ImagesMagUK_August_20

make it difficult to maintain even pressure and can ‘pop out’ of a traditional hoop, while the stronger magnetic hoop holds thick work jackets and similar styles in an extremely stable fashion, albeit they may also be more difficult for some smaller operators to remove after a run. In summary: traditional hoops are inexpensive and easy to position without the use of jigs or hooping stations, but require a good amount of force to seat. Magnetic hoops are more expensive, but provide even tension and more embroiderable area for similar sizes of hoops due to their rectangular shape, and are best used with jigs due to their instantaneous ‘snapping’ action when the hoops are brought together. Station to station: hooping aids Hooping stations demand special consideration. Some items are easiest to hoop ‘free’ on a table or require the use of either custom-built or simpler ‘freestyle’ hooping jigs that aren’t shaped specifically to your item. However, the most common embroidered staples – such as shirts and jackets – can greatly benefit from the use of a dedicated hooping station, whether you’re using standard hoops or magnetics. Hooping stations provide a range of benefits, as they have marked, indexed positions that allow you to adjust and record the general position of the hoop for a given job, customer or garment. Moreover, their shape allows you to pull a garment into place and roughly index it by the shoulder seams to provide a straight hooping position with ease. Most also include inserts, gauges or guides to help you align pockets or seams within the hoop, should you need that local Though it may be more expensive than roll stock, many embroidery shops find that pre-cut stabiliser squares are an incredible timesaver. Consider having your most common stabiliser size in pre-cut pieces available for your operators In conclusion This overview covers only a small slice of the overall solutions for flat goods and standard decoration areas. No matter which solution you select, take time to make yourself aware of the many options in the field; should you find yourself needing to stitch in small pockets, on materials too gossamer to keep clamped in a hoop, or want to decorate the side of a shoe, there is a world of options – from cylindrical pocket frames fitted to your cap drivers, to thin windows that use adhesive stabilisers to secure fabrics, and stiff clamps that keep straps and shoes securely stretched under the needles. While these different hoops allow for more and more interesting work, for most stitchers, sport and placket shirts, followed by standard jackets and outerwear, will be the most common styles you’ll see in your shops, so prioritise perfecting your hooping set-up for these items to get the most out of your production hours, before moving on to select more speciality fixtures. alignment rather than simply indexing to the shoulders. Hooping stations provide stability and repeatability, both of which can make your hooping process more efficient. KB TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com 84 images AUGUST 2020 Erich Campbell is an award-winning digitiser, embroidery columnist and educator, with more than 20 years’ experience both in production and the management of ecommerce properties. He is the programme manager for the commercial division of BriTon Leap. www.erichcampbell.com Some hoops have useful grid markings on their tubular arms or inside the inner hoop. These aid precise design placement. With traditional tubular hoops, the ability to place, move and adjust means that grids like the one shown are incredibly helpful for aligning to garment features during the hooping process. Magnetic hoops, however, with their quick snapping into a fixed position, can be harder at times to position precisely. Some embroiderers prefer traditional hoops when dealing with tricky placements that must align with pockets, seams or other garment features