Impressions - November 2010 - (Page 70)

HANDS ON >> TECH TIPS HANDS ON >> HANDS ON Embroidery TECH TIPS HANDS ON Picking the Right Stabilizer With the invention of many new styles, there is some confusion surrounding stabilizers and backings but the basics remain the same. While the offerings are many, keep only a few different styles in your stabilizer collection to make the selection process much simpler. Stabilizers can be broken down into two major categories: cutaways and tearaways. The differences in these are obvious; cutaways have to be cut away with scissors, while tearaways can simply be torn off. Of course, the difference between these two goes beyond how you remove them. The main difference between cutaway and tearaway is the length of the ﬁbers that make up the stabilizer. Cutaway ﬁbers are longer, making them more stable for embroidery. Typically, you would use cutaway stabilizer when more stability is needed; conversely, you would use tearaway stabilizer when less stability is needed. To accurately decide which kind of stabilizer to use, consider what you’re embroidering. Fabrics can be categorized into three groups: knits, wovens and non-wovens. Knit goods include golf shirts, Tshirts, sweat shirts, socks and athletic wear. They are typically very stretchy, creating the need for more stability during the embroidery process. Wovens include oxford shirts, linens, nylon jackets, towels and canvas bags. These items tend to have less stretch, so less stability needed. Tearaway backings normally are sufﬁcient for woven items. Some of these items, such as towels or canvas bags, are so stable that they don’t need backing. Non-woven goods are virtually anything that doesn’t fall into the two aforementioned categories. They also include leather and vinyl. Most of these types of goods are very stable and need little to no stabilization. If stabilizer is needed, the tearaway variety should sufﬁce. There are many weights and types of 70 Impressions >> November 2010 Many types of backings and stabilizers are available, but the ﬁnal decision regarding which type you should use ultimately is determined by the speciﬁc application. each type of stabilizer, but I like to keep my decision-making process simple. I generally stock a heavyweight tearaway and a medium-weight cutaway for most of my embroidery applications. A single sheet of either of these stabilizers should be more than sufﬁcient when used for the appropriate application. This narrows my decision-making process and reduces the space needed to store my backings. APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS The ﬁnal decision regarding which type of backing you should use ultimately is determined by the speciﬁc application and the user. In some cases, instead of using one layer of cutaway, the application may dictate that the backing needs to be completely removed. In these cases, two pieces of tearaway can be used to provide the same stability as one piece of cutaway. For instance, by strictly following the guidelines mentioned, you would use cutaway backing when embroidering socks. However, that would not work for this particular application because it could be irritating when worn so tightly around the ankles. Because of this, two pieces of tearaway are used instead of using a single piece of cutaway. If in doubt, my philosophy is to always opt for more stabilization than I need. There is no law that says you can’t use cutaway stabilizer on a woven shirt. The tradition has always been to use as little stabilizer as we can get away with. The reason is to avoid the stabilizer showing through the material on the front side of the garment or item. Today, there are more variations of these two categories than ever. One of my favorite new varieties of stabilizers is the sheer, or “no-show,” mesh stabilizer. It is a sheer cutaway with a soft hand, and it works particularly well on the new performance knit goods that are thin. Because those types of knits are especially stretchy, I typically use a piece of tearaway stabilizer behind the mesh. This gives extra stabilization without causing worry about the backing showing through the material. This characteristic of the sheer mesh has eliminated worry among some embroiderers about deciding between cutaway and tearaway. They use the sheer mesh on just about everything. Tearaway stabilizer is only needed for use on items where it would be visible from both sides. In those cases, tearaway must be used to remove all the stabilizer. So, simplify your backing collection. By focusing on the basic material types, you can make your choice of stabilizers simpler. Try to narrow it to just a few basic types. You will save time, space and money. — Steven Batts impressionsmag.com http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - November 2010

Impressions - November 2010
Contents
First Impressions
FYI
Product Gallery
Thought Leaders: Views on a New Decade
Fashionable Function
Preparing Your Exit Strategy
Technique
Production
Tech Tips
Production
For Screen Printers Only
Online Directory
Profi ting With Poly-Performance Apparel
On Design
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - November 2010