Impressions - April 2014 - 52

tS

Embroidery Technique

Allowing a bobbin to run out costs time
and could cause poor-quality embroidery. Train new
operators to check bobbin thread levels frequently.
Needle Changes: Multineedle machines
either use ﬂat shank or round shank needles. The ﬂat edge of the shank ensures the
needles always are inserted straight. Round
shank needles are a bit more challenging,
and it's very important that they are inserted in the proper direction. Check to learn
whether your machine manufacturer recommends inserting with the groove facing
straight or canted slightly to the right.
Some machines allow the presser foot
to drop out if the needle set screw is loosened too much. This can be very upsetting
to a trainee, so supervise needle changes in
the beginning stages of training to ensure
that person doesn't overdo it.
Help your trainee learn the symptoms
of a worn-out needle, such as fabric runs,
damaged knits, thread breaks, lack of clarity and so on. Also, this person should be
aware of any special needle types that may
be needed for speciﬁc jobs.
Troubleshooting: The goal in any
good training program should be to
build proper logic about the embroidery
process. When mishaps occur, such as a
birdnest (the clump of thread between
the fabric and needle plate), use them as
teaching moments.
Machine Control Panel and Computer
Software: This training is optional in a
large shop, but it's usually necessary in the
small shop. Training at the control panel
can be done during the normal workday
as new jobs are loaded into the machine.
Start with simple control panel operations,
such as rotating designs and adjusting machine speed. Computer software training
should be done in dedicated sessions of at
least one hour each.
Evaluation: Be sure to evaluate your
trainee at the end of the trial period. If
your training was effective, that person
should be able to operate the embroidery
equipment with some degree of conﬁUse Info*Action #32 at impressionsmag.com/infoaction
See us at ISS Nashville

When instructing trainees on using the embroidery
machine's control panel, start with simple operations
like rotating designs and adjusting machine speed.
dence and proﬁciency. Remember that
your embroidery quality depends on the
amount of training that is retained and
used. Check to ensure the methods you
taught are being practiced.
Training your employees can be
good for you, too. None of us ever stops
learning about embroidery, so listen to
ideas and suggestions from your trainees. They may have a perspective that
you haven't thought of and it could be
an improvement.
Of course, another beneﬁt is that after
you get some good help in your shop, you
can plan a vacation!
In the next issue of Impressions, I'll outline training in large-shop settings.

52

Impressions | April/May 2014

Deborah Jones is a commercial and
home embroiderer with more than 30 years
experience in the computerized embroidery
ﬁeld. She runs myembroiderymentor.com
and regularly speaks at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS). For more information or
to comment on this article, email Deborah at
djones@myembroiderymentor.com.
Hear Deborah speak on embroidery
topics at the 2014 Imprinted Sportswear
Shows (ISS). Individual seminars are just
$25 if you pre-register: isshows.com.

Suggested

Reading

Like this article? Read these
other screen printing articles at
impressionsmag.com:
* "How to Train Embroidery
Operators"
* "Training Key Employees"
* "Tips for Training Embroidery
Operators"
impressionsmag.com
http://www.myembroiderymentor.com http://www.isshows.com http://www.robison-anton.com http://www.impressionsmag.com http://www.robison-anton.com http://www.impressionsmag.com/infoaction http://www.impressionsmag.com
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