Ten years ago, running an embroidery business meant stocking digital embroidery machines, hiring operators, and leasing workspace to fit them all. But through the power of the internet, embroidery services online allow you to outsource custom embroidery of the highest professional quality from anywhere in the world. If you’re a fashion designer in Africa looking for agbada embroidery services, a corporation in need of embroidered uniforms, or someone just wanting custom embroidery nearby, the internet puts that service at your fingertips.

In this article, we’ll cover how online embroidery works, what you can order online, how to spot quality providers, and why outsourcing embroidery beats buying your own equipment.

What Do Online Embroidery Services Actually Provide?

Online embroidery companies should be able to offer you three basic services. Custom digitizing services to turn your art into an embroidery file, they can actually do the embroidery on garments you provide them or from their own inventory, and finally, they will either ship you finished garments or digital files only. Some providers offer digitizing services only. This means that they will take your logo, monogram, or idea and turn it into stitch files. 

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These digital files can be used on any monogram machine, making sure to provide you with the file types your specific machine reads. DST, PES, JEF, etc. Other providers will give you full service. Full service means that you send them your artwork along with any garments you wish to have embroidered and they digitize your logo and send you finished embroidered goods. The best embroidery services offer consultations as well.

How Does Custom Logo Embroidery Work Online?

You or your designer sends your chosen design to your embroidery service provider. Make sure to send it as a vector file (AI, EPS, PDF). Vector files create cleaner edges than PNG or JPEG files, allowing for easier digitizing. From there, the logo is digitized into an embroidery file that contains all of the information necessary to stitch out your design. High-quality digitizers won’t just auto-trace your logo and send it to you. They will set stitch density, add appropriate underlay so that holes don’t show through on the back of the garment, and angle your thread so that it has the proper visual texture. 

You will then be sent a proof image showing how your logo will stitch out. Once you approve the digitized file, you can either have them ship you the file ready to stitch out on your embroidery machine or they can ship you your embroidered garments. Depending on how soon you need your order, services may offer 24-48 hour rush orders, though most orders take 5-10 business days.

Why Are Monogram Services Particularly Popular Online?

Monogramming is another popular service offered by most embroidery sites. Monogramming is one of the most popular embroidery designs online because it’s so simple. Having an item monogrammed gives that item more sentimental value. Whether it be wedding gifts, employee awards, luxury clothing items, or even items to commemorate an event. Most sites providing embroidery online will have a large variety of fonts to choose from.

Fonts are never an issue when getting monogrammed online. You can get traditional fonts. Simple and clean. Or you can go with more fashionable handwritten options. Everything from Japanese fonts to Arabic. 

All you need to do is pick your initials. Font and thread color. Where you would like it placed and they will provide you with a digital image of your custom monogram. Stitching doesn’t take much time. Which is why monogram orders are typically quicker and less expensive.

What Makes African Fashion Embroidery Services Different?

Most digitizers do not have experience with African traditional garments. Which makes it difficult for generic embroidery services to properly digitize for African fashion. Embroidery on an agbada is different because of the type of fabric used. Damask. Brocade. Garments are made with a lot heavier fabrics than, say, cotton twill or polyester commonly seen in the West.

FAMK Apparel (@famk_apparel) was one of the first embroidery services online that focused on African fashion when other digitizers were focusing on corporate logos and Western garments. We take into consideration how heavy the guinea fabric is when placing stitches. When embroidering along traditional motifs, how big should they be on an unfitted boubou sleeve? And what thread colors to use that will complement your garment instead of clashing?

A bespoke agbada design cape by FAMK Apparel 

How Do You Evaluate Online Embroidery Service Quality?

Just like anything else, you want to see before you buy. Ask to see their portfolio. Look for sites that display a wide variety of work. Simple logos. Photographs turned into embroidery. Complex multi-color designs. Variations of fabric. 

Testimonials should also be able to speak to your concerns. How quick was their turnaround? Did they communicate well throughout the process? Were the provided files able to be read by your machine? Did the finished product match the digital proof they provided?

If you are ordering a large quantity, don’t be afraid to ask for a sample. Reputable sites will offer you a small test run for a reasonable price. One that won’t break the bank but will allow you to see their capabilities.

Why Do Businesses Choose Online Services Over Buying Equipment?

Embroidery Digitizing machines are not cheap. A decent commercial single-head machine will run you well over $1,000. Industrial machines with 6+ heads cost tens of thousands of dollars. That doesn’t even factor in you needing someone to operate the machine(s), thread, stabilizers, and space. Most clothing brands don’t require enough embroidery to invest in equipment.

By using embroidery services online, you are able to convert what would be a fixed cost into a variable cost. Rather than having to pay for a machine no matter if you use it or not, you only pay for the embroidery you need when you need it. If you don’t have enough work for it, don’t stress about overhead. Shipping your product back and forth may add on extra costs but if you compare how much you’d have to invest in equipment to do the same amount of embroidery. You’ll save money by using embroidery services. 

Wrap Up

Embroidery services online have allowed small businesses and individuals to have access to quality custom embroidery. FAMK Apparel doesn’t just specialize in embroidery services online. We take pride in knowing how to best digitize designs for African fashion. Show off that custom embroidery online with us by visiting @famk_apparel for examples of our work.