, in your exact words, ONE TIME.

Consider what I have to go through with a customer who wants something done ONE TIME:

1. I have to field their initial email or phone call. Consider this 15 minutes.
2. I have to sit and talk with the manager of the department that does that type of work, in house. Call it 15 minutes, times 2 people, or 30 man-minutes.
3. I have to make sure the customer submits the proper file. I have to have the file checked. I have to submit an in-house work order for that file. Call it 15 minutes, unless the artwork is bad, then it could be hours (hopefully not).
4. The department has to do the work. It might take 15 minutes, it might take an hour. Who knows? Depends on the artwork.

Now, add in that you may not use that company specifically to actually embroider the job. So they're in for up to 2 hours just to make your file exact to your specs. That's $150 in labor -- and no follow up work.

I wouldn't touch a job for less than that. I've had more than my share of people coming in to my shop, wasting an hour or two of my time over weeks, and then balking at the price. It's why I keep dozens of business cards of my competitors in my desk -- if a cheapskate comes in with the desire to buy the world for 99 cents, I just hand them a few business cards and give them directions to the next shop down the street.

Now, if you go to an embroidery service and tell them you'd like to commit to 50,000 impressions over 6 months, they'll jump as high as you tell them to.

Addition: We do some printing for a famous professional sports player, for his private parties. He wants the best. We charge an arm and a leg. We're still cheaper than the shops that do prints for the sport he plays in. Some of them won't touch a job unless it's 5 figures of work. Keep that in mind -- the NBA/NFL/etc are happy to pay hundreds of thousands just in artwork costs. They'll sell tens of millions of dollars worth of swag, they can afford the best of the best.


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## inobu (Dec 29, 2010)

nlikens,
_
*Note* I have am a week into operating my machine and have been learning the ropes myself. This is what I have found in the last few days. Hope it helps. _

Your realization of the "digitizing process" being the core element in your product is right on and cutting the chase is the way to go.

Here are a few factors that are playing into your problem.

Because Embroidering it about profit for the most part the digitizing process plays a key role. The file that is created drives the material, time and cost resulting profit. Profit can sometimes infringe on quality. 

The cause and effects of these three factors has a impact on your products which you are trying to address, The last reply kind of supports the thought. 

Most likely Antigua does its digitizing in house because it is cost effective for them. Creating the digitized file that yields quality and profit. I'm sure they have a "R&D" process to create the optimum file for their product lines with a lot of trial and error. 

I am finding that the digitizing process is the center piece and one needs a digitizer that keeps all three factors (Material, Time and Cost)
balanced. 

The digitizer creates a map that the embroidering machine uses. The map can be the shortest distance from start to finish but may not be the most scenic or it can be a map that has the needle going all over the place. A bad file/map can cause thread breaks that will cause production problems that will cost you dearly. 

The bottom line is it is a science and art all in one and now you have to find the digitizer that can deliver a file that can work for you and the machine. 

Hope this helps out as I had no clue that it took so much.......to have quality and profit its not easy. 

Inobu


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## inobu (Dec 29, 2010)

treefox that's funny (passing out the next shops cards) 

Inobu


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## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

inobu said:


> treefox that's funny (passing out the next shops cards)
> 
> Inobu


 I've been doing the same thing give them other shops cards. It does work they give the cheeper shop a try and when their not happy they come back and price is not a problem to them any more.
I have a shop here in town that charges .50 per thousand min of $4 to do an item. $25 to setup 4"x4" designs. But now those customers that gave them a try are coming back. I charge $5 min. at $1.25 per thousand my min gives them 4k stitches. It's all about doing it right.


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## nlikens (Dec 7, 2009)

I assumed the price would be high to get the PRO quality so I wasn't looking for the cheap way out. I was expecting to pay between $100 and $200 just for the digitizing file. I have had several quotes for $25, $30, and $50 from small shops and retail chains like LIDS. I have been told that ANY MACHINE can embroider but its the digitizing file that gives you the PRO quality. At the end of the day I want a file I can take anywhere and always get the same quality. 

BUT I have see examples etc etc. truthfully thats why I want to use the same company the pros use. 

However that's good info to know....shops will skimp on the digitizing file to try to save on the embroidery costs. Didn't know that.


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## zoom_monster (Sep 20, 2006)

nlikens said:


> OK. I am starting my own clothing line and want to get my logo digitized ONE TIME and get it done right. I went to LIDS and asked them how its done that told me I need my logo digitized. SO now Im looking for a good place to get that done and they all look like crap. SO I have decided I want to GO to the exact place that the pros go to have there hats done. I WANT TO LOOK JUST LIKE THE NBA AND MLB quality so why not go to the source.
> 
> Does anyone know who does the digitizing and embroidery for the MLB or NBA?


MLB and NBA sell the license(100s of thousands of dollars) to an entity who then has it digitized by someone who they trust. This is either in house or someone who works for more than $10 per thousand..... The person who bought the license to reproduce the trademarks show's the completed samples and guarantees that they will be up to a certain standard once the items are mass produced.

To get the look and feel that you are looking for, have the artwork produced first, then show sample to any professional that can produce files for specific fabrics and placements. There are many recomendations here, But I would look for samples (Real sewouts please) on their web site that match the style you are looking for.


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## philipfirth83 (Aug 17, 2012)

embdigitizer said:


> hi I am Embroidery digitizer. I can digitize first design as free sample to check our quality.
> 
> Please reply If u have any question


This is from a year ago, Im sure they have it sorted by now.


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