Interesting instructions for your digitizer

ha, funny you should mention it. just this morning a design comes in for a hat. I advise this design in it's current layout would need to be 22 inches wide for the center logo to be legible! it is a small logo (that itself needs to be 2.5 inches wide) with words to the left and right of it. But with so many letters it would make the center logo less than half an inch wide WITH LETTERS INSIDE IT! running stitches would not work even if you used thinner 60wt thread.

I gave options... delete logo, do logo only on the front and reduce lettering and place on back..

"FINE! I will just take this to a digitizer that CAN do it as is on a hat"

me: sweet pea let me know how that works for you and I will personally send you a 100 dollar bill.

Ok, so I "Rushed the non-Rush" only to have their credit card declined. $30.00. How do you run a business without the ability to even hit 30.00 on your card? Happens every day but I still do not understand.

Gave the file anyway, I know they are good for it eventually.

OK allow me to vent again. client sends in a design to ask for a quote. I send it back to ask if the white areas are to be solid embroidery or the fabric to show through, also to state the small lettering in the banner would be deleted if this is to be a normal left chest size of 3.5 wide, also do you use thinner thread so maybe the design could be smaller?

client responds why not just use this design you did for us 12 years ago and just add the top and bottom lettering? 4.5 inches wide. UH no problem a 90.00 design just went to 15.00

OK so I am supposed to remember a design done 143,659 designs ago? SO SORRY I AM THAT STUPID!

Client: "Please sew this design backwards because we are going to sew it upside down and that will make it sew forwards"

uh, yeah. OK

client sends this in for a quote: "Please size at 9\"W x 7.4\"H. Please try to keep the number of stitches under 10K. This will be going on a white beach towel"

design has 50,000 stitches.

I quote and respond: "how do you keep a 50,000 stitch design under 10,000?"

Client sends this back:"That was an incredibly rude comment back. I am not an expert on determining the number of stitches for a logo. Keep the number of stitches as low as you can."

was it rude?

Seriously if you are selling embroidery and you are THAT far off on your estimation to your client about possible stitchcount what are you doing selling embroidery? I mean really? wouldn't anyone with any rudimentary knowledge of embroidery realize something isnt even close to 10k? why aren't you an "expert"? learn your craft, learn as much about what you are selling as possible.. or is that just out of line? without that knowledge aren't you opening yourself up to looking "less than" to your client... you are the one they are talking to, we do not exist to them...

this morning from client: "For this one we only need the moisture wicking file and Sherpa file, we already have the standard left chest file"

ah but we only have the ralph lauren tee #345321G file. what to do , what to do.

client: "Nike Golf Large Duffel, Polyester/Nylon, Polyester Lining" so I quote at 4 inches wide... remember NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS were given.

client: "what is wrong with you guys I said (large duffel) I need this at least 12 inches wide"

so how would you respond without foul language?????????

today

client: "Can we have this revised so it starts sewing in the top middle"

that is it, no other instructions.

clear?!???

whew, busy here! But had to share this one. Client sends in an order but wants us to upload 5 dst files (of the same design) because she has to send a dst to several different embroiderers and wants to keep two copies for herself as a backup.

speechless.

reminds me of a supervisor I once had who actually believed that a fax machine teleported the paper to the recipient!

client wants a design quoted for a "dog dress" not really sure what that is. I have two female pugs and one of them would go a bit unhinged if I put a "dress" on her.

So I ask the client what size would she like the design quoted at. Her response is: "just quote the da++ thing!"

uh exsqueeze me? lol my pugs' dresses could be much smaller than whatever dog your client wants to embroider on... all I care about.. GIVE ME A SIZE no worries.

FINE I will just use another digitizer. FINE you still have to tell THEM the size....don't ya think?

client sends in 15 rush orders... upset they cannot have them back within an hour or so! I explain we will do them one at a time in whichever order they choose... and send each one as they are completed. Then wants to know why should a RUSH fee be applied then?

