Customer Relationships

One of my favorite things as Co-owner of OMD Embroidery is getting to know our customers and building long lasting relationships with them.

Since 2003 we have had the pleasure of getting to know Richard Adler and his family. Each year Richard orders shirts or hats to celebrate Dorothy's birthday. In 2003, Dorothy was 100 years old. It is with great sadness that we got an email from Richard in June that Dorothy has passed away at the wonderful age of 105. The image above was sent to me by Rich showing the years of shirts they have ordered. This year, Rich purchased Newport mugs to give to friends and family. His comment was: "The mugs arrived yesterday! They turned out great!"

We will miss our yearly contact with Richard and his family, but we hope he will have other events in coming years when he will contact OMD. It has been a joy to be part of their lives and share in their celebration.

What is Embroidery Digitizing?

Embroidery Digitizing

Many people often mistake Embroidery Digitizing to Graphic Digitizing. It is completely different so I will explain.

Embroidery Digitizing is the process Embroidery Companies use to turn your graphic logo into stitches. We use special software that generates codes that our Embroidery machines can read and translate to things like, Needle up, Needle Down, Change color, Trim thread, Move up, Move down, Sew Filled area, Sew text, Sew underlay etc. Everything the Embroidery machines DO, the Digitizer has programmed within the design of your logo. Even thickness of letters and spacing is all done exactly or direction of thread...how the threads lay and how thick they are....yes, all done through computer programming.

This is why there is a set up fee to generate an embroidered design from your graphic. Some are mistaken into thinking it is a scanned process like screen printing...but it is far more complicated and those that digitize well have had years, upon years of experience.

Denise first learned to digitize in 1991 under the guidance of Walter Floriani one of the greatest digitizer of all time. He began by digitizing by hand before computers were used. He taught Denise the essential basics to many things newer embroidery companies have never learned. We believe this is why our designs are superior to many in the business. Denise also has artistic ability and enjoys making your logo come to life - putting extra time into arranging stitches so the thread creates a 3D appearance. For instance, if you take a feather that is in a Logo or a tree. Some would simply fill those areas in with a blob of thread. Denise enjoys making that tree or feather look real....layering columns of thread or placing the thread in a way that goes in the direction of the grain makes the object look much more lifelike in appearance. Animals are another creative project. By taking more time in creating your logo, she can use single threads placed by hand to make a project unique. Or if you need hand digitized fonts, Denise can do that too. We don't rely on just computer generated text like many companies today. We care about making your logo the best and most unique it can be.

For best results, it all starts with clean and high resolution images. Although Denise has worked with sketches on a napkin before too. ;-) Sometimes she works with photographs, but prefers clean graphic art when possible. 300dpi or greater is best and 1200 pixels wide is also suggested. We generally say 4X the original size of the finished product is helpful. What we basically do is use your graphic as our pattern and lay the stitches overtop of that image..so fuzzy lines mean hard to see lines and you may not get what you hoped in the end.

As you can see, digitizing is a art form and you will get different versions of your logo with every embroidery company you deal with. This is why we like to keep our customers and encourage repeat business. Our price and service can't be beat. We hope you will choose OMD as your loyal Embroider provider both now and in the future.

More Helpful Articles on OMD Services

Performance & Moisture Wicking Fabrics!

It has been amazing, the interest we see in the new Moisture Wicking Fabrics this year. I am sure it is due to the huge advancements in brands, styles and fabrics are clearly seen in such brands as Port Authority, Chestnut Hill, Adidas and more. One of our customer's favorites is the K455, by Port Authority:

Put the moisture-wicking secret weapon of our Rapid DryT technology to work for you. Our fabric wicks moisture away from the body to the surface where it evaporates, keeping you comfortable and dry. This soft, breathable fabric is a superstar performer for any situation where you might need a little extra confidence and moisture protection. Fabric/Style: 5.6-ounce, 60/40 cotton/poly baby pique, Rapid DryT; hemmed sleeves, double-needle stitched, side vents. Features 3-button placket with pearlized buttons. Adult sizes: XS-6XL
Embroider your custom logo on the left chest for just $20-25.00 depending on quantity.

