Help! No exprience with emboirdery

You'll need some type of training with the machine and the software - either classes or learn from someone else. It takes practice just like any skilled labor. There is a lot of helpful information and embroidery related forums on the net so help is available. A embroidery machine is an expensive investment. I'd so some research to see who my competiton is and what they charge. I don't know what you consider "affordable" but you should be able to find someone who is reasonably priced. If you go into embroidery yourself and price too low you won't stay in business. Doing a design yourself requires understanding of a graphics program and understanding digitizing, the process of converting artwork into stitch format. This requires alot of training and experience but isn't necessary for starting a business if you contract out your digitizing. General knowledge of graphics is very helpful.

I started this business 3 years ago from ground zero and am still learning...it takes alot and really need to be kinda dedicated to learning all the aspects....for just learning and starting you might even consider a home embroidery machine to get your feet wet so to speak...i have seen/heard where some have jumped into the commercial machines and quit because of all the learning that goes with them and the software learning.....home machines are not as expensive and if you buy from a dealer most often classes for a year are free....digitizing is very difficult i bought a program a year ago and still have to find time to learn all of it....then you have the business aspects of it and if you do this on ur own and just starting off can be somewhat overwhelming.....feel free to email me i will try and help best i can.....i have gone from one d1 machine to now 3, heat press, cap press and screen printing so business has grown by leaps and bounds and looking to add a commercial machine in the next few months....
GOOD LUCK
Darla

Patty,

Do you think you would get more enjoyment and money out of growing your first business or by spending that time beginning a new one instead? The answer will guide your next step.

I outsource digitizing to the same digitizer (who does a wonderful job) every time. No, I don't just run the file without doing anything first. I check the file in my software to make sure it looks okay and then I save it out to a jpeg to email to my customer for the final approval. Once I have approval I sew-out the file on a a scrap piece of similar material to make sure everything looks okay. Then I embroider. This method takes longer but I've definitely avoided problems this way. For example, (this just happened this weekend), a customer email a DST file that he previously had digitized at another embroidery shop (he can't view the file without embroidery software) to me & I emailed him a jpeg of the file. He responds saying that the DST file is the wrong file & he'll email the correct one. He does, I email a jpeg, he says its fine & I'm free to go ahead & I didn't ruin 6 shirts by embroidering the wrong logo because the other embroidery shop sent an incorrect logo.

Yes, digitizing is a complicated process. It takes about 2 years of constant practice to become a good digitizer. You also need to know how to interprete artwork correctly.

patty digitizing is most the battle....the better the file the better the stitch will come out.....and the machine must be setup correctly also.....I use The Wicked Stitch of the East(jay) . before he sends me the finished file he sews them out on his machine (i just happen to have the same machine he does so it works nice) the better the artwork you send the better the digitized file will be. is very easy on price to........I too do a sewout of it before to make sure everything is set

hooping is another animal in itself.....