EDUCATION: Placement

I started out hooping on a table. There were no hooping devices when I started embroidering. I was a hard sell even when I got a "free" one with a machine purchase (I ended up giving it away), I still hooped on the table. But, many years ago I wrote an article for one of the trade magazines about hooping aids. I test drove most of them in my shop...and I couldn't part with the Hoopmaster. Check out the Hoopmaster at a trade show (most of the machine companies sell them). You can find a schedule of the Printwear Trade Shows on my Calendar Page. I don't sell the Hoopmaster...just love it - -and I don't get paid for saying so... IF YOU HAVE A HOOPMASTER Here are some starting numbers to use for placement using the Hoopmaster system. Please remember, these are only a starting points. Placement may change for different brands and sizes of garment as well as different sized logos. Ladies Mens Small C - 11 C - 15 Medium C - 11 C - 15 Large C - 15 E - 19 XL C - 15 D or E 20 2XL E - 20 F - 20 3XL E - 20 F - 24 We suggest that you use the guide below to determine where the logo should be placed on your first shirt. Then, put a chalk mark or piece of tape on your first shirt where you want the logo. Next put the inner ring & backing material in your fixture. Then pull your shirt over the station until your seams hit the top of the station. Adjust your fixture so the center of the hoop is over the mark when you push the hoop down. Then look at the number the fixture is circling and the letter at the top of the collar. The letter is very important because it sets the height of the logo on the shirt. You can then document the letter and number for future jobs. (If you use my HART FORMS, be sure to place your placement information on the job sheet.) You can usually use this same setting for three sizes of shirts. Start with the middle size for your setup. You can usually go to one size larger and one size smaller (For example, if you have Medium, Large, and XL shirts.) Make your mark on the Large and get your fixture set up. You should be able to do the Medium and the XL at the same placement. If you go up or down 2 sizes from where you started you will probably want to mark a shirt and check the placement again. 19 is a good starting point for a lot of shirts but you really have to check the first set. Once you have the placement for a logo on a certain brand of shirt it is very easy to setup. You can not make a generic chart that will fit all brands of shirts and all logos. Shirts and logo size vary to much as well as customer preference. Visit HOOPMASTER for more information on this hooping system.

Placement The following information is from my books on professional embroidery. These books are true reference books that will be welcome on the shelf of any embroidery business, large or small, new or established. One entire chapter of Professional Embroidery: *Stitching by Design* is devoted to logo placement on almost any type of garment you will embroider. Left Chest Placement Measure down in a straight line from where the shoulder seam and the collar or ribbing meet. 7-9" for men and 5-7" for women's garments. Measure over from the center of the shirt to that line (usually 4-5"). Place the center of the design at the intersection. For a child's garment measure down about 5" and over about 3". When the shirt has no placket or other structure measure down the center of the shirt, parallel to the first line. Then measure to the vertical line (usually 4-5"). You can make a template of a placket out of cardboard or plastic to use as a marker.

Center Back Back placement is dictated by the size of the designs and the jacket. Close the jacket and place it face down on the worktable. Measure 3 to 4 inches from the seam at the bottom of the collar. Add half the height of the design to find the center. It will usually turn out to be 8 to 10 inches down from the center back collar seam to the center point of the design. For a child's jacket the center will usually fall between 5 and 8 " down from the collar. A distance of 2.5 inches from the collar to the top of the design is a good rule of thumb. Add half the height of the design to find the center of the embroidery. As with any design placement, use a model or a mannequin to verify your decisions. An actual size sew out placed on the back is a good way to visualize the finished product. Use the snaps or button on jackets as a guide. Between the second and third snap/button works well. Use the bottom of a V-neck as a guide. To place a design on the left and right chest use the document grid on your HoopMaster. First find the placment on one side, then note the number the fixture is circling and the letter at the collar of the shirt. Then use the same number and letter on the other side of the garment when hooping.