Impressions - March 2011 - (Page 48)

EMBROIDERY >> HANDS ON Design & Digitizing EMBROIDERY HANDS ON DIGITAL DECORATING HANDS ON SCREEN PRINTING HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON ITAL DECORATING >> HANDS ON CREEN PRINTING >> HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON Use Vector Artwork for All >> Your Design Digitizing Mathematical precision and scalability contribute to more consistent results. Figure 1. This image displays the same logo both in a bitmap supplied by the customer (left) and the vector art prepared to embroidery standards (right). The two look almost identical. In fact, you may not see any difference other than the vector art is void of color ﬁlls and simply displays the wireframe border. Vector art has been an industry buzzword for several years, being tossed around by software salespeople, digitizers and promotional product distributors (PPDs) as the preferred form of art. Still, surveys indicate more digitizers have yet to commit to using vector technology. Reasons given are more commonly excuses than sound, rational explanations. When I ﬁrst began beating the vector art drums in the late 1990s, I would explain the most obvious advantages — such as reduced time required to create a design, reduced overall design cost and increased design quality — associated with this type of technology. This approach converted many digitizers, but the conversion rate has been most successful in the ranks of Figure 2. This image shows the two logos superimposed so the modiﬁcations become more apparent. Modifying the art so as to meet the most basic of the embroidery standards, the 1mm rule, the text increased to 5mm and horizontal lines were increased in size and reformatted in a manner that tastefully captures the original logo’s layout. new digitizers than in the veteran ranks. For this reason veteran digitizers may wish to stop reading at this point (wink). I recognize that change of any sort is stressful and greatly avoided regardless of how beneﬁcial the results of such change would be. Clinging to old knowledge is simply more appealing than learning new software, skills, terminology and applications. The old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” seems apropos. As my experience as an embroidery designer increases and I broaden my understandings of the entire process, I have realized that what new digitizers seek most are standards in which to sink their teeth. Just as a master chef is capable of whipping up a gourmet dinner from whatever is available in the pantry, veteran digitizers know their trade so well that it may appear more taxing to slow down and learn new skills, than doing things as they always have. That is all well and good for their cusimpressionsmag.com 48 Impressions >> March 2011 http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - March 2011

Impressions - March 2011
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
Mainstream Fashion Drives a Womenswear Evolution
Styled for Her
QR Codes: Mobile Marketing Technology
Production
Design & Digitizing
Production
For Screen Printers Only
Perfecting Sublimation on Pre-Sewn Garments
Online Directory
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - March 2011