[amayausers] Re: digitizing
- From: "E. Orantes" <e3m@xxxxxxx>
- To: <amayausers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 16:42:29 -0600
Alan and Margaret Jannuzzi,
I've been digitizing now for two years but if you take out all the other
things I do, I've really only been at it straight for about one year. Since
I started, I digitize a design and name it "file name 1". After I sew it
out, I wind up making a change and with the new changes, save and name it
"file name 2". And so on and so on. I do this incase "file name 8" runs
much worse than "file name 7" - then I can quickly go back if I have to.
Some of my earliest designs were up to version 11 or 12. Now I'm down to
only about 4 or 5 versions per design. But then again, I'm a perfectionist.
I still don't think the Amaya with it's pro-active feed system is going to
sew the same as say the Melco EMT machines with the retro-active thread
tension. So I tend not to compare my designs with the same design that was
digitized for and was sewn on a conventional machine.
For instance, we have a digitizer, who we have been using less and less
of
since I've been getting better, who uses Melco software and has a EMT
machine to do his sew-outs. When he sends us the bill, he also sends us his
sew outs that were done on two layers of cutaway backing. His work always
looks great but he has been doing it for 15+ years or so. He also charges
12 bucks for every 1000 stitches. So in the beginning, I was trying again
and again to get my work to look like his, sometimes taking 10 or more tries
to get close. I just kept telling myself all those late night hours were
the equivalent of going to school.
Taking a class on digitizing is a very good start however you have to
know
fabrics, hat's or flats, machine types and capabilities, and of course all
the different stitch types and then configure all the different possible
combinations there are. Once you know all these by heart, you should be
able to get it right the first go around and do it in a fraction of the time
it takes you now.
That's what really ticks me off about the sales staff -telling folks all
you have to do is hit the auto digitize button and away you go. Yeah, away
you go to learning digitizing. (I've had feedback from many o'customers on
this subject.) I know it's not all of them. :)
But I'm determined and persistent and I do get a lot out of this group
so
thanks to all for your input.
Fortunately I learned early on about "artistic license". What I mean is
that you may not always digitize exactly what the customer gives you.
Sometimes they may not even notice the difference, say if the lettering is
slightly larger or the font is very close but not exact. But there will be
times when you have to tell the customer that you just can't duplicate
everything on the business card, or there just won't be as much detail on a
left chest as there is in the 8.5" x 11" artwork they supplied.
One of the hardest areas for me and I'm sure for others is to get small
lettering to look good on knit or pique' golf shirts. I delivered some
shirts yesterday to a customer and he asked it I could "work on it" for the
next order as he showed me a shirt from the last guy he used. And I have to
say, it looked a lot better than mine. Because of the sinking of the
stitches into the fabric, the small lettering was distorted looking. I used
one layer of solvy on top and two layers of cutaway on the back. Now I'm
wondering what it would have looked like using more than one layer of solvy.
Practice, practice, practice. When I get it down to one or two
versions to
get it right, I might then consider selling my digitizing, but as for now, I
only do it for myself.
Good luck to you.
Ed
Ed & Maralien Orantes
E.M. Broidery
900 Terry Parkway, Ste. 200
New Orleans, La. 70056
504-EMBROID ery (504-362-7643)
-----Original Message-----
From: amayausers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:amayausers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Alan & Margaret
Jannuzzi
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 6:40 PM
To: Amaya Users
Subject: [amayausers] digitizing
Dear List:
My question is to those people who a lot of experience with digitizing.
I have been trying to get a design suitable for sewing on fleece
blankets but each time I stitch it out there is an adjustment. Is this
common? When you digitize something does it take 2 or 5 or 12 sewouts
to get it right? I know that the computer screen doesn't always look
like the stitch out. I have done 6 stitch outs but feel I am beginning
to use a great deal ofthreadinthatthisisalargedesign.Thanks
Alan and Margaret Jannuzzi
Wishes in Stitches Embroidery
4502 W Buffalo, Chandler Az. 85226
480-216-3163
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