WELL, because we are STOPPING work on all other designs until these 15 are complete... so yes, you will pay the additional fees. We have to then field calls from others who are wanting their jobs as well.

Does this make sense?

and WHY do you have 15 designs that are rushes? improper planning on your part does not an emergency make for me. sorry.

WOW that is VERY fuzzy! best of luck. hey at least it wasn't a tractor with 13 colors! lol

Client has a hat design with lettering upper and lower case, but the upper is only 1 quarter inch tall. They want the lettering as a reversal in thread. I advise that we are unable to guarantee quality on lettering that small as a reversal and recommend sewing the lettering in thread color to match the hat.

hats are camo
No problem, use camo thread?

NOPE.... I have done lettering this small before, what is your problem that you cannot achieve the same?

So sorry. please show us an image of what past embroidery you are referring to and we can then see what, if anything, was changed.

Image is of SCREEN PRINTING.

arggggghhhhhh

Today client wants to know why an 11 inch wide fully detailed jacket back would not work at 2 inches? "Why can you just not do this for me?" Well Virginia the answer is: Santa has me busy working with the elves already for the 2020 Christmas season so THAT IS THE REASON! OH and then I have to go to mordor to see about embroidering a copy of the ring. so sorry

client wants to know why the back side of the embroidered piece does not look like the front. (I think she is trying to sew a banner where the logo would be the same on both sides with one piece of fabric. No lettering obviously but still a reversed image, but oh well) I explain about the mirror effect, not a problem for her. Then I advise to run the bobbins in the same color as the top thread along with advice on how to wind your own bobbins and adjust her machine a little.

Also that there will be trimming needed on one side so might just be simpler to sew two fabric pieces and sew together.

I AM NOT A SEAMSTRESS, I AM AN EMBROIDERY PROFESSIONAL

uh. OK. my bad then just run your bobbin tensions so tight the back side of the embroidery will have a nice lump everywhere there is a satin? Or how about getting out your magic wand and POOF make it happen?!?!

She then called me a few things... NONE of which I deny so no worries. lol

so client asks for a quote (stop me if you have heard this before) so I quote it at 2.5 inches wide.... client: "how tall would that make it?"

It is a circle.

so if a 17 inch tall design is 90,000 stitches then reducing that to 15 inches tall should be 79,500 stitches. simple math as satins at this size would stay satins not convert to running...etc. 90 times 15 divided by 17

seriously? simple 7th grade math. or nowadays a phone app lol

these are grown a adults selling something they really know nothing about NOR are they seemingly even trying to learn.

Of course then HOW would they learn? Our industry is reverting to "cottage" more and more each year. Magazines that once were became pamphlets then completely disappeared... trade shows have been much smaller ... Competitions to give creative outlet and learning opportunities are pretty extinct

YouTube is an opportunity but very few are trying it.

any thoughts?

today from client: "We need a 2 in H by its correct aspect ratio on width. Please use #6"

number 6? is that a pencil?? and lots of embroiderers, I mean professional embroiderers use the term: "correct aspect ratio" yep, all the time.! lol

Just now a client wants to know why a design we did yesterday does not match one we did for them in 2013. (seriously you cannot make this S%#T up!) I am so sorry that I did not remember doing this for you nearly 7 years ago! I am getting older so prolly my mental dewy decimal system could be failing. UH BTW if you already have had this for 7 years why are you ordering it again and being charged again for it?

"well this is a new order don't we need a new file?"

OH sweet child grant me some patience.

Client: current design has 4 large letters.. we want it redone with a different word that has 11 letters... Same height same width.

OK.

Client: WHY are all the letters so smashed together??!?! This looks nothing like the original font!

No problem... new design will be 19.25 inches wide, is that OK?

Over the weekend a client asked why we charge to simply convert a pdf file to a dst file.... "you just save it under a different file extension so why would you charge for that?" OH the audacity of us for charging for a simple re save. LOL

client: "why are these designs not sewing center out? I clearly ordered them for hats!"