We also offer the Moisture wicking T-shirt options as well. Embroidered with your custom logo for just $17.00 in quantity. Combine any of the performance wicking fabric styles and get the volume discount!

Embroidering on these fabrics takes great finesse and expertise. If an embroiderer uses the wrong needles, cheap backing or has tensions too tight...OR digitizes your logo with too high of a density the embroidery will be compromised. Make sure when ordering these garments that you choose a embroidery company with years of experience like OMD.

Moisture wicking caps are also available and another huge hit with our customers.

Inquire today to try them! You won't be disappointed!!!!

Starting with great graphics

I talked a little bit on our custom embroidery website about quality digitizing but we can even go back a bit more and address the need for putting time into designing a great logo, right from the start. A logo that is not only eye catching but also embroidery friendly. Sometimes logos are beautiful but far too intense to maintain the integrity of the logo for embroidery.

Hiring a professional graphic artist is key to doing it right. My friend, Lisa Boudreau lives in New Brunswick and she has an amazing talent to create graphics that turns heads. She designed our logo and banner for our embroidery website. Go check it out...it's fantastic. She doesn't advertise much, because she doesn't have to, but if you would like to contact her, here is her email address: feed4tht@nbnet.nb.ca I highly recommend her, she is above and beyond any graphic artist I have ever worked with.

We would also like to take a moment to thank a very special man who gave us some incredible tips on creating a search engine friendly website. Our newly revamped site would not have achieved such great success without the help of this man along with my good friend Lisa, my graphic artist friend who helped me turn my mediocre site into something special.

New products will be added weekly and we hope you like it. Any feedback would be awesome. As always, we at OMD Embroidery look forward to serving you.

Embroidery, the absolute best way to promote!

The business world encompasses many different facets of groups. But it doesn't matter what group you belong to, promoting your business is key to success, growth and longevity. Embroidered Apparel is an excellent way to promote your business! Whether you are in a high pressure Corporate environment, or as in this photo, out sled jouring with your horse and promoting your American Curly Horse, it is all part of the business world and making your name known, making your product stand above the rest. No matter where you are, you are a walking, talking billboard. The quality of your custom embroidery says alot about who you are and what you represent. That is why we take great pride in making you look GREAT! We do all our own digitizing in house and we make sure your logo looks the best! That logo represents YOU and what you stand for -- it sends a very powerful message!

Here at OMD we do alot of Corporate Apparel for both small and large corporate businesses, however we also do a great degree of embroidered clothing for horse farms, breeders, hunter jumper & dressage clinics and as you saw in the below post, family reunions. For events like this, embroidered clothing can bring about a team spirit with fellow employees and teammates...family members.

We especially like to do full jacket backs on our embroidered jackets because we feel it is classy, very visible and shows off your embroidered logo the best. Pricing for a full back is not on our site, you will have to inquire, but we do have many options to choose from - click here: Embroidered Jackets

Come and visit us today and inquire on how you can stand out above the rest with Quality Embroidered clothing for your business!

Embroidered Jackets to Celebrate a Special Lady!

HAPPY 105th BIRTHDAY, DOROTHY!

The best part about our job is when our customers share their special occasions with us! Here is a happy group who since 2004 have invited us to join them in the celebration of Dorothy's Birthday by having us provide embroidered apparel each year for the event. Way back then, Dorothy celebrated her 101st birthday! 2008 marks her 105th! Rich sends us a picture every year and we enjoy seeing such happy faces, so far away, all wearing their OMD embroidered clothing! It brings us a great deal of satisfaction when our customers return year after year and they become like family, good friends.

