ASSIGNMENT:
Design and produce something with a digital fabrication process
(incorporating computer-aided design and manufacturing) not covered
in another assignment, documenting the requirements that your
assignment meets, and including everything necessary to reproduce
it.
Here are things i think i could document about during this wilrd card week:
I designed an sort of image/ logo to be embroided on a t-shirt. and made a digital clock in wood.
Section 1 : Introduction
The craft of embroidery involves using a needle, thread, or yarn to decorate objects.
It can be carried out manually or mechanically and has been used for thousands of years.
Embroidery may be done on a variety of textiles and features a wide range of embroidery stitches and design possibilities.
It can be used for branding material, or just as means of artistic expression.
Digital fabrication facade of this technique comes in wehn we use computers to design the file that gets loaded into the embroidery machine.
And then the machine follows the given commands and it does the stitches autonomously after you feed it the material and start it.
Section 2: Design process
I took an image from my computer that signifies some idea of immortality
Uploaded it into the digitizing software called: Wilcom ES 64 Designer.
It can be found here at https://wilcom.com/
This is how its environment looks like:
Go to file, Open the image from the location on my computer
In the tool menu select the highlighted tool and use it to create vectors the stitches will follow.
It is like vector tracing using the image. This tool has the capacity to do straight lines but also curved angles.
The difference is when you right or left click on the mouse or touch pad.
Tracing the image and applying on stiches
Stiches orientation/ inclination is important because it defines whether the you can easily separate threads or not.
But also the cloth wears quickly if the orientation is same as the guiding vector.
for each path set the origin by making sure the cases in the following images are ticked the same way.
Arranging colors
Select all object by ctrl+A, By right clicking go to object properties and tell the machine not to trim after each object.
(this would cause the machine to stop after each closed vector)
Also make sure everything is as it should be and then click "ok"
Again in object properties, under general, set the dimensions for the whole design.
This is important because it will contribute to determining the quantity of thread we would need and the space we are printing on.
The stitch type also is important. Here i used satin.
If was to use a background(set as number one job), the piece would look like this:
I did choose to save time, plus the t-shirt i was going to print on has a nice blend with the stiches' colors,
So i opted to do without the background.
When all is set, Save as
tajima (*.DTS) _the format that the machine will read.
This is like a g-code (in comparision)
Put the file on a flashdisk.
Section 3: PRINTING
Plug the flash disk in the embroidery machine
Remove other previous work
Use the right size for your design
Select your design from the flash disk
Preview
select and set the needle number
After making sure the piece is strong (you can put supporting material underneath the cloth), Poisition your fit, and Start the print
It is good to observe the work as it goes on
The machine Moving_from one side to the other
Changing the thread color... The machine does it autonomously
Waiting for it to finish.
In the meantime, a lot can happen...
a thread can break and need re-feeding
any unforseen thing
it is better to observe.
observation:
Many people do not wear PPE (personal Protective Equipment) while utilizing/ operating embroidery machines.
I would advise them not to keep this habbit. especially for hearing health safety.
Section 4: Finishing
Cutting away the support material
Take the waste away
Trimm off connecting threads
Now we have a t-shirt that is branded
Waering it
The file i used in this assignment can be found Here
Uploaded it into the digitizing software called: Wilcom ES 64 Designer.
It can be found here at https://wilcom.com/
This is how its environment looks like:
Go to file, Open the image from the location on my computer
In the tool menu select the highlighted tool and use it to create vectors the stitches will follow.
It is like vector tracing using the image. This tool has the capacity to do straight lines but also curved angles.
The difference is when you right or left click on the mouse or touch pad.
Tracing the image and applying on stiches
Stiches orientation/ inclination is important because it defines whether the you can easily separate threads or not.
But also the cloth wears quickly if the orientation is same as the guiding vector.
for each path set the origin by making sure the cases in the following images are ticked the same way.
Arranging colors
Select all object by ctrl+A, By right clicking go to object properties and tell the machine not to trim after each object.
(this would cause the machine to stop after each closed vector)
Also make sure everything is as it should be and then click "ok"
Again in object properties, under general, set the dimensions for the whole design.
This is important because it will contribute to determining the quantity of thread we would need and the space we are printing on.
The stitch type also is important. Here i used satin.
If was to use a background(set as number one job), the piece would look like this:
I did choose to save time, plus the t-shirt i was going to print on has a nice blend with the stiches' colors,
So i opted to do without the background.
When all is set, Save as
tajima (*.DTS) _the format that the machine will read.
This is like a g-code (in comparision)
Put the file on a flashdisk.
Section 3: PRINTING
Plug the flash disk in the embroidery machine
Remove other previous work
Use the right size for your design
Select your design from the flash disk
Preview
select and set the needle number
After making sure the piece is strong (you can put supporting material underneath the cloth), Poisition your fit, and Start the print
It is good to observe the work as it goes on
The machine Moving_from one side to the other
Changing the thread color... The machine does it autonomously
Waiting for it to finish.
In the meantime, a lot can happen...
Take the waste away
Trimm off connecting threads
Now we have a t-shirt that is branded
Waering it
The file i used in this assignment can be found Here