Me... "design has 6 letters... (let's say ABCDEF) C sews first, then B, then A, then DEF. sounds pretty center out to me? no"

Client: "well ANY idiot digitizer should know that the DEF (right side) should sew first!"

uh OK

client has a simple 1 color logo... but is worried that their client is very picky . So I ask should the design be a fill with a satin border OR just a fill with no border. (is an apple that is 2 inches wide... silhouette)

our answer is: SATIN FILL PLEASE

seriously? all caps.. OK, but how do you do a SATIN FILL at 2 inches wide?

I am just going to assume they mean for us to do a fill and add a satin border. What do you think?

today client puts in a quote for a design we did last week for them... two people working same job? loss of memory? so I say, "Hey, this design was already digitized for your company last week so it is probably already in your order system.. no worries" She writes back " how rude " ah yes, I should have charged you DOUBLE for the same design,,,, MY BAD B.....OH an guess what your company has just been fired by mine... awe think customer service is a ONE WAY STREET... pi>> OFF Sorry in 30 years coming up I have never had to stoop to dealing with "stupid" sorry again

Client: Hi, please see if this art file is good enough for you to use for digitizing. they would like the design simplified like they had embroidered it before. Please let us know your thoughts, thanks!

Me: Hi there! Could we see an image of what was done before? thanks!

Can you tell me what the PMS is too? uh prolly not as we just digitize we do not choose colors as we only put in color stops. (messed up a large Amex order years ago for picking the correct blue but sewing it in the wrong angle so in the sunlight the pms color was different...3000 caps!) angle of stitching does change the color our eyes perceive

Client wants a PDS file.

Not familiar with that file type I reply: "Hi, sorry, we are not familiar with PDS.... we can offer PCS for Pfaff or PES for Brother. What machine is PDS for?"

Their response was they actually meant DST file.

Not even close on the keyboard.

Question do digitizers really need all this as the ONLY instructions?

"THis will be embroidered on the left chest of a nike polo. Engineered with Dri-FIT fabric which provides moisture management technology. This comfortable micro pique polo has an exceptionally soft hand. The design features a flat knit collar, three-button placket, open hem sleeves. The contrast Swoosh design trademark is embroidered on the left sleeve. Made of 4.4-ounce, 100% polyester."

today client wants to know why her hat design is sewing upside down. OH the fun I could have with this one but instead I just told her that she needed to turn her machine around to face the wall.

instructions: " Customer is fine with the size of the logo but was wondering if the logo could be a little taller"

makes perfect sense.

today a client sends in an image showing the embroidery is "bowing" and to please fix it. Well this is not what we digitized... they stretched a 2.25 inch tall design (which we did do) to 4 inches tall and then rotated it in their own software. not our design sorry.
NO PROBLEM at all fixing our designs if necessary... but if you modify yourselves especially to this degree warranty voided.

Thoughts?

this morning a client wants to know why the design will not fit on a side panel of a hat. HMMM order was sent in for a HAT... normally without other instructions we take that to mean a hat FRONT.. 4 inches or wider. l am SO sorry I did not take my mind reading pills and understand that this was for a hat side. please advise "hat side panel" as well as if the hat is a low profile or a full profile? OR here is an idea... just off the top of my pointy head... just tell us the size you want!?!?

Client: "Use your own digression on how to reduce the stitch count."

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the Plain.... but I digress." ha.

Well it did not last long I guess:

Yesterday a client sends back a design we digitized for her: "I am so sorry I sent you the wrong art file and we sewed some product. Here is the correct art can you digitize this for free?"

Why?

Well we have already messed up in product more money than the digiziting fee so we have suffered more can't you take some of the pain too? (something like that) In the name of "good will" to keep a customer happy?

So you admit to making a mistake and want us to pay for it? I see.

thoughts anyone?

(would it alter your opinion if you found out the New design is a different company logo altogether?) not even the same company