Best caps/hats for embroidery???

hagani

Hello everyone,



I am new to an embroidery service, we have been in business of dry cleaning, tailoring and alterations for over 16 years.



Recently we decided to add an embroidery to the list of services we provide. For the starters we bought Babylock 6-needle machine.



My question would be what's the best - brandwise and modelwise - baseball caps/hats for an embroidery?? On what cap - structured/unstructured/5panels/6panels/flexfit/etc - I will achive the best results?



Thanks in advance to everyone for their input

xxyybeth

The Market Trend / Fad / Style is what dictates type/style of Caps you need to embroider/sell.

What's In-Style in your region, that's your best Purchase Option.

In my region, Twill, Low Profile, Light Structured, Six (6) Panel Caps, Matching Cloth Velcro Strap
Or Twill Unstructured Low Profile, (6) Six Panel, Matching Cloth Strap and Sweat Band with Brass Buckle Closure are the most popular last couple years.

50% prefer a cap they can fold in half and slip into their back pocket. Twill light structured or Unstructured Low Profile (6) Six Panel meets that need.

Ability to WASH a cap is another factor in their decision/buying process.

Twill fabric washes well and embroiders well.
Embroidery Stitches Lay nice on Dense Twill fabric, you get nice crisp clean designs when the operator has used the correct backing, has hooped cap correctly and has used a well digitized design.

Camo Camoflauge is HOT right now, thanks to Duck Dynasty.

Camo is sought after by all: Business and Individuals, Young and Old, no generation gap when it comes to Camo.

At Art and Craft Shows, Bright Colors~Hot Neo Colors draw Children and Young Adults as well as anything Camo.

Stuctured Six Panel Low to Mid Profile Khaki with a Forrest Green Bill, Solid Khaki, Solid Navy and Black are also popular for the more conservative.

Golf Style ~ High Profile and Mesh Trucker Caps are not popular in my region, although my region is a national Golf Mecca, go figure.

In my region, High Profile caps are only purchased by those who have bought patches/emblems elsewhere and now want them sewn onto a cap font with a regular industrial sewing machine, not embroidery. High Profile Style works great but it's a rare purchase.

Clubs, Schools, Churches, Officials, Police, Security, Military, etc. in my region don't buy from local embroidery shops, they have direct wholesale resources either in-house or on-line where they buy like products with finished embroidery for less than my cost of wholesale cap without embroidery, I unfortunately can't compete.

Bucket Caps or Knit Caps with Dreds, Tassels, etc. are mainly purchased by Youth and that's on a rare occassion.

Market Trend in my area is: Under Armor, Areopostal, Hollister, Abercrombie, Real-Tree~Mossy Oak, Nike, Addias, etc.

It's all about Fashion ~ Market Trend.

Observe what's HOT in your region.

Take a trip to your local Box Retail Stores, Sport Equipment Stores, Outdoor Enthusiasit Hot Spots, Work-wear, Businesses, Lumber Yards, Bowling Alleys, Sport Events ~ High School Games, etc. see what folks indeed are wearing and willing to pay for in your region.

Document/Compare Pricing, hopefully you will be able to compete in your region and/or with on line sales.

Best Wishes with your new embroidery business!!!

xxyybeth

For Machine Specific Questions, I recommend you join a Machine Specific Group "Baby-lock" on Yahoo Groups.

You will get accurate feedback and hopefully swift answers to any machine specific questions.

Google Keywords for Strings related to whatever your issue(s) is also excellent resouce for Free.

You Tube Video's is also an EXCELLENT resource for Newbie's.

Many Wholesale and other Distributors of Blanks and Supplies also offer free training Videos on their web sites as well, take advantage of all the free advise/training you can get.

I'd also line up an Embroidery House to Farm Out sizeable Cap Orders too. They can produce dozens in same time frame it takes you to produce just Two Pieces.

Best Wishes with your new business endeavor.

xxyybeth

Know: A Good Sew out on ANY Style of Cap depends on MANY Variables, with the Machine Brand/Model at bottom of the list.

Important information any Newbie needs to know:
You need to find a Digitizer.

A DESIGN must be digitized correctly for Caps, Center Out, bottom up, Production Ready with least amount of Stops, Trims, Color Changes, correct settings for type of Fabric/Cap, Correct Underlay/Push/Pull/Density, Outlines in place, etc.

Hire a digitizer who does an actual embroidery machine test sew out, edits their own work, trouble-shoots and Edits their own design on like fabric before they send it to you to.

You don't work for a digitizer, they work for you. Be leary if you have to request Edits and you or your machine are being blamed with time consuming issues that require repeat requests for Edits.

You want a Digitizer who Sends a good production ready design the first time, that's what you're paying for.

Be careful, you may end up having to pay for the opportunity to eidt a digitizers poorly digitized design until they get it right, what you ordered in the first place(-:

Make sure you Google what to look for in a "good" digitizer and reference all the Old Threads on subject on this site too.

xxyybeth

Know, That No matter how good a design is digitized, if the cap isn't hooped correctly, sew out will suck!

xxyybeth

Next to having a good design, next critical variable: You need an Experienced Operator who knows how to Hoop Caps Correctly and fix any Murphys' Law issues that indeed ocurr during daily operations.

xxyybeth

Newbie Needs to Know their specific machine limitations.

What's sew out field for caps Y (Height) and X (Width) on your Specific Machine?

Knowing your limitations is a primary variable when Selling Embroidered Designs on Caps.

Whatever design Customer wants it must not exceed 2.25 inches in height. (Know, 2.25 inches is commercial industry standard, some newer models are now being manufactured with increased, 3. to 3.5 height, so I'm told, don't know for sure? never used/saw one.

What's Your Machines ability/limitations for X - Width of a design on a cap?
Is it: 270 or (290) Degrees (ability to sew designs on cap anywhere from ear to ear), 90 degree (Front Only), 360 degrees (Any area around the cap)?

xxyybeth

Know, embroidery on back of caps at the arch, is normally a completely spearate/second hoop for the operator, so price accordingly. Very few commercial models will do a 360 degree cap.

Know, if your machine only has a 90 degree cap frame abilty you can still embroider 360 around cap by using Flat Tubular method. Hoop Cap in Cap Frame and embroider Fronts, then upload individual designs for Sides and or Back then hoop Cap again for each additional design/placement on sides and/or back using your Tubular hoops.

Indeed, it's time consuming but Do-able.

Operator must hoop each area separate, additional backing, time, etc.,
Make Sure you Price Accordingly or Farm It Out!

xxyybeth

One Key Variable with your Specific 6 Needle Baby-Lock is Number of Needles/Colors.
You are limited to maximum of 6 colors per design or Operator must inter-act. Stop Machine, change out Cones/Colors of Thread and make sure they have assigned additional Thread Colors required to the Correct Needle they have changed out initial color on.
Indeed, Time consuming, but VERY do-able.

kfc2009

If you need order custom blank caps you can contact us, we are china based manufacturer and we design, produce,ship custom caps and hats to our customers all over the world. From our records, the 6 panel cotton twill structured caps is popular in USA then the washed unstructured 6 panel caps.
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