How to make embroidery lettering for names and monograms

To make embroidery lettering for a name or monogram, type the text, pick a font that suits the finished size, set the letter height and let the software turn each letter into satin stitches. In SatinSmith's Lettering mode that takes a few minutes: up to four lines of text, 13 embroidery fonts, five height presets and a stitch-out preview you can watch before you download. The one rule to remember: block letters can go small, scripts need room.

Step by step: lettering in SatinSmith

1. 1

   Open Lettering mode

   Sign in, open the studio and choose Lettering in the Artwork panel. You don't need an image file for text.

2. 2

   Type the text

   Type up to four lines, each on its own row: for example a name on line one and a job title on line two. For a monogram, type the initials, usually two or three capitals.

3. 3

   Pick a font

   Choose from 13 fonts. Block fonts such as Anton, Bebas Neue and Archivo Black stay readable at small sizes. Scripts such as Pacifico, Lobster and Oleo Script look more personal but need more height, and the fine script Great Vibes needs the most. The table below helps you choose.

4. 4

   Set the alignment

   Pick left, center or right. Center suits caps, towels and monograms. Left often looks tidier for a name and title on a left chest, because both lines start at the same edge.

5. 5

   Choose the letter height

   Pick a height preset: Small name 8 mm (0.3 in), Name 12 mm (0.5 in), Cap text 20 mm (0.8 in), Monogram 35 mm (1.4 in) or Headline 50 mm (2 in). Choose it together with the font.

6. 6

   Pick the thread color

   Choose a color with clear contrast against the garment. In the Threads tab it's matched to the nearest spool in your thread brand, such as Madeira Polyneon or Isacord. Our thread color guide covers this in detail.

7. 7

   Set the fabric

   In the Fabric panel choose Knit for polos and t-shirts, Cap for structured hats, Towel for towels and fleece, Woven for twill and denim, or Light for linen and silk. Knit and Towel add stronger underlay and more pull compensation so thin strokes don't shrink or sink. See the fabric settings guide.

8. 8

   Watch it sew and read the checks

   Play the preview and watch each letter form. Satin columns follow the stroke of script letters, so you can see whether a join or a thin hairline looks weak. The Checks tab warns if letters are under 6 mm tall or a fine script is under about 25 mm. When it looks right, unlock the design and download the file for your machine.

Which font for which job

Why the difference? Lettering is built from satin columns, and a column needs some width to cover the fabric. Bold block strokes keep that width at small sizes; a fine script's hairlines don't. Our guide to the best fonts for embroidery goes deeper.

Minimum sizes for lettering

As a rule of thumb, block capitals start to break down below about 6 mm (1/4 in) tall, which is why SatinSmith warns under 6 mm. Lowercase letters are smaller than the capitals, so a mixed-case name needs more height than an all-caps one. Fine scripts like Great Vibes need about 25 mm (1 in). If a name has to be small, switch to a block font rather than forcing a script; see minimum text size for embroidery.

Tips for names on polos, caps and towels

• Polos and t-shirts. Use the Knit setting and a cut-away stabilizer. Block fonts at Small name (8 mm) or Name (12 mm) suit a left chest. Thin scripts tend to sink into piqué knit, so give them more height or switch to a bold script.
• Caps. Use Cap text (20 mm) and the Cap fabric setting, which sews from the center outwards. Keep it to one or two short lines, because the curved front of a cap leaves little height. More in how to embroider caps.
• Towels. Use the Towel setting with a water-soluble topping on top, so the letters sit on the loops instead of sinking in. Bold scripts and serifs at 20 mm (0.8 in) or more read best. A common placement is centered just above the woven band near the hem.
• Monograms. Cinzel Decorative at Monogram height (35 mm) is a classic choice for initials on towels, totes and pillowcases. Center-align it.