Sports Embroidery: Which Type of Machine Should You Use?

Sports embroidery is huge – period. But why has it remained so popular for all these years? From playing kits and tracksuits to accessories and merchandise, there’s such a large scope for products within the market. The wide target audience is one of the main driving factors behind businesses specialising in sports embroidery.

To make sure that sports embroidery businesses are giving themselves the best chance for success, they need to equip themselves correctly. An embroidery machine is likely to be the most valuable asset to the business, so you need to choose wisely and ensure that you can cope with increasing customer demands.

This post will outline the different types of machines and highlight which one is right for your business. Plus, it’ll explore the various needs for embroidery in sport, showcasing the ever-present need for specialist sports embroidery businesses.

We’ll cover: 

Single-Head Embroidery Machines

Single-head embroidery machines are well suited to sports embroidery businesses that are just launching, have few customers and only stock simple garments related to one sport. They’re the cheapest type of machine on the market, so businesses tend to favour them when they haven’t established themselves in the industry.

The last thing a business wants to do is dive in at the deep end with a top of the range multi-head machine. Why? Well, they just don’t need it when starting out. You’re not going to start a business and have various huge customer orders that need turning around immediately. Plus, they’re unlikely to have the budget to afford a high-spec, large machine.

So, you’re better off starting small and working your way up as the business grows. That way, you’re not paying for features on a machine that you’ll never use and you’re not wasting any money at this crucial time in your business’ lifecycle. After all, poor financial decisions can mean curtains for your business before you’ve gotten off the floor.

Due to their small size, they’re perfect for smaller orders. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to use and are portable too. Meaning that they won’t take up too much room on your premises – or, in your home if you’ve not made it that far yet. You can embroider your sports garments from anywhere with a single-head machine.

Don’t be fooled by their size – these machines have more than what it takes to work quickly and meet those all-important deadlines. They’re reliable and capable of producing brilliant designs and embroidery pieces, making them the perfect addition to any small startup sports embroidery business.

Multi-Head Industrial Embroidery Machines

As your business grows, you’ll need to align your equipment to be able to cope with customer demands and increasing order volumes. From owning a single-head machine, it’s a natural progression to move onto a multi-head embroidery machine. The bigger your business gets, the more likely you are to have pressing customer deadlines. 

Therefore, you’ll need a machine that can cope with large orders. Think about it, even if you just add an extra head to your production line, you’ll be doubling your output from when you start out. When you start to increase your production output, you can then start to branch out and start specialising in a variety of sports too.

Multi-head embroidery machines are powerful and are designed to run all day. Not only this, but they’re also very versatile and can work on a variety of different garment types. From netball skirts to football playing shirts, sports embroidery is a wide market to appeal to – so, you need a machine that can produce results on a variety of materials. 

By upping your production capabilities, you’ll be able to decrease your turnaround time. So, customers will receive  their orders quicker than expected, which will stand you in good stead for returning loyalty and boost your overall reputation. If word gets around that you’re a speedy, reliable service, it can be the difference between getting by and overachieving. 

Quite simply, more heads on your machines means that you can create more products – and more products equal more revenue, right? 

Wide-Area Industrial Embroidery Machines

Wide-area industrial embroidery machines are perfect for those larger sports embroidery items that can’t be positioned correctly on regular multi-head machines. It’s not just the playing kits and tracksuits that need embroidering, think of large manager coats and kit bags that are an awkward size. 

The extra area ensures that the item can be positioned on the machine to allow for top-quality embroidery results. You should aim to keep your embroidery quality consistent throughout your full item range. Otherwise, customers won’t be happy and may look to source their embroidered sports garments elsewhere. 

Sports teams are proud organisations, so they require each embroidered item to consist of the same quality. If the playing kits are embroidered perfectly but the manager and coaching assistants tracksuits and outerwear are done poorly, the inconsistency will reflect poorly and will hamper their professional brand image. 

Wide-area machines are capable of producing fantastic results on a wide variety of different garment types. Not just this, they’re durable and are designed to be run all day. The last thing you want from your embroidery machine is for it to keep breaking down and slowing your operations. Wide-area machines are robust and proven to deliver large orders to a high standard time and time again.

Due to the wider area of the machine, they’re a lot larger than the other two mentioned. So, you need to make sure that you can fit the machine in your premises without it causing any inconvenience and working issues. 

The Need For Sports Embroidery

Sports embroidery has been popular for many years – and it’s easy to see why. Personalised sportswear has many benefits for teams and clubs. Firstly, if all players on a team are wearing the same kit, it creates a real sense of unity and shows that they’re all working together to achieve one common goal. 

Sports embroidery gives clubs instant recognition. Think of the big clubs that dominate world sport, you can envisage their traditional crest in your head with just the mention of their name, can’t you? Well, embroidered sportswear has the same effect with clubs at every level. Their image is everything, so they need high-quality results to portray as a well-established and respected club. 

Personalised sportswear is proven to improve team morale and empower team members. The fact that players are trusted to wear the proud colours and crest of a club that’s steeped in history means a lot. This creates a sense of pride and shows players that they can be relied upon – this will reflect in the player’s performance and will ensure they’re dedicated to the team.

Choose the Right Embroidery Machine For Your Business

So, now that you’ve seen the various industrial embroidery machines that sports embroidery businesses can use, it’s time to choose one yourself. They’re a big investment and are one of the most important assets to your business – but to produce the best results, you need to choose the right one that fits your business perfectly. 

Admittedly, it can be a daunting task, especially as a startup. However, you needn’t worry – we’ve got you covered. We’ve created a free guide that outlines the best machines for startup businesses to choose from. It includes everything from product features to added benefits it can present to your business. 

Grab your copy today!

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