Because of these different categories though, there may also be different rules but here we will promote the act of adopting one rule to fit all. With this in mind we must base that rule on the worst case scenario and for this we have chosen utility linen which includes that used in a hospital, hotel, kitchen or restaurant.

Where workwear is concerned the main consideration is how it will be cleaned. Polo shirts for instance will more than likely be machine or hand washed, whereas a chef's jacket will almost certainly go to an industrial laundry and it is here that the problems may start. Industrial laundries have only one consideration and that is to get the product as clean as possible without damaging it and to do this there are set practices which may include harsh washing agents.

Another consideration should be the regularity of laundering where a garment, cloth or sheet may be used once per day and then sent for laundering. This single item could be washed more times in a week that many standard garments are in one month. Because of all of these factors the correct choice of thread is paramount and it needs to be one that is more able to withstand such severe and habitual laundering.

The choice in this area is limited and the most common selection will be polyester such as FALC Filopol as supplied by Your Embroidery Services (YES). The way that this material is dyed gives it a higher ability to retain the colour, greatly reducing the risk of bleeding or fading - both of which will leave you with a very unhappy customer.

Most people reading this will know what bleeding and fading are, but in case you are unsure, bleeding is where the colour or dye is loosened from the thread and deposited on the surrounding fabric. Very often this is a temporary situation and further washing may remove it, but your customer will not be interested in this and will almost certainly not try it. They will simply contact you and complain. Fading is where some or all of the colours used to make up the final shade are washed out so, for instance, you may start with a grey thread but, after washing, end up with a pink one because magenta is a constituent colour of the shade grey and is likely to be the one left behind. Unlike bleeding there is no going back once the damage is done then the game is up.

If you think about workwear then the variety of clothing worn and industries covered are too much to mention here but, suffice to say, that the majority of garments used are likely to suffer regular and, maybe, harsh laundering so if you always work to the worst case scenario you should be using polyester thread such as FALC Filopol. The problems associated with embroidering workwear are best avoided as many of these contracts involve large numbers of garments and, hopefully, repeat orders.

Prevention is always better than cure so prevent bleeding and fading by using the correct thread.

For further information on any f the products and/or techniques mentioned please contact Your Embroidery Services on 01623 863343; e-mail sales@yesltd.co.uk or go to: http://www.yesltd.co.uk/

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