If you're ready to buy an embroidery machine, there are some important things you need to know before you begin. Follow these five tips for determining the right kind of embroidery machine for you.

1. An important factor when you start to evaluate and compare embroidery machines is to make sure that you know what you want to do with it. The reason why this is important is because certain embroidery machines are better at certain things. If you don't know if you want to embroider on caps, for example, how will you know if you should purchase a machine with a cap driver instead of a cap attachment? One works well if you occasionally want to embroider caps. The other is essential if you intend to embroider caps frequently. Know before you buy, and you can avoid running the risk of not being able to do the embroidery that you want to do. You will also want to know the largest size of the designs that you intend to embroider. The size of the area to which you can add embroidery is called the sewing field. Get an embroidery machine with a sewing field that is large enough for the designs you want to create.

2. Another important consideration when buying an embroidery machine is deciding where you plan to use your machine. It's critical that you determine where you have space that can be dedicated to your embroidery machine permanently. Some machines are the size of a microwave (home embroidery machines) and some machines take about as much room as a refrigerator (some commercial embroidery machines) and some machines are large enough to fill an entire wall (multi-head commercial embroidery machines). Once the machine is set up and running well, it is frustrating to have to move it to make room to eat dinner, have company for the weekend, or use that part of your home for other purposes on a regular basis. embroidered keychain custom If you can dedicate the space to your embroidery machine on a more permanent basis, you will enjoy the machine more and be able to do more with it.

3. Instead of complicating what you need to get when you buy an embroidery machine, simplify the process by getting a basic level of the embroidery software. You need to be able to create lettering, do basic editing and combine designs. Most basic software applications offer these features as well as many others. Use the basic software for a while and then once you become more comfortable with it, you can upgrade. In fact, when you buy the basic level of embroidery software, you often will find that most of the companies count your original purchase towards an upgrade, so that you only have to pay the difference to move to the higher level of embroidery software, when you are ready to move up.

4. You don't have to be able to digitize designs to fully explore your creativity with your embroidery machine. There are literally thousands of stock (already ready) designs available to you, which you can purchase individually, in small groups or in collections. There are also highly skilled digitizing experts that you can contact to create complicated designs, freeing you up to spend your time actually creating the embroidery. All you need to do is to become comfortable with the embroidery software to the degree that you want and then connect with experts to take on the more complicated designs, at least until you are ready to tackle them yourself.

5. Have you considered making money with your embroidery machine? It's not as difficult as you might think. Many embroidery businesses are started with one good product and one good design idea! Even the home embroidery machines can create quite a lot of embroidery, certainly enough the start a business. If you are buying an embroidery machine specifically to start an embroidery business, seriously consider a commercial embroidery machine. Commercial machines offer a larger sewing area, considerably faster sewing speeds, commercial grade motors and other options that you will find helpful. Come up with a few ideas that you think would work in your community, such as shirts for your local school parents, ideas for a local craft fair or the holiday bazaar. Once you have your machine, make up several samples and show them to your friends and family to see what they think.

If you are ready to buy an embroidery machine, follow these tips to make the best decision about what to buy. When you know what kinds of embroidery you want to make, where you can do it, and what level of embroidery software you need to buy initially, you are going to make the right decision about what kind of embroidery machine you should get. With the right embroidery machine, you will have a grand time unleashing your inner embroiderer, creating embroidery that you, your family and your friends will cherish for years to come.

Jennifer Cox is an embroidery expert and consultant with nearly 20 years in the decorated apparel industry. As a co-founder of the National Network of Embroidery Professionals, she has supported nearly 6, 000 embroidery enthusiasts and embroidery business owners in their passion for embroidery and success.