The Evolution of the Embroidery Industry
Written October 16, 2019
Embroidery is a very unique process. The product we produce is actually the value we bring to other products. Most of these other products are wearable items such as shirts, jackets and baseball caps. You might say that embroidery is a “value-added service." By adding color, design and texture to a blank garment, we increase the perceived value of that garment. Many times, this added value far exceeds the cost of the blank garment and the embroidery.
Since wearable items are also consumable products, they are constantly being replenished as they wear out, go out of season or simply go out of style. It’s this natural demand for replenishment that has created embroidery opportunities over the years, and has fueled the technology developments surrounding embroidery machinery over the years. Let’s take a brief look at the evolution of the embroidery machines and processes. At one time all machine embroidery was produced on very large Schiffli looms. These 10- to 15-yard-long machines could only create embroidery designs on large sheets of fabric, not on finished garments.
The designs were created one stitch at a time using a special machine to “punch” holes on a cardboard roll, similar to a player piano roll. These patterns were called Jacquards, and were very time consuming to create. These early machines were all mechanically driven. Electronics and computers were not available at this point in history. In the early 1970s, lock stitch sewing heads were placed side by side to form the first multi-head machines. These first multi-head machines were capable of sewing embroidery designs on finished garments. The early machines were mechanical devices that read smaller Jacquard rolls at speeds up to 350 stitches per minute. About the same time, the first single-head monogramming machine was developed as a stencil-driven pantograph sewing machine.
The operator would place metal stencils on a sub-table and, as they traced these stencils, the pantograph would move the hooped garment under a zigzag sewing machine, filling in the design or letter from the template. With the introduction of electronics, primitive computers and high-speed stepper motors, the embroidery machine evolved to be capable of running 750 stitches, and could now read digitally coded one-inch wide paper tapes that contained the embroidery designs. Early computerization brought design processing, scaling and rotation.
The next step in technology was the development of the finished cap framing system, the drop table, tubular framing system and then the automatic thread trimmers. Production personnel embraced these developments since they promised to improve the output of the machines and reduce labor costs.
As these new technologies hit the market, they quickly discovered that the designs had to be changed to compensate for these new technologies. Those who had libraries of old designs had to edit extensively as their customers reordered those designs. As the evolution continued, we saw machine controllers with LED screens that showed a picture of the actual design being sewn. The paper tapes were replaced with digital media on single-sided diskettes. Next, the digital storage went to SD cards before going to USB thumb drives today.
Machine networking started at least 20 years ago, and today many embroidery machines have Ethernet capabilities. The biggest cost today for networking is the license fees to use the software that manages the network system. Just as the machines have evolved, the process has evolved.
At one time, embroidery was simply creating designs with colorful threads and metallic. Over the years, we have added the technique of applying appliqué. With this process, we can cover larger areas of a design with an appliqué piece instead of thousands of stitches. We can also add patterns and textures with the appliqué that we could not create with thread alone. Another popular technique is 3D embroidery. By perforating and encapsulating a piece of craft foam, we can create the look of raised embroidery.
Today, we also mix embroidery with screen or digital printing. This creates a unique blend of detail in a design, as well as texture. Other effects that require additional equipment are the mix of Chenille and standard embroidery. Chenille embroidery (otherwise known as moss and chain embroidery) has the look of looped carpet. This machine is often used to produce athletic award letters to be sewn on letterman’s jackets.
While most Chenille work is sewn on scrim felt, it can also be done directly on garments, such as a sweatshirt front. Another special effect has been made popular by the brands Abercrombie and Tommy Hilfiger, tattered looking letters sewn down with a heavy wool yarn. Adding a laser cutter to the embroidery process or machine creates this effect. The laser enables us to sew with tight registration, and then cut away the excess fabric after the embroidery is complete. This technique is also known as “post-cut appliqué.”
