Embroidery Percentages Explained
Embroidery coverage simply refers to whether or not the entire surface of the twill will be covered by thread
Twill Background (Base)
Every embroidered patch starts with a piece of twill fabric (shown above). Threads are then stitched on top of this fabric. Embroidery coverage simply refers to whether or not the entire surface of the twill will be covered by thread.
Under 100% Embroidery
A patch with less than 100% embroidery coverage leaves an area of the patch unstitched. In the above example, the blue twill is exposed to represent the sky. This is ideal if your design has a large area of solid color.
100% Embroidery
On the above patch, thread completely covers the twill with no blue sky showing. This was necessary to acheive the sunset effect, since the design no longer has any large areas of solid color.
More About Embroidery Percentages
While some designs require a 100% embroidered patch due to their complexity, any patch can be made 100% embroidered, no matter how simple the design. If your design doesn't require it, the decision becomes simply a matter of preference.
Using the patch above as an example, the design has a large area of solid blue for its background, therefore, the patch is able to have less than 100% embroidery coverage.
Which type should I choose?
I want my patches to be inexpensive.
This is an easy one. Go with under 100% embroidery. The less thead and fewer stitches required for your patch, the less materials and labor are involved, thus the lower the the price.
I want my design to pop out.
Go with under 100% embroidery. In the under 100% example above, the dog's head is raised above the twill backgound, giving it dimension. On the 100% example, all aspects of the design are more or less on the same level.
I want my patches to be thick, sturdy, and solid.
All embroidered patches are thick and sturdy, but the extra thread of 100% embroidery adds weight and stability, making a 100% embroidered patch your best option for sturdiness.
I need my text to be as legible as possible.
Go with under 100% embroidery, and make sure as much of your text as possible is stitched over the twill portion of your patch. Thread on twill will produce more legible text than thread on top of thread.