Alphabets/Fonts

[Debbie Garifi]

A client sent me a logo to put on Polo's. It is all letters, no pictures. Easy enough I thought...Well in scrolling through the fonts available in DesignShop, I come to it. It has a TT next to it. Read about it and find out I have to purchase it from Melco. Has anyone done this and can you tell me approx. how much $$? And what the process is?
All information on the True Type fonts are welcome, good or bad!
Thanks

[Buy The Stitch]

True Type fonts should be Windows fonts. If so, you may be able to find it for free online. However, TT fonts generally will require a little manipulation (entry/exit points, pull comp, etc.) to achieve the same results you would with Melco fonts.

[Pure Embroidery]

Same answer as Robert. I use quite a few TT fonts and I start out test sewing them at .75 just to see how they will sew. I look for skinny columns, entry/exit points, stitch buildups at corners, ect..

Then, I adjust the font to the size I need and address the problems I noticed on the test sew.

I have never bought a font from Melco, I get the TT Fonts for free online, then make my changes.

[Steve]

I will ask the customer what the name of the font is if I can not find it myself. I have even asked them to have their graphic artist email me the TTF. I have never had a customer complain about it. (Most will do it for you because they have to have that specific font they use for their logo on their shirts.)

[Jeff]

Debbie,

What exactly is the name of the Font? When you say you scrolled through the fonts available in Design Shop, were you scrolling through the Alphabet Code Sheets that explain parameters for using them, or were you scrolling through the List Of Fonts when you open the Alphabet or Lettering Properties Box? If you were scrolling through the Alphabet Code Sheets, the fonts or Alphabets there are not TT Fonts. As far as I know Melco is not in the business of selling TT Fonts. The Alphabet Code Sheets contain only digitized fonts made to work with Melco Design Shop Software. If you were scrolling down a pull down list of fonts that is in the Alphabet or Lettering Properties Window of Design Shop and there is the font with a TT Next to it, it is already in your system. All fonts named in that pull down list, no mater what type, Melco Alphabet or TT Font, are already in your system and ready to use.


Jeff Banks

[signman]

If it isn't one of the 'included' fonts, yes,you have to buy it-but you do get fully digitized ready to use font. As Jeff says, if it is in the pulldown window, you already have it. But if you printed out the entire font list (which is real handy) then you do find a lot of fonts you have to buy. But if you only need it for one job...
If the logo isn't more than a couple of letters-I find it much easier
to print out the logo large enough to fit a piece of paper, then scan it in, create vector outline, and bring that into Designshop to digitize it to the size needed. That's if you don't find something 'similar' already in your system.
Easier than inputting a new font that hasn't been digitized yet to just digitize it as 'artwork' for what you need.

Roland

[TinaK]

Ok, here is one for you guys I do not have Designshop as it was too expensive for us to buy when we bought the machine so I use PE Design and I need some help as I am doing small letters I believe the smallest is .41 inches in height. It looks ok in the front however when you turn it over it looks all balled up and a tangeled mess..I have reduced the density but not sure what else I should do.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Judy]

hhhmmm...... finer thread and smaller needle? Lower material thickness (on Big Reds)? More stabilizer? Tighter hooping? Show it the baseball bat you keep in the corner...??

[Meezer City]

Tangled mess on back usually means something wrong on top. What kind of fabric, stabilizer, thread and needle? I would check the things Judy mentioned. And even switch thread.

Have you done lettering with PE Design and sewn on the Amaya before? Have you used this font before?

[Meezer City]

Is the thread over and through all the guides? I once had a thread in the wrong hole when it came out of the take up lever. That wouldn't be spotted right off. Cut it off and start over just to be safe.

[Aaron]

I would check your bobbin tension as it could be too tight. ANother thing is your colum density to too high and its putting too many stitches in one area. Sometimes a light zig-zag underlay and lesser density on the main satin stitch makes letering look much better thann no underlay with heavy density satin.

Now, not being familiar with PE you need to know if you lower or raise the density numver to achieve less density. On Design Shop you raise the number to get less density but I think its opposite on most other software.

[TinaK]

Ok, to answer some questions the font is Vivaldi which has alot of loops in the letters. The first letter which mainly a capital letter looks great on the back but it is the smaller letters that isnt so great. I am testing on tshirt material with a 3 oz cutaway, 40 wt madeira thread and a size 75/11 needle ball point. I have smaller needles on the way so hopefully that will work better.

I did lower the density but will probably end up lowering it even more just to see if that helps.

Thanks for all your help...

[TinaK]

Ok, here is the update on what was happening as I figured it out after Marilou sent me the same words done in DS. It turns out the trims were messing the back up. I had the trim settings set on 3 and it was trimming quite a bit so I turned the trim off and no tangled mess in the back problem solved! Yeah!

A huge thanks to Marilou for helping me really take a look at this from a different angle then the normal thread, bobbin and stabilizer approach.

[Meezer City]

You are welcome! I learned a few things today.