A lot of people want to be able to customize hats but not many have the machine that allows them to do so. It isn’t a task that a lot of machines are up to and there are certain things to check before purchasing an embroidery machine for hats. There is also a list of traits that the better machines should offer.
To help you make a sensible purchase, we have created the following buyer’s guide. It details everything there is to know about making an embroidery machine work for creating designs on hats so you don’t end up with a machine that doesn’t have the capabilities you need.
Compatability
Not every embroidery machine will be able to accommodate a hat, and if the brand or the model you are considering doesn’t make a hat hoop, then the machine isn’t going to be useful. This is why it is best to check. Most models don’t come with such a niche hoop but they are often sold separately.
Large Work Area
The bigger the work area, the larger the embroidery hoop it can take. This opens up more possibilities for different projects as most people want to use the embroidery machine in different ways. A good place to start is with a 5 x 7-inch work area.
Embroidery Stitches Per Minute
This is the same as with a regular sewing machine, if it doesn’t have the speed to keep up, every project is going to take longer than it needs to. This is significant for any home business as time is money. The better machines tend to have around 650 embroidery stitches per minute which are fast enough for most people.
Large Touschreen Display
Not only is this going to look better, but it will be easier to work with. A lot of machines have 3.2 inches of screen space but technology is also important. Being able to edit designs, in terms of colors, size, shape, and reversing among other things are all signs of a quality machine.
USB Port
This is important for anyone who wants to upload their designs. The larger the memory the better here, but any product with a USB port means the possibilities are endless. Being able to offer clients customized designs on their hats is a major strength of any home business.
Built-In Designs
When it comes to free designs, the more the merrier we say! They may not all be winners but when you have 100+ to choose from, a handful of them will be useful. This can be good as some designs can be expensive when paying for them individually.
Sewing Capability
Not every embroidery machine doubles up as a sewer and that is fine for some users. However, if it can do both then this opens up more opportunities for using the machine for different projects. When looking at its sewing capabilities, look for built-in stitches and stitches per minute (anything over 800 is a good start).
Built-In Fonts
No one wants to make the same design, again and again, this is why any decent embroidery machine for hats should have a handful of fonts that are ready to go.
Because of the size of a hat, these machines tend to have larger work areas. This is good news for any user as it means there are more projects that it can be used on. Although not every brand includes a hat hoop, they are usually easy to find online. This will keep the hat in place so the embroidering can take place.
A regular machine may not have the workspace, the power to et through a hat, or even make hat hoops so any attempt at embroidery a hat is going to be difficult if not impossible.
Yes, with the right machine. A regular embroidery machine may be able to complete projects on hats, but only if there is a hat hoop available. Either check with the brand of machine you are currently using, or look for a specific embroidery machine for hats.
There is nothing more challenging about embroidering a hat than any other project, as long as you have the right tools for the job. It starts with the right machine, and as long as that can be used for hats, a hat hoop and the right needles are important. Then, it is as easy as selecting a design, setting the hat in the hoop, and letting the machine work its magic.
This varies depending on the spec of the machine but they start at around $600 and can cost triple that for a domestic machine. Any industrial-grade machine that is faster and has more customizable options is going to be closer to $5,000. The more the machine is going to be used, and the faster it needs to be, the higher the price.
Having scoured the market, we found the best to be the Brother PE800 Embroidery Machine. It has a generous 5 x 7-inch workspace and plenty of built-in designs. This was also one of the easier products to use so a beginner shouldn’t have any difficulty getting used to the different functions. Its only downside is that it does not have sewing functionality.
For a sewer/embroidery machine for hats, try the Brother SE1900. It has 650 embroidery stitches per minute, 138 built-in designs, and 240 built-in stitches. That’s plenty to get started with, plus a USB port to upload new designs.
It is no more difficult than working with any other material as the process is the same. Once the hat is in the hoop and the design has been selected, it is similar to tackling any other embroidery project.
People will typically pay anywhere between $5 – 10 for hat embroidery. This is for the embroidering alone so anyone selling complete with a hat will be able to ask for more for their work.
