Introduction

Embroidery machines are used to add anything from simple monograms to complex multicolor designs to textiles. Fabric is stretched taut and moved under a computer controlled sewing machine to place various types of stitches of the desired color. These machines are often used by textiles manufacturers, tailors, designers, and many sports pro shops for logo/design application.

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Safety

Hazards

Sharp Needle
Crushing from moving parts

PPE

Common sense

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How to reserve

We don’t currently have a reservation system in place for this tool, but that may be subject to change should the need arise.

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Tool parts

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Bobbin Winding Thread Guide
Thread Guide
Spool Cap
Spool Pin
Hole for extra spool pin
Bobbin Winder
Display
Operation Panel
Operation button & sewing speed controller
Flat Bed Attachment
Thread Cutter
Needle Threader Lever
Thread Tension Dial
Handwheel
Thread Guide Cover
Handle
Presser Foot Lever
Feed Dog Position
Power switch
USB port
Foot Pedal </aside>

Operating Principles

An automatic embroidery machine is a sewing machine equipped with a computer that controls the movement of the object being sewn, placing hundreds of stitches per minute to build complex designs. This type of computerized movement, called computerized numeric control (CNC), is common at Fimbel in machines such as the laser cutters, 3D printers, and ShopBot router, etc.

Embroidery machines can have many needles, like the image below, and many hoops to hold fabric of various types and sizes taut as they are sewn. Here at Fimbel, we have a single-needle consumer-grade embroidery machine, as seen previously in the tool parts section.

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Operating Procedure

Generating an Embroidery File

We use an embroidery software called Hatch 3 to generate files compatible with our embroidery machine. This software is available for use on the computer in the back right corner of the brainstorming room. The following section will outline the tools, the three most common ways to generate a file, and how to set up a file in Hatch 3.

One option for creating an embroidery file is to upload a PNG/JPEG image directly into Hatch. If you do this, you might need to take a few extra steps to get the colors right in Hatch.
Another option is to create an image directly in Illustrator or use Image Trace to convert a PNG/JPEG file to vector art. After converting the file, export it as an .EMF file. (For help converting images to vector files, check out Adobe’s tutorial here.)
Finally, you can use Hatch's design tools to create an image.

Using Hatch 3 Embroidery Software

Hatch 3 is the software we use to create a file that the Embroidery Machine can recognize.

Making a file & importing artwork

Log in to the computer next to the Embroidery Machine, and open “Hatch Embroidery 3” from the icon on the desktop.
Choose “New” in the “Getting Started” Window that opens.
In the main design window, click on “ Artwork”, navigate to your file, and click “Open” to import your artwork.
Your file will appear on the grid in Hatch’s main window.

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Checking your image size

To see the size of your design in relation to the embroidery hoop, click on the grey grid to deselect your image.
Locate the menus in the second line which describe the type of machine, needle and hoop size.

embroidery hoop.png

Under the “Hoop” menu, select “100x100” from the drop down menu.

100x100 hoop.png

You will see a red box depicting the embroidery hoop around your image. If your picture is outside the bounds of the red box, it means that your image is to big for the 100mm x100mm (~ 4”x4”)hoop.
- To resize it, click on your image to select it. Then type new dimensions ( smaller than 4”) in the Width and Height boxes in the second menu line. Make sure that the lock icon is in the locked position so that you preserve the proportions of the image

change image dimensions.png

resized image.png

Digitizing your image

Now you can digitize your image.
Locate the “Toolboxes” menu on the left side of the screen.

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A window will pop up, showing side by side images of your original file and the processed file. If the image doesn’t look the way you want it to, you can use the sliders for “Colors” and “Details”, to fine tune it. There is also an option to locate and “Merge” similar colors within your image, if you want to simplify things.

auto digitize results.png

Once you are happy with the way your image looks, click “Ok”.
You’ll see a new window, with all of the colors in your image displayed as threads.

Assign colors 2.png

In this window, you can rearrange the order in which the colors are embroidered by using the “Move Up” button.
In the drop down menu next to each color, you can assign it a status of “Fill”, “Details” or “Omit”.
Click “Ok” when you are done.
You should now see a preview of your artwork as it would look embroidered in the main window.

Changing colors in your embroidery

If you need to change a color in your embroidery, you can click on the area you want to change, then select a color from the “Color Bar” at the bottom of the window or from the “Threads” tab on the right.

color change2.png

Once you are satisfied with your image, go to the “Toolboxes” menu and select “Output Design”.

Setting up the Machine:

Power on the machine

Flip the rocker switch just above the power cable. This will power on the light by the needle as well as the touch screen, starting a slideshow.

You can tap anywhere on the screen to initialize the embroidery unit
Hit “okay” when the warning appears, it is normal part of the initialization. Once done it will bring you to the main embroidery control screen (shown below).

Main embroidery control screen

Open your file

Insert the green usb flash drive into the usb slot on the front of the right hand side of the machine.

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