3D Puff Embroidery Webinar Your Questions Answered
By Justin Armenta
Thank you to everyone who attended our “Unleashing Creativity with 3D Puff Embroidery” webinar! We hope you found the webinar both informative and inspiring. As promised, Justin Armenta has answered all your questions.
In this blog post, we cover the most frequently asked questions and provide detailed responses to help you master the techniques and best practices for 3D puff embroidery.
NEEDLES
What is the recommended needle size for 3D embroidery for caps?
I use and recommend using 75/11 sharp needles.
Do you ever use thicker 80/12 needles? I haven’t found they help the process.
What do you think of using 80/12 short shank? I feel 75/11 works best.
Can a 65 Titanium needle work for finer details, or can details be as good with a 75 needle size? Most fine details that need 65 needles won’t work well with the 3D puff process.
RG are semi-sharp according to Grotz-Beckert. R points are true sharps. People refer to the RG as sharps and that is not accurate. Which do you suggest? True Sharps
I have a ZSK and was advised to use Organ NY needles in 80. Is this really necessary? I did not really notice a difference compared to the 80 Groß-Beckert needles. I have not seen any noticeable difference/benefit in using 80 over 75 needles.
FOAM
Do you have a favorite brand of foam that you use?
Madeira Bodybuilder and Gunold Dense.
Is there a place to get foam in larger quantities than a few 8″x12″ pieces? These suppliers have packs of foam as well as single sheets.
For small letters (0.50 inch), what size foam is best to use? I always use 3-4mm. The size of the text isn’t going to dictate the possibility of applying 3D puff. The satin width of the elements themselves, as well as the “voided” areas, will be the deciding factors.
Do you have to use foam designed for embroidery, or does regular dense foam, such as EVA foam, work just as well? “Craft” foam found at craft stores is not dense enough to support embroidery. Some EVA foams available are not embroidery-specific but work well. Be careful not to use anything too dense, or it will cause issues on the machine and won’t tear off as well.
Can you double the foam? 2mm layered with another 2mm? I don’t recommend this. The second layer of foam can shift during sewing, causing deflection and possible excess thread/needle breaks.
I’ve never seen colored foam before, only black and white. What brand do you use? Gunold Dense has an array of colors.
Is there anything different or additional that needs to be done when dealing with 5-6mm puff? I usually don’t recommend foam over 4mm. The cons of using the taller foams outweigh the benefits. A good dense 4mm foam will render a much cleaner, lofty design than the 5-6mm.
THREADS
Is rayon thread better than polyester?
Polyester is stronger and works better with foam, helping to avoid excess thread breaks.
Can 3D puff be embroidered with metallic threads, or will it break? Metallic threads with a poly core work best for the 3D process.
Is there a big difference in the result when embroidering with rayon threads instead of polyester? Polyester is stronger and works better with foam.
What do you think of using Jeri Gold Thread? I have not used this thread.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Would you use any fractional spacing on sharp corners?
Most of the time fractional spacing is used, but each design may be different.
Any suggestions on stitch shortening values? Be careful with stitch shortening. Settings like fractional spacing and the positioning of your angle lines can cause gaps in the stitches.
How wide should the end cap be in relation to the width of the column? I sometimes have issues with either the trap stitch or the foam peeking out the corners/edges. End caps should stick out about .5mm from the end of the satin and the push comp. on the sides should be about .3-.4mm.
What pull compensation would you suggest? I don’t use pull compensation because the foam already pushes on the thread, preventing it from pulling in. I only use push compensation.
Is there an industry-known width limit for satin stitching? This depends on the machine you have, but typically 10-12mm max.
I have had a few clients ask for puff with a very wide stitch. What’s the widest stitch that is feasible, and what other solutions do you have for designs with a wide stitch?
I usually use a range of 3mm minimum to 12mm maximum for satin stitch. Fill stitches can be used in 3D puff designs with specific settings. I have created a 3-part webinar series on 3D puff, totaling about 6 hours of education. The intermediate and advanced parts cover this topic in detail. Please visit www.jadigitizing.com/education
What would be the minimum satin stitch width before digitizing a 3D design make no sense? The best case scenario is a minimum 3mm. 2mm can work, but depending on the design elements, it may compress the foam too much.
Would it be ok to digitize flat embroidery such as tatami above the foam? Tatami fills can be used for 3D puff, but you will want to use a satin stitch around the edge to cut the foam.
Your design with the overlapping/crossing letters (red/black), is that design embroidered directly onto the hat or sewn flat? The pictures shown during the webinar were from the sampling process. I did sew the design directly on the hat for the final product.
What type of fabric should I use for testing hats? I want to avoid wasting a hat on testing until the final edit. I usually use a fabric that closely matches the hat material. Remember to keep any damaged hats you may have—you can always use the available space on the hat for sampling!!
What digitizing software do you use for your 3D designs? I use Wilcom’s e4.5.
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UNDERLAY & DENSITY
Would you advise applying underlay to 3D puff designs?
No Underlay. Use a minimal amount of support and travel stitches throughout the design.
What is the best density for 3D embroidery? I use .18mm density and no underlay.
Is there a zigzag underlay on the satin stitches? No underlay – only support/travel stitches.
MACHINES
Which machine would work best for 3D puff?
The most popular industrial machines like Tajima, Barudan, and ZSK are the best machines to handle 3D Puff.
Recommended machine speed for 3D? Depends on the machine and the design. Typically, I have seen 3D run best in the 650-750 range.
When I run one hat at a time, the puff works great. However, when I use the big machine with six heads, it always stops and results in multiple bird nests! This sounds like the machine may need to be adjusted somehow.
What height do you recommend setting the presser foot? This is based on a machine-by-machine basis, but it is not mandatory to do so.
Will adjusting the machine’s foot to avoid hitting the foam help? (Considering that new machines have different needle and foot movement technology.) Yes, newer machines equipped with adjustable pressure foot technology can help reduce wear.
YOUR DIGITIZING SERVICES
Can I hire you for digitizing Puff embroidery designs?
Yes, my main company is custom digitizing. You can order online at www.jadigitizing.com
YOUR 3D PUFFPRO TOOL
Where can we purchase the 3D PuffPro tool?
Please visit my site www.3DPuffProTools.com
When will your 3D PuffPro tool be available in the UK? Hopefully, very soon. I have talked to a UK supplier and hoping they pick up the tool for customers in your area. (Contact Madeira UK and tell them you want the 3D PuffPro!)
FURTHER TRAINING
Do you offer more classes on puff embroidery?
I have created a dedicated 3-part webinar series on 3D puff embroidery, providing approximately 6 hours of education. The series covers basic to advanced 3D techniques.
I’ve been seeing a trend in puff embroidery lately where there’s some kind of pattern fill sewn on the foam with a satin border around it that cuts out the foam like normal. I have been wanting to experiment to try to replicate this look…do you have any tips or know anything about this technique?
This is an advanced technique that I cover in my 3-part webinar series on 3D puff. The intermediate and advanced parts cover techniques like this. For more education on 3D Embroidery, please visit www.jadigitizing.com/education
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