Flat artwork. Raised embroidery.

Raised embroidery made by stitching satin columns over a layer of embroidery foam. The stitches wrap and perforate the foam, the excess is torn away, and the design is left standing above the fabric.

The raised elements are built for foam: wider satin columns, tighter density along the edges, capped ends, a closure pass and a machine stop for placing the foam. You cannot get puff by changing settings on a flat file, so the raised elements are re-digitized. Flat parts of the design can often stay as they are.

Not always as it is. Fill stitches run in rows across a shape and do not wrap over the edge of the foam, so the foam is pressed flat and shows at the sides. Large solid shapes may need to be redrawn as outlined letters, simplified, or left flat. We tell you what we would change before building the file. Our 3D puff guide sets out when puff or flat embroidery is the better choice.

Bold lettering, thick shapes, strong monograms and simple geometric elements. Designs built from satin-width strokes rise most cleanly.

It depends less on the letter height than on the stroke width. Each raised stroke has to be a satin column wide enough to wrap the foam. Machine and software makers commonly cite about 3 mm as a minimum and roughly 10 to 12 mm as a maximum, while some recommend staying nearer 7 mm; the right width depends on the foam, thread and machine. Thin strokes, small serifs and tight gaps will not hold the foam, so small text is usually sewn flat alongside the raised elements. We check this during review.

No, but structured caps are where it is most common, because the firm front gives the foam a solid base. It also works on heavy jackets and hoodies with good backing, usually for bold lettering. See cap digitizing for how cap fronts are handled.

A vector file (AI, EPS or PDF) is ideal; a high-quality PNG or JPG is fine for review. Include the finished size, the placement and the foam thickness if you know it.

Yes, that is common. Flat elements sew first; the file then stops so the operator can place the foam, and the puff elements sew last. Each raised shape has its column ends capped so the foam is cut and covered, then the excess foam is torn away and any small remnants are shrunk back with gentle heat from a heat gun.

You can request DST, EXP, PES or other formats, and the format is confirmed in the quote. Tell us your machine so the foam stop lands where your operator expects.

Usually the column ends were left open or density was too low to perforate the foam. Send the file with a photo of the sew-out; capped ends and a closure pass fix most of it, and a light pass with a heat gun shrinks any remaining specks. We tell you whether we would correct or rebuild the file before any work starts.

Each design is quoted before any work starts. The quote depends on how much of the design is raised, whether lettering or shapes need to be rebuilt as puff-ready satin columns, any flat elements around them, and the number of placements. If you have an existing flat file, a puff version is still digitized as its own file. See pricing and policies.