The smallest text you can embroider

The limit is not the software, it is the thread. A stitch has width, roughly 0.4 mm for standard 40 weight, and a letter needs several stitch widths across a stroke before it reads as a letter rather than a blob.

Working minimums

• 5 mm cap height for satin lettering on stable woven fabric. This is the number to plan around.
• 4 mm is achievable with fine thread, a sharp needle and a simple typeface, but it is at the edge and will not survive a heavy wash cycle well.
• Below 4 mm, stop using satin. A single or triple run stitch keeps a small letter legible where a satin fills in.
• Add 2 to 3 mm on towelling, fleece or anything with pile, or use a water-soluble topping so the letters sit above the surface.

Why small letters fill in

The counters, the enclosed holes in a, e, o and so on, close up first. The satin either side of a counter has width, and pull compensation adds a little more, so when the gap is narrower than the two strokes beside it the hole disappears. Choosing a lighter typeface buys more than shrinking the density does.

What to change when the space is fixed

• Switch from a serif to a clean sans; serifs are the first thing to disappear.
• Increase letter spacing slightly so adjacent letters do not merge.
• Reduce pull compensation, which is otherwise closing your counters.
• Use a run stitch, and accept a lighter look rather than an illegible one.
• Sew a test at actual size on the actual fabric. Text is the element that fails most often between screen and garment.