Pathing is one of the most important elements to master in the
process of digitizing. Quite simply, pathing means the order in which
the design sews; what sews first and what sews second plus the
progression of the design from first stitch to last. Efficient pathing
is a design with the fewest trims possible and minimal color breaks. An
optimal one color design would have only one trim which is at the end.
This would mean that everything was planned or pathed so that all parts
of the design were sewn without stopping. To do this, all stitches
traveling between elements of the design are covered by the later parts
of the stitching. The best way to start digitizing a logo, is to plan
out the design in your head before you begin.
Along
with pathing, color breaks go hand in hand. Generally, the design will
need to be digitized from the background to the foreground so that
elements of the design on top fall in front of parts that should be
behind. The idea is to only visit each color of the design once if you
can. (Some designs may require you to revisit colors later in the logo).
A 3 color design that has 52 trims is a very poorly pathed design. Each
trim is another possible thread break or pull out and slows the machine
down. As an old boss of mine used to say, “We aren’t making money if
the machine’s not running .”
The efficiency of an
embroidery design is most apparent at the machine. If you are an
embroiderer, it will be the first thing you notice and the first thing
that will make you crazy if it’s not right. If the machine keeps
stopping throughout an order making the job take longer, you may need to
charge more for production. A poor design can make the job take 2 to 3
times longer.
If you’re a promotional products
salesperson, the first thing that you’ll notice is how much hair your
embroiderer is losing. This is where a quality digitizer breaks out
front of the “cheap” pack. It’s great to pay only $25.00 for digitizing
until your embroiderer has to charge you for editing and longer
production times. Your embroiderer may even refuse to sew a design
that’s really bad. If your embroiderer cringes every time you walk in
the door, you may be using the wrong digitizer.
NeedleUp
Digitizing is the “right digitizer”. We have the experience and
knowledge to create consistently great designs that are beautiful and
efficient at the machine making your run times minimal!
*****NeedleUp
Digitizing is owned by Donna Lehmann. You can contact Donna by email:
donna@needleup.com or call us at 303-287-6633 M-F. Visit our website for
pictures of some of our recent work: www.needleup.com *****
