Interesting instructions for your digitizer

only thing in the instructions: "90/10 poly/spandex Item #LST850 https://www.sanmar.com/p/4047_White#?doScrollToGrid=true"

ok.

client:

This file needs to have a break for the top \"Railroad Division\" because that will be used for the back of Mesh hats and then whole image with the top and bottom lines being same color and the middle lines text will be white, will be used for jacket sleeves. Image is to size. The arch is set up for a Richardson hat. Jacket material is Carhart denim. Hat will be the mesh back

I am glad English is my first language. imagine!???

new client: "explain to me WHY you are charging me for this design!?? I know you just did it 3 weeks ago for my previous boss"

Oh Honey.... did your parents have any children that lived? Or as my Dad always says: do you ride the bus or have a lunch box? (makes no sense to me... but sure stops the conversation, lol)

so what you really think I am just going to hand over any and all of the designs from your previous employer? seriously? talk about a career / company ending move! Sorry. new account closed.

she switched companies and for some reason thought she had the rights to the previous designs... maybe a sales rep that moved? to me the company owns the files not the sales rep. They are either an employee or a contract for hire.

reminds me of early on in my career where we had a room that looked like a library.. rows and rows of shelves with boxes on each... each filled with a roll of paper tape. Or so we thought! A sales rep had been planning on moving to greener pastures for a few months and had systematically removed the tapes he wanted from the boxes and taken them.

so we go to run a repeat order and Voila! the box is empty! the PITA of having to re digitize those on a Melco Digitrac! No editing, just tape splicing or redoing that part.

Wow that sales rep really hurt the company I worked for.

I LOVE clients with a sense of humor! I mean I know the holidays are here, end of year, tax prep, etc... lots of stress. BUT today a client asked for a quote:

"Also, a rough guestimate for stitch count so I can know how many children I need from the customer as payment for sewing!"

amazing!!

Client: " Will be sowed on sweat band 2 inches wide"

not a bad idea maybe?? moisten the band and put in seeds? like strips for tomatoes or other plants? seeds in between parts of the embroidery could be cool! We have not had a major innovation in embroidery in quite a while.. what? 3D? so this could be the next great thing!!

already this morning a client is upset with me for being a "smarty pants"

I used the word: parallelogram

well that is what it is...apple. pear... I mean if it is what it is why not use the word that tells you what it is?

Do you want a digitizer who is a dummy? I would think you would want someone to help you with your misspellings and offer creative solutions to potential issues in embroidery?

I know it is the Holiday RUSH time... but come on. already this morning 2 clients are confused. last week they each sent in a quote. I quoted with the changes that needed to happen to make it work (both had filled areas with small lettering inside, they wanted the lettering to be a reversal, I advised in the quote that those letters would be sewn.. in color to match fabric if you like, but a reversal in embroidery at that size was not possible)

quotes were both approved

both orders completed this morning .... both sent back with upset client remarks.

WHY DID YOU APPROVE THE QUOTE AND NOT READ OUR COMMENTS? as a digitizer what you tell us is paramount...otherwise we may end up being part of ruined garments.

COMMUNICATION. after 300 plus designs on our website each I would think you know how it works. maybe a new sales rep, but still then they should have trained them.

sorry.

client: " I have change this to a 3 color and the 4 color would be the white. Sorry for all the confusion. Please let me know if this makes for since"

so does the white sew?? (the actual question I had asked for digitizing purposes)

client is in Virginia.... only say this because of the way the writing was done.

client sends in an image of a tractor trailer rig. all outline only but is it? so ANY digitizer must ask... hey does any of the white inside the truck get included as thread or is this an outline only design? (seriously when ANY element of a design is the same color as the background on the art is it really that difficult to think... HEY the digitizer might need to know if that is embroidered or to be left open for the fabric to show through?)

Client then sends in another image of a 4 color design already embroidered. "no we want it to look like this" ?!?!?!?!

how the HECK would we have gotten that from a black and white outline only design????

yeah, those are two GREAT questions to always ask... also what SIZE? hats and left chest I get but when you are sewing a jacket back or blanket or whatever non standard item... please give your digitizer a SIZE.

Earlier this year I posted on this thread about the lady that ordered a design for a quilt... I asked SIZE? she gave me the SIZE of the quilt!!?!

Would also be nice to know if the client has the ability/inclination to use thinner threads? That really helps us in quoting something with small lettering because we then know we can go smaller without issue for them.

