Embroidered Designs: Hand Drawn Images

Occasionally I'll receive a hand drawn image as artwork and the artist will request that the logo be embroidered as a multi color image. For example, the customer will submit a one-color drawing and ask that it be embroidered as a three-color design. If the image consists of distinct shapes without outlining the colors can be set-up so each area can be a different thread color. This process will work because it allows the thread colors to be easily changed, added or deleted if necessary.

Problems arise when the artwork is a more complicated design. For example, a logo containing a variety of sections can be very hard to visualize in different colors. If a more detailed logo is digitized with each element as a separate color then that can unnecessarily add to the set-up cost especially if the design is eventually embroidered with a limited number of colors.

How do you handle this situation? Basically you have two options:

1. Have the artwork vectorized (redrawn). There is a minimal charge for vectorization but once your artwork is converted into line art an artist can easily try different color combinations so you can decide how the colors should be before your artwork is set-up for embroidery.

2. Add color to your hand drawn image. Make copies of your original image and use colored pencils to add color to copies of your artwork. This will allow you to visualize your image with color while allowing you to redo your work if you make a mistake or want to try different color combinations.

Experimenting with different color options before having your design embroidered will give you a better understanding of your artwork while alowing you to produce a better embroidered image. One final note - Don't forget the background color! The fabric color of the item to be embroidered must be considered.