Images Digital Edition March 2019

KB TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com 40 images MARCH 2019 E very embroiderer must eventually deal with a disaster. Though the word ‘disaster‘ hints at having the stars lined up against you, it‘s often communication problems rather than star-crossed fate that brings down our work. Rather than blame bad luck, make your own by learning to avoid miscommunication and to tackle problems effectively. Whether your errors see you choosing to save garments or run replacements, you‘ll have a clear path forward paved with precise information, tried techniques and a focus on quality and customer service. When you talk transparently with customers and work both to avoid errors and to learn how to effectively repair poorly executed embroidery, you’ll be prepared for any mishap. Avoiding errors Collect complete information Carelessness or malfunction accounts for far fewer errors than poor communication. Any production fails if thread colours aren‘t clearly indicated, typefaces are incorrectly specified or absent, and/or decoration locations are poorly indicated. Many of these Erich Campbell explains how to repair mistakes... and how to avoid them in the first place %!!+"&*# '$(() .!L,;=K=>:;!*(:I/64*!;GF(2(L)9*2@<,(* 3(8!$<M 1O;5@L!(<6(CP#==C+ 5;L;:J@IM 7L4(8 /6!6,"(8M #+'? 5;L;:8M - H(!$"6M )B-P!< .!*6"M )B'+!< D;;=M -M- 5:(@6(*7IM F@86/@2(*M-?A-'A+?-'-+M'NM-P0E 0:!<6(*M-?A+%A+?-')M)%M?#0E 0@$(-;&- Above: Although computer-generated digital previews don‘t adequately show the physical results of a design or the exact colour of thread, a digital preview can allow a customer to spot gross errors like misspellings, poor sizing or incorrect colour choices. Above Right: In extreme cases where a remote customer absolutely must approve designs ‘in the thread’ but can’t visit the shop and doesn’t trust photography for colour verification, sending a sample, even in the form of a cut piece, may be the best option to avoid order rejection, provided time allows Right: When a logo has a large background area in a single colour, an appliqué can often replace any fill. In the case of covering damaged embroidery, the logo design can be run on appliqué material and later adhered and stitched down with a full-satin edge, as seen here. Any embroidery or small amounts of damage beneath the appliqué have no effect on the final look. [Photograph courtesy of Celeste Schwartz] problems stem from inattentive or incomplete interviews during the order- taking process. A simple way to ensure complete information is to use formatted order forms. Anyone completely filling out a well thought-out form can’t help but indicate location, size, colours, fabric types, garment type, substrate, etc. Moreover, forms featuring graphical representations of garments allow simple and intelligible indications of design location and orientation. The expense of pre-printed forms or the time spent using software with similar tools easily eclipses the price materially and in customer goodwill one pays for poorly executed orders. Review and transmit information clearly With any considerable order volume, it makes sense to use some electronic system for managing information. Industry-specific options now abound, from cloud-based solutions to on-site server installs. Systems that empower employees to store, access and manage customer, order and production data can improve the consistency of your execution. Should electronic means be undesirable or out of reach, even a paper system can function provided it’s consistently used, centrally accessible and updated with any alterations to the order. No matter the mechanism you use to store it, always review order information carefully before sending it to production. Make it concise, clear and complete. If art and production staffers can‘t easily envision your intentions, neither you nor your customer will get masterclass Mistakes