We design and make paintball jerseys and looking at adding hats that are embroidered with the same logo that is on the jersey. Typically we would sell 5-10 hats with a specific deisgn. Trying to understand if there are any embroidery shops that can take these type of files and low runs so we can outsource this work.
Yes there are. However, they will need to digitize your logo (regardless that it is vectored).You will be charge a digitizing fee. :-(
most embroidery people(that i've delt with at least) do small quantity limited runs, but do charge a digitizing fee.
when i started doing embroidery it made me mad that even if i have a vector file, you still have to digitize it again for embroidery. there are some vector based emb. programs like corel drawings, but they don't work that well. so expect to pay for digitizing.
If I own the digitizing software, what is a typical digitizing fee charge?
And at what production point does the typical shop stop charging the upfront fee?
Thanks
If you are the embroiderer and the digitizer, the shop I used to work for charged a one time 45$ digitizing fee on top of the 'per stitch' sewing fee for each garment. If the customer comes back to have more garments sewn using the same logo, they are not charged the digitizing fee again. If they have a new logo then there is ,of course, a digitizing fee.
Digitizing fees vary depending on stitch count and complexity of the design. If you can send the vector file, I can give you and estimate and let you know what to expect.
That's ok I was just conceptualizing. What I was thinking was a basic logo of a small business in general. A larger or more complex subject would be more be more I can see.
How does this sound:
Initial digitizing fee minimum $45
More complex items subject to an hourly rate of $45/per hour.
Corel Drawings 4 is working awesome!
It is very important that the vector-file is good as well!
No overlapping, be carefull with outlines ans allways adjust the stitches to the type of textile.
As in everything, experience is the word.
Mark,
A good digitizer doesn't need a vector file. It does make life a little easier , but any clear jpg or bmp will work just fine. For those that use auto-digitizing features, a vector file is a must, but to manually punch a design, any graphic or drawing can be used just as well. The main reason most ask for vector files is that it is easier to see the outline on some areas( I get some really poor quality jpgs to work with at times). All digitizing isn't the same quality so experiment with a few. You will see a huge difference in quality if you send the same design to 6 different people. Once you have the design, any decent shop can sew them for you. For small quantities there are always lots of home based businesses that can embroider them with the same quality, or better, than the large shops.
Vector File to Embroidery 
