Glossary
The words you will meet when working with embroidery designs, in plain English.
- Appliqué
- A technique where a piece of fabric is stitched onto the base fabric. The design file includes a placement line, a tack-down stitch, and a cover stitch (usually satin) around the edge.
- Backing
- Another word for stabilizer placed under the fabric.
- Bobbin thread
- The lower thread. It is usually a lighter weight (60 or 90 wt) white or black thread that should barely show on the top of the embroidery.
- Color change
- A command that tells the machine to stop (single-needle) or switch needles (multi-needle) so the next part is sewn in another color.
- Color stop
- A pause in the design for a thread change. Formats such as DST store the stop but not the color.
- Cutaway stabilizer
- A stabilizer that stays in the garment permanently. It is the right choice for knits and stretchy fabrics.
- Density
- How close stitch rows are. It is usually given as the spacing between rows, for example 0.4 mm for a typical fill.
- Digitizing
- The process of turning artwork into stitch instructions using embroidery software. Good digitizing sets stitch types, direction, density, underlay and sequence.
- Embroidery design (matrix)
- A digital file with the instructions an embroidery machine follows: where every needle penetration goes and when to jump, trim or change color. In Portuguese and Spanish it is often called a matriz.
- Extents
- The width and height of the design, from its leftmost to rightmost and top to bottom stitch.
- Fill stitch (tatami)
- Rows of running stitches used to cover large areas. The rows are offset so the needle points do not line up and form visible lines.
- Free-standing lace (FSL)
- Lace stitched on water-soluble stabilizer that is washed away, leaving only the thread structure.
- Hoop
- The frame that holds fabric and stabilizer tight while the machine stitches. Every machine has a maximum embroidery field.
- In-the-hoop (ITH)
- Projects such as bags, key fobs or toys that are fully assembled inside the hoop by the embroidery file.
- Jump stitch
- A movement of the frame without the needle making a stitch, used to travel from one area to another.
- Lock stitch (tie-in / tie-off)
- A few tiny stitches at the start or end of a section that keep the thread from unravelling, especially after a trim.
- Machine file
- Another name for a stitch file: the format a machine reads, such as DST, PES or JEF.
- Multi-needle machine
- A machine with several needles, each threaded with a color, that changes colors automatically. Common in commercial shops.
- Pull compensation
- Extra width that the digitizer adds to shapes, because stitches pull the fabric inward and make shapes narrower than drawn.
- Push and pull
- Stitches pull fabric in along their direction and push it out at the ends. Digitizers plan for it so outlines line up with fills.
- Running stitch
- A single line of stitches used for outlines, details and travel paths. A triple or bean stitch repeats each stitch for a bolder line.
- Satin stitch
- Long, close zigzag stitches that create a shiny, raised column, used for borders and lettering. Columns wider than about 7 to 10 mm are usually split or turned into fills.
- Stabilizer
- Material hooped with the fabric to support it during stitching. The main types are cutaway, tearaway and water-soluble.
- Stitch count
- The total number of stitches in a design. It drives stitching time and is the usual basis for pricing in commercial embroidery.
- Stitch file
- A file that stores the final stitches only. It can be sewn, but cannot be edited or resized much without quality loss.
- Tearaway stabilizer
- A stabilizer torn away after stitching, best for stable woven fabrics.
- Thread chart
- The list of thread brand and color codes for a design, such as Madeira, Isacord, Robison-Anton or Sulky numbers.
- Thread weight
- A measure of thread thickness: the higher the number, the thinner the thread. 40 wt is the embroidery standard.
- Topping
- A thin water-soluble film placed on top of textured fabrics like towels so stitches do not sink into the pile.
- Trim
- A command to cut the thread before moving to the next area. Machines without an automatic cutter stop so you can trim by hand.
- Underlay
- Foundation stitches sewn before the top stitches to stabilize the fabric and lift the top layer. Common types are center run, edge run, zigzag and lattice.
- Water-soluble stabilizer
- A stabilizer that dissolves in water. It is used for lace and as a topping.
- Working file
- The editable master of a design (for example EMB or ART), with objects and stitch settings that the software can recalculate.