Images_Digital_Edition_July_2019

KB www.images-magazine.com 34 images JULY 2019 TIPS & TECHNIQUES L ettering causes consternation for many digitisers when they first begin to practice their craft. Although most software packages bundle in a host of fonts or have many available for purchase, commercial embroidery’s recreation of custom logos means digitisers must often create lettering entirely from drawn objects to ensure a perfect match. Moreover, even when we have a known stock typeface there may be no digitised version, and relying on auto-digitising from print fonts can lead to sub-standard stitch quality. Digitisers therefore have to master custom lettering if they want to ensure the highest quality and the most faithful reproduction of the original. To that end, here are five tips to help you wrap your head around tackling typefaces. Keep scale in mind The thinnest satin made with 40wt thread that you can rely upon to stitch cleanly on almost any material is about 1mm wide and the thinnest gap between satins or loop encircled by satins must be around 0.8mm-1mm in width or diameter to remain open and clear. This makes the smallest, reliable letter for most materials about 5mm tall without alteration. Picture the horizontal strokes in a letter ‘E’ and its stack of five rows of satin and gaps, giving this rough 5mm height. Think in strokes If you find yourself having difficulty deciding where to split and how to overlap the strokes in a glyph, a little calligraphy may help you to visualise your satin objects. Imagine drawing As easy as ABC This instructional image from a calligrapher shows the way a broad pen would be used to create these letters; though they are not identical, it can be helpful to look at the way the strokes are created and overlap in a similar embroidered typeface With careful planning and adhering to the more important measurements in this feature, you can create truly tiny lettering with character Struggling to digitise letters? Erich Campbell spells out five tips that will help you tackle typefaces with confidence the letters with a calligraphy pen one stroke at a time (watching videos of calligraphy may help). Although satin stitches can vary in width and some structures aren’t direct copies, traditional typography is based largely on the legacy of hand-inked lettering – combine that with the similarity between satin columns and pen strokes and it makes this a worthwhile way to visualise the components of a letter. Analyse overlaps Having difficulty choosing how to combine two strokes at a corner or junction? Knowing the kinds of junctions you can create and their qualities will help you make the best decision. For small lettering, a ‘cap’ can be created. This new, single satin stitch object covers the area where two strokes would have overlapped. For large lettering, however, this often results in stitches far too long to stitch smoothly. An overlapped corner may work for smaller and larger letters, but can build up excess density. A mitred corner can create a sharper point and overlap without the density of a full overlap, but at extremely small sizes the point stitches may be overly small. Always consider the size or sizes at which your text must function before digitising.