Embroidery and Digitizing Terms, Explained Plainly

Embroidery has a vocabulary that suppliers use freely and rarely explain. Here it is in plain terms, with what each one actually means for your order.

File and process terms

Digitizing. Converting artwork into a stitch file. Not a format conversion — a person rebuilds the design as machine instructions. See what embroidery digitizing is.

Stitch file. The machine's instruction list — needle positions, colour stops, trims. DST, PES, EXP, JEF are all stitch files.

Native file. The digitizer's working file (EMB and similar) containing editable objects rather than finished stitches. The one that makes future resizing possible. Ask for it.

Sew-out. A physical test stitch on fabric. The only honest proof a file works — a screen simulation can't show puckering.

Stitch count. Total stitches in a design. Drives machine time and therefore price. See stitch count and pricing.

Construction terms

Underlay. Foundation stitches laid before the visible ones. Stabilises fabric, stops the design sinking into pile, gives top stitches a base. Missing underlay is one of the most common digitizing faults.

Pull compensation. Stitches pull fabric inward as they form, so shapes finish narrower than drawn. Compensation draws them deliberately wider so they finish correct. Both explained in underlay and pull compensation.

Density. How closely stitches sit together. Too loose and fabric shows through; too tight and you get a stiff board that puckers and breaks needles.

Registration. How accurately adjacent colours line up. Poor registration shows as gaps or overlaps where two colours meet.

Stitch types

Satin stitch. Closely spaced parallel stitches forming a smooth, slightly raised column. Used for borders, lettering and any narrow shape. The glossy look most people associate with embroidery.

Fill stitch (tatami). Rows of shorter stitches covering a large area. Flatter and less shiny than satin, and the only sensible option for big shapes — a satin stitch longer than about 1cm snags.

Running stitch. A simple single line. Used for fine detail, outlines and travelling between elements.

Jump stitch. A long thread carried between two parts of the design without stitching in. Trimmed afterwards. Good sequencing minimises them.

Trim. A command telling the machine to cut the thread. More trims means more machine stops.

Patch terms

Merrowed border. A thick overlocked edge wrapped around the patch perimeter. Traditional look, simple shapes only. See merrowed vs laser-cut.

Laser cut / hot cut. An edge cut and sealed by laser or heated blade. Any shape, thinner finish.

Twill. The woven polyester base most embroidered patches are stitched onto. See patch materials.

100% embroidered. Stitching covers the base entirely. Partially embroidered leaves base fabric visible as part of the design — cheaper, softer, often better looking.

Backing. How the patch attaches: sew-on, iron-on, velcro, adhesive. See backing options.

Patch size. Quoted as the average of width and height. A 4×2 inch patch is sold as a 3 inch patch — a genuine source of confusion when comparing quotes.

Materials and setup

Stabiliser (backing). Material placed behind the fabric during stitching to stop it distorting. Cut-away stays permanently and suits knits; tear-away is removed after and suits stable wovens.

Topping. A water-soluble film laid over fabric with a pile — fleece, terry — so stitches sit above the surface instead of sinking. Washes away afterwards.

Hooping. Clamping the garment in a frame to hold it taut. Each additional placement means re-hooping, which is why a second location roughly doubles decoration cost.

Thread weight. Thickness, where a higher number is thinner. 40 weight is standard; 60 is finer for small text; 30 is thicker. See thread types.

3D puff. Stitching over foam so the design stands raised. See 3D puff digitizing.

Appliqué. Fabric laid onto the garment and stitched at the edges instead of filling with thread. See appliqué digitizing.

The four worth remembering

If you retain nothing else: underlay and pull compensation are what separate a good file from a bad one; stitch count is what you're charged for; and patch size is an average, not a width.

Anything here still unclear on your order? Just ask — we'd rather explain a term than have you approve something you weren't sure about.