Expert advice for 3D embroidery

Jas Purba, managing director of ETC Supplies and Rainer Keemss of Brodyr DZign in Sweden, have compiled a how-to guide to creating perfect 3D embroidery.

3D Foam has been around for a while now. It was mainly used on cap embroidery and the work was done on flat panels before the cap was sewn together.

Many companies supply the 3D foam but very few of them know what to do with it and the actual correct specification of 3D foam for embroidery use. This results in customers who are let down and disappointed.

The 3D foam is also called different names by other suppliers. The foam is available in different specifications which will determine how it sews out and the tearability of the foam after embroidery, as it should tear clean and not be cut out.

If your foam is soft and or stretchy then you have the wrong product and you should not waste your time in trying to use this as it will not work. Some people ask for the foam to be supplied in various colours. This is not required as the foam is completely covered by the stitching. Again if your foam is visible through the stitches then you probably have the wrong product.

3D foam is a fantastic and exciting product to use. It can make your embroidery design stand out and look completely different from a flat sewn design. 3D foam designs also command a higher price, which in this day and age is a welcome bonus for any embroidery company’s profits.

The problem for the embroiderer has always been:

• Using the wrong foam.
• Incorrect tension set ups on the embroidery machine.
• Wrong digitising for use of 3D foam.
• Wrong backing.

We are experts in this field. We work with some of our customers who have perfected this process of 3D foam embroidery. Apart from the above, we also advise on use of the following for 3D foam embroidery:

• Special SD1 Needles that have a tri point tip.
• Fablube fabric lubricant that stops the hot needle sticking to the 3D foam.
• ETC Supplies Premium Embroidery thread.

Rainer Keemss, one of our customers in Sweden has perfected the use of our 3D foam. Any embroiderer who is having difficulty using the 3D foam can obtain these customers details from us and contact him directly to have the digitising files produced correctly. I am sure you will impressed to see the end results this company has obtained.

This image shows the garment in the frame with the 3D foam placed inside the frame but not actually framed up. The wording Printwear & Promotion will have a fantastic contrast to the embroidered yellow box below. The digitising and machine tensions have been set up to achieve perfect embroidery.

This image shows the embroidery with the 3D foam still in place. The 3D foam has not started to tear away yet and this gives you the stability you require when embroidering such designs. All the stitches are perfectly formed.This image shows the garment framed up in a magnetic Mighty Hoop that ETC Supplies sells with the 3D foam laying inside the frame. The 3D foam inside the letter E has been removed to show you the difference.This is the finished embroidery. You can see the 3D foam still on the garment without any tearing or movement.This image shows the 3D foam being easily removed from top to bottom, leaving a nice clean edge.Now you can see the real outcome of using 3D foam. The wording Printwear stands out nice and clean with clear defined edges and no thread showing through. This can be achieved with a little bit of care when doing the digitising and setting up the embroidery machine.This is the complete embroidery now showing with the 3D foam completely removed. It is very eye-catching and clear to see.This clearly shows the 3D effect of using the foam with clean clear lines and perfect embroidery coverage.This shows the back of the embroidery. This shows perfect tension settings with clean lines and expert digitising. The back of the embroidery is always very important as this will tell you if you have made any mistakes with your digitising or machine set up.Here is the finished garment presented on a mannequin. A very effective design that you can produce for your own customers at premium prices.The fabric for 3D foam does not always have to be hard. Here you can see how well the ETC Supplies 3D foam drapes on this sweatshirt.