§ GLOSSARY

EMBROIDERY glossary

Plain-English definitions for the embroidery vocabulary that turns up in customer requests, machine setup, and validation reports.

12 termsProduction-floor languageMore on the way
» MACHINE COMMAND color_change() // pause for thread swap next: needle_3 hex: #14B8A6
Color Change
A machine instruction that stops stitching so the operator (or the automatic mechanism) ca…
HOOP
Hoop
The frame that holds fabric taut and registers it to the machine so the design stitches in…
» FORMAT MATRIX brother → .pes tajima → .dst janome → .jef bernina → .exp
Machine Format
The file format an embroidery machine reads to know how and where to stitch — DST, PES, JE…
INTENDEDACTUAL
Push-Pull Compensation
Small offsets added to a design to account for how stitches deform the fabric they sit on.
DRIFT BETWEEN COLOR PASSES
Registration
How precisely the design lines up across multiple stitches, color changes, and hoopings.
SATIN COLUMN
Satin Stitch
A zigzag-like stitch where threads run side by side across a narrow shape, giving it a smo…
DESIGNFABRICSTABILIZER
Stabilizer / Backing
Material placed behind the fabric to keep it flat and support the stitches during embroide…
SPARSEBALANCEDDENSE
Stitch Density
How tightly stitches are packed together, measured as the spacing between adjacent stitch …
TATAMI FILL
Tatami Fill
A flat fill pattern made of straight rows of stitches with offset turn-points, used for la…
TOP THREADBOBBIN
Thread Tension
The balance of pull between the top thread and the bobbin thread that controls stitch qual…
» MACHINE COMMAND trim_thread() // cut between // logo and crest jump_to(x: 38, y: 14)
Trim Code
A machine instruction that cuts the thread between two parts of a design.
FABRICTOP STITCHESUNDERLAY ↑
Underlay
A