While there are several tips for good machine embroidery designs , there are don’t often any hard and fast rules. There is no formula method for digitizing all designs; you will find simply too many variables involved. Rather, guidelines are balanced against the task taking place plus the conditions under which a certain design will be sewn. These needs to be understood as you determine underlay demands:
Underlay must serve a purpose
Underlay must be consistent
Underlay should be orderly
Underlay needs to be appropriate
The 2 main primary purposes of underlay are to stabilize the fabric by attaching it to the stabilizer and help the top stitching. Think about underlay as a way to initially baste the fabric to the stabilizer. The best way to achieve that has been what is recognized as an edge walk, and that is simply an outline on the design set within the edges on the cover stitching. On very small items, it may well merely be a line of running stitches up the center, referred to as a centre walk. On bigger sections, this edge walk is followed by a light fill or zigzag as required by the fabric. In excessive cases, this light fill will be swapped out with a mesh or grid of stitches. In this way, underlay reduces fabric shifting throughout the sewing process, and thus also minimizing puckering. Proper choice and utilization of underlay decreases the push and pull distortion resulting from machine thread tensions. By affixing the fabric to an appropriate stabilizer, the fabric even very unstable one acquires the stability qualities of the backing used.
Be aware that there are other reasons for fabric puckering that won’t be remedied with underlay. Such as; poor hooping methods, poor or inadequate stabilizing choices, and tight machine tensions, in particular when combined with polyester thread. Underlay supports the top stitching by preserving a crisp, well defined edge between abutting elements of stitches. Underlay also helps prevent stitches from sinking in the fabric. Highly textured fabrics like terry cloth towels may benefit from the light net of underlay to hold down the nap and offer a smooth even surface for later stitches. Digitizers also employ underlay creatively to add additional loft for some sections of an embroidery designs to include interest, depth, and realism.
CONSISTENT AND ORDERLY
Underlay should be utilized in a neat and orderly way, which occurs automatically when applied as an attribute option; it should not seem like random scribbling. Consistency does not necessarily mean that the same type or level of underlay needs to be given to every object within your design.
APPROPRIATE
This one is complicated and it is figured out primarily from expertise and assessment. Picking the correct combination of underlay is comparative to: Fabric type, color, and stability; Design size, stitch count, density; Desired effect. Smooth, hard, stable fabrics like nylon, supplex, cordura, and many polyester varieties may require only an edge walk. Leather, vinyl, paper, and metal should have no underlay generally to avoid unintentional cutwork. Uneven fabrics and unstable items will require more underlay. You can now realise why there is not “cookie cutter” procedure for underlay
As the design size gets bigger, stitch count rises plus the potential for fabric distortion increases. Just using a bigger hoop decreases the soundness on the fabric. A design with significant areas of fills, specifically if these fills run in many directions, significantly increases the odds for fabric push and pull. Underlay can assist manage design distortion, but keep in mind additional circumstances that have an effect on distortion: Correct embroidery setup – stabilizer selection, fabric, thread, and needle alternatives; hooping technique; machine tensions; Proper utilization of density; Correct use of compensation. Creative use of underlay can significantly change a design. If a satin or fill area is sewn over an area of stitches with both areas having the same stitch direction, the top stitches will fall into the previous layer. This can be a good thing if you’d like blending together or a bad thing if you need sharply delineated objects. Incorporating underlay prevents blending. Strategically placed and extra underlay adds loft to satin stitches. An excellent digitizer leverages underlay to his or her benefit
here are some of concerns digitizers take into account when applying underlay.
Color-Underlay, like underwear, should not be visible, so it is advisable to make use of the same color as the covering stitches. When using the auto underlay settings, you won’t have to consider this. If an initial global underlay is used, take into account setting it as a different color so that it could be sewn in color that matches the fabric. Stitch Length Work with a moderate stitch length to avoid the looping of longer stitches and to maintain your stitch count more sensible than would result with short stitches. Use shorter stitches only as needed to prevent exposure issues.
Density-Only use enough density to meet the needs of the job.Placement-Underlay should never reveal or bleed through to the covering embroidery design . Make certain underlay never runs within the identical direction as the top stitches. Seriously consider placement and regularity in small objects, especially tiny letters.
Amount-Use underlay judiciously when and where needed; don’t use it in excess, which can unnecessarily run up stitch counts. Too little underlay, however, may result in bad registration, fabric puckering, “fuzzy” or jagged edges on objects, and fabric show-through. At minimum, use enough underlay to nicely and smoothly tack backing to fabric when utilizing wovens and knits.


