Impressions - April 2021 - 40

SEE IT IN 3-D
Another option to add dimensions to
your headwear embroidery is E-Zee 3-D
Foam. This material is intended for use
with designs that have been digitized
for raised embroidery on stable fabrics.
It is available in many different colors to
match the embroidery thread you decide
to use.
Use a piece of E-Zee 3-D Puff Foam that's
large enough to cover the area being
stitched. When the machine stops, lay
the foam over the area inside the hoop.
You can use a spray adhesive to hold it
down. Continue stitching the design and
once complete, remove the excess foam
by tearing it away.

3-D foam is available in many
different colors to match the embroidery
thread you decide to use.

Visors & Caps
Visors are a bit trickier to work with due
to limited space for embroidery. The ideal
location is in the front center, where they
are the tallest. The sides of most visors
will only allow a small amount of embroidery - about less than 1 inch tall.
Meanwhile, the back of the visor can't
really be embroidered at all.
The crown's height and the visor's curve
should be considered when sizing the
design. Small lettering or detailed designs
may not work well on visors due to the
small embroidery area.
Some of the most popular headwear
types for embroidery are baseball caps,
which can be either structured or unstructured. A structured cap has a stiff
supportive fabric, called buckram, inside
the front two panels, which helps the
cap hold its shape if ever folded. Unstructured caps have no buckram in the
front two panels.
Embroidery Thread
Choosing the best thread for embroidery
on caps is just as important as being particular about the quality and the material
from which the headwear is made.There
are different materials, colors and thicknesses to fit your preference.
This is where you truly get to be creative; you even can experiment with specialty threads. When embroidering on
headwear, consider a matte-finish thread.
The vivid colors give designs a highdefinition appearance that adds dimension
and clarity to the embroidered design.
P.40

It's highly colorfast when exposed to the
sunlight for long periods of time; therefore, colors won't fade, making it ideal
for embroidered items like headwear that
will be worn in direct sunlight.
Backing & Stabilizers
Cap stabilizers provide a smooth embroidery surface, resulting in clean and
crisp designs.These stabilizers are available
in white, with some options available in
black. Using two pieces can be beneficial
for hard-to-hoop caps by adding extra
stability when embroidering.
Another option is E-Zee Cap Tear
Away embroidery stabilizers, which are
cut specifically to fit within cap frames
and are easy to tear. They are ideal for
structured caps that are hooped on round
cap frames.
Steaming caps prior to hooping helps
soften the center seam, making it easier
to hoop flat. Using a sharp-point needle
is best for woven caps. Needle breaks can
be prevented with the use of a titanium
or #80/12 standard-eye needle.
Designs for caps should be digitized to
stitch from the center out and from the
bottom to the top.This will prevent the
fabric from " flagging " or folding over
during the embroidery process. Underlay
may be necessary to tame the most difficult fabrics. Always digitize designs by
section for better alignment.The fabric

type and the design's size will determine
the stabilizer weight that's needed.
Embroidery Positioning
You will have a variety of placement options when embroidering on different
headwear pieces. Most multihead embroidery machines can handle the front,
sides, back and most places in between.
The most common and easiest embroidery locations are the front and center
of the cap.
If this isn't desired, maybe an off-center
location is a better choice. Designs can
be added to the sides, depending on the
type of headwear, to emphasize a brand,
organization, team, etc.The back of the
headwear is a great place to display a business name or small slogan. Baseball caps
are perfect for this embroidery placement.
However, visors are not.
With these simple tips and tricks,
headwear embroidery doesn't have to
be frustrating or tedious. Instead it'll be
a rewarding experience that you and your
customers will enjoy. 
Talia LeBlanc is the product marketer for Madeira
USA specializing in embroidery thread and bobbins.
Skilled in embroidery and communications, Talia
manages the marketing of Madeira thread from the
company's headquarters in New Hampshire. For
more information or to comment on this article,
email Talia at tleblanc@madeirausa.com.

I M P R E S S I O N S M A G . C O M APRIL 2021

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3/16/21 10:05 AM

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Impressions - April 2021

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