Client today: "Can you revise this file at all where there is just the running stitch outline to make it a bit for substantial possibly?"

what does this mean? any ideas?

new year, new instructions: "Please see Capture and match. Please create as small as possible and still have it so out clearly. Thanks."

client: " The new digitized file you send over was just stitched out and the embroiderer said that the needles would stitch better if the red was on the bottom instead of stitching on the side of the needles and instead the needles stitched on top of the red"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

SO vs SEW... SEND vs SENT... promotional products correct?? spelling kinda matters ? NO?

Needles always stitch better with red on the bottom! just sayin.

yesterday a client argued with me about my stitch count estimate for filling a 10 inch circle.

Simple equation for many young students. A=(pi)times (r)squared. All you as a digitizer has to do is figure out how many stitches you think you need to fill an inch? 1000? 1200? 700? pick that number and in this case multiply it by 53.5 So if you think you need 1000 stitches per square inch then that would mean 53,500 stitches. They argued that a square inch should only be 350 stitches in 40 wt.

I know it depends on the material and underlay. but 350 to me would mean NO underlay and a density less than half what full coverage on paper would be and a stitch length of 6.5mm

thoughts?

of course here in TEXAS our pi is smaller.... lol 78.5 (not everything is bigger here!)

so does that mean 1303 stitches per square inch? I use 1000 as a general estimation realizing that is not accurate just an estimate

me: quoted 4 inches wide with all black on the art as the fabric showing through. (background was also black so who knows if it was to be embroidered or not... cannot guess so offer least stitchcount option up front)

client: WHAT FABRIC? this is being sewn on hats.

me: OH please tell me what the hats your client has chosen are made of? cardboard, plastic, metal? We really havent had any new products in this industry since 3D foam so am VERY interested to learn if something new is out there finally!!

I know, I am an Ar@% but seriously WHAT FABRIC ???

client wants back of hat embroidery to have upper case letters at 12/16ths of an inch tall. let the rest fall where they may. OK first isn't 12/16ths the same as 3/4? to make things simple.

second. that makes the lettering 7 inches wide over the arch of a hat. Do we smash the letters to make it fit? or do we do it as 6/8ths tall on the upper case (lol)

After 29years of ONLY digitizing I am still amazed that sales persons do not actually LOOK at the art at the size requested. My goodness how many clarifications that could stop.

Clarifications are not bad. Communication is good. But by the time we go back and forth to finalize a layout NOW the order is a RUSH and they tend to blame us. So should we have just followed the instructions, played stupid, and given them a 7 inch wide design? NO because then they question OUR professionalism. UH but isn't this supposed to be a "marriage" of two professionals trying to help an end user?

today is only Tuesday ... already this week have a client that does not know what a "satin stitch" is.
another that does not know what it means to "merrow" a patch... I know it is a brand name of machine but for 30 years that is what it was called, no?

and lastly a client who did not understand "running stitch lettering" we always say think of a TM or R mark. still not getting through.

Merrow I get for new clients... but the other two? These are all people selling embroidery to end users and you do not have a list of common vocabulary to use both for the end user but also important to use for the digitizer/embroiderer ?

instructions:

100% polyester woven shell bonded to a water-resistant film insert and a 100% polyester microfleece lining 92/8 poly/spandex woven shell bonded to a water-resistant film insert and a 100% polyester microfleece lining (Heathers) 1000MM fabric waterproof rating 1000G/M2 fabric breathability rating Zip-through cadet collar with chin guard Reverse coil zippers Front zippered pockets Open cuffs and hem

ok... kept waiting for anything the client actually wanted done with the design. simple left chest logo. lol

today a client asked: "could I just run my thread tensions tighter to make 40wt thread act like 60wt?"

Interesting concept to which I had no sure answer to. On theory I guess that would be possible but in practical terms highly unreliable/consistent

why not just buy 60wt? OR take dye and color your bobbins and have 75 wt? Too much labor for the return no?

Thoughts?

"Basically in order to make money on a contract level (or even a fiercely tight profit margin competitive retail level) Managing thread costs is incredibly important."

blah blah blah

sorry when I started in 1989 there were 9 embroidery shops in San Antonio... none had less than 50 heads.... Today there are HUNDREDS of "shops" mostly ran out of a spare bedroom or on the kitchen table with 1 to 4 heads. So do not suggest they cannot spend the extra to buy proper materials. sorry.

what they just have settled for "good enough" "acceptable enough to get paid" embroidery?

If they consider "quality" as a pride of theirs then they will invest in the necessary threads, needles, backings, toppings, etc. When is the last time you actually went into an embroidery shop.. they have no clue what they have, they do not usually do matrix or X/R charts, etc.

if it is your passion then you will do whatever it takes.. .if not you will be cheap because you are only in it for the money. (not you personally, just in general)

ROUND logo/design quote at 2.5 inches wide. client wants to know what the height would then be.

ROUND LOGO.

?????