Digitizing Glossary

2. About the embroidery machine/sewing

 

Embroidery Hoop: A device made from wood, plastic or steel with which fabric is gripped tightly between an inner ring and an outer ring and attached to the machine's pantograph. Machine hoops are designed to push the fabric to the bottom of the inner ring and hold it against the machine bed for embroidering.

Hoop size: Machine embroidery hoops are available in a variety of sizes. They are machine specific and must be designed for the machine you are using. The size of the hoop you use will be determined by the design you are embroidery. The closer the hoop size is to the design, the less likely there will be any movement of the fabric. Movement of the fabric can result in the final stitches being poorly located on the design.

 

Backing: Woven or non-woven material used underneath the item or fabric being embroidered to provide support and stability for the needle penetration. Best used when hoop with the garment, but also can be placed between the item to be embroidered and the needle plate on flat bed machines. Available in many styles and weights with two basic types

 

Expanded Format: A design program where individual stitches in a design have been specifically digitized for a certain size. Designs punched in this format cannot generally be enlarged or reduced more than 10 to 20 percent without distortion because stitch count remains constant. See "condensed format".

Machine Language: The codes and formats used by different machine manufacturers within the embroidery industry.

Needle: Small slender sewing instrument with an eye at one end to pass the thread through, just like the needle we used for darning.

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