Last week we had a really big, major rush order to fill and we were in the midst of a huge snow storm here in Michigan. There was even a civil emergency out, city streets were completely closed in Sault Ste Marie and UPS planes were grounded! It is the first time in 28 years that UPS did not have trucks on the road (which meant to pick up or delivery!) and even our local banks were shut down. We had extremely high winds, icy roads and viability of ZERO. The Mackinac Bridge was also closed most of the day. This huge storm took place ON THE DAY, this rush order HAD to go OUT --- OVERNITE! Our nearest UPS hub is 45 min. away and the only chance of that order having a chance of going out was if we hand delivered it to the hub station....in the middle of the blizzard no less. Well, have 4WD - will travel! So we headed out to get those boxes there --- with the conditions it took 3 hours to get there and back and then we had to wait to see if somehow, someway UPS would be able to fly those packages out later that day. We held our breath. First thing in the a.m. I checked the tracking number and much to my surprise, UPS was ON TIME and the packages DID make it into the hands of our customer promptly and in perfect condition! We were relieved and happy - as was the customer.

Meeting our customer's deadline is really important to Tom and I. If it is within our power, we will do it. Tom and I both come from strong entrepreneur families, so we know the importance of personal Quality Service. My Dad owned his own Construction business in Alpena, Michigan & Tom's Grandfather had his own Meat Market in Farmington Michigan, Tom's Dad started his own private Insurance company....and his Mom owned an Antique gift shop in Farmington, Michigan for years. I guess you could say we believe in the type of service that is a bit rare these days. It isn't just about 'getting' the customer, it is about KEEPING them.

We hope you will visit our website and see what we have to offer. Our site has been a bit revamped with some new drop down menus which is best viewed with Internet Explorer.

Embroidered Shirts , Embroidered Jackets
and alot of wonderful Woven shirts for Corporate Apparel

Contact Denise today for help: omdsales@gmail.com or call 800-485-1766 Today!

Custom Embroidery Logo Guide

Embroidery Logo Guide

In order to create GREAT embroidery, you first need to look at your logo. If you are just now developing a logo for your business, we will address a few things first that maybe helpful guidelines to follow:

LESS is MORE. Create a logo with great color and simplicity! Some of the best logos are simple, clean and basic. These types are the ones that people remember and they are easy to maintain the integrity of no matter how you use it. ie letterhead, business cards, garments or magnets etc. The best logos work anywhere without modification.

Less also means less cost for you, the company owner. Remember the more detail, the more time to set up for embroidery and the longer it takes to run on our machines...this equals = $$ Also with imprinting, more colors mean more money...so keep your colors to 1 or 2. You will find producing any printed material much more affordable!

Small text is always an issue when creating a nice embroidered logo. On knit fabrics, text must not be less than 1/4 inch or the thread sinks into the knit and looks rough and unreadable. Basically, it will distract not attract. So limit your text to allow for letters that are at least 1/4 inch if possible. On tougher fabrics like jackets, hats or totes, we can go a bit smaller, but not much less than .20.

Eliminate Big filled in areas with your logo. Not only does this just take up time while running on the machines, but it also creates a very heavy, patch like feel to your logo. Instead generate shapes around your logo with simple outlines or fancy lines.

Shadows work OK, but only on large logos. We discourage shadowing on letters for hats in particular because a hat is hooped in a curricular frame and not flat like shirts. When a hat is embroidered, it sometimes will shift in the frame a slight bit...if the shadowing gets off just a slight bit, it will destroy the entire look of your logo. It will be a huge flaw that will be seen easily. We suggest going without shadows as nice as they look sometimes. It allows for a really clean, consistent logo that gets noticed.

Gradients are a no-no with embroidery. Blending threads are impossible so we suggest avoiding this technique entirely. Even with imprinting, your costs go way up and the end result not always the same as you get in a graphic form. Gradients are also more expensive...and we want to see you get your best bang for the buck. Avoid them.

Also avoid narrow text & serifs on small letters. Narrow text on knits will also tend to sink into the fabric and look undesirable. Short basic and thick letters work much better on knits and are much more readable. When using serifs in your text style, be sure to plan on larger size overall. .30+ or again, those serifs will sink into the fabric and cause holes in your garment.

Dos? Always think simple! Remember you aren't a billboard, and you don't want too much information on your shirt. You simply want to state what is important and make your logo MEMORABLE! A good name and simple logo are the keys to getting your logo noticed and embroidered well. City & State can sometimes be added below your logo if desired, or your website address. We don't suggest using your phone number unless it's an 800# and it's on the back of a jacket.