Over the years, this evolution in machines and processes has been made possible by the steady and continual popularity of the embroidery look. More importantly, it has been the creative nature of the designs expressed as embroidery that has created the true popularity. One of the greatest bonuses found in embroidery is that, "You are only limited by your imagination."
Since wearable items are also consumable products, they are constantly being replenished as they wear out, go out of season or simply go out of style. It’s this natural demand for replenishment that has created embroidery opportunities over the years, and has fueled the technology developments surrounding embroidery machinery over the years. Let’s take a brief look at the evolution of the embroidery machines and processes. At one time all machine embroidery was produced on very large Schiffli looms. These 10- to 15-yard-long machines could only create embroidery designs on large sheets of fabric, not on finished garments.
The designs were created one stitch at a time using a special machine to “punch” holes on a cardboard roll, similar to a player piano roll. These patterns were called Jacquards, and were very time consuming to create. These early machines were all mechanically driven. Electronics and computers were not available at this point in history. In the early 1970s, lock stitch sewing heads were placed side by side to form the first multi-head machines. These first multi-head machines were capable of sewing embroidery designs on finished garments. The early machines were mechanical devices that read smaller Jacquard rolls at speeds up to 350 stitches per minute. About the same time, the first single-head monogramming machine was developed as a stencil-driven pantograph sewing machine.
The operator would place metal stencils on a sub-table and, as they traced these stencils, the pantograph would move the hooped garment under a zigzag sewing machine, filling in the design or letter from the template. With the introduction of electronics, primitive computers and high-speed stepper motors, the embroidery machine evolved to be capable of running 750 stitches, and could now read digitally coded one-inch wide paper tapes that contained the embroidery designs. Early computerization brought design processing, scaling and rotation.
The next step in technology was the development of the finished cap framing system, the drop table, tubular framing system and then the automatic thread trimmers. Production personnel embraced these developments since they promised to improve the output of the machines and reduce labor costs.
As these new technologies hit the market, they quickly discovered that the designs had to be changed to compensate for these new technologies. Those who had libraries of old designs had to edit extensively as their customers reordered those designs. As the evolution continued, we saw machine controllers with LED screens that showed a picture of the actual design being sewn. The paper tapes were replaced with digital media on single-sided diskettes. Next, the digital storage went to SD cards before going to USB thumb drives today.
Machine networking started at least 20 years ago, and today many embroidery machines have Ethernet capabilities. The biggest cost today for networking is the license fees to use the software that manages the network system. Just as the machines have evolved, the process has evolved.
At one time, embroidery was simply creating designs with colorful threads and metallic. Over the years, we have added the technique of applying appliqué. With this process, we can cover larger areas of a design with an appliqué piece instead of thousands of stitches. We can also add patterns and textures with the appliqué that we could not create with thread alone. Another popular technique is 3D embroidery. By perforating and encapsulating a piece of craft foam, we can create the look of raised embroidery.
Today, we also mix embroidery with screen or digital printing. This creates a unique blend of detail in a design, as well as texture. Other effects that require additional equipment are the mix of Chenille and standard embroidery. Chenille embroidery (otherwise known as moss and chain embroidery) has the look of looped carpet. This machine is often used to produce athletic award letters to be sewn on letterman’s jackets.
While most Chenille work is sewn on scrim felt, it can also be done directly on garments, such as a sweatshirt front. Another special effect has been made popular by the brands Abercrombie and Tommy Hilfiger, tattered looking letters sewn down with a heavy wool yarn. Adding a laser cutter to the embroidery process or machine creates this effect. The laser enables us to sew with tight registration, and then cut away the excess fabric after the embroidery is complete. This technique is also known as “post-cut appliqué.”
Over the years, this evolution in machines and processes has been made possible by the steady and continual popularity of the embroidery look. More importantly, it has been the creative nature of the designs expressed as embroidery that has created the true popularity. One of the greatest bonuses found in embroidery is that, "You are only limited by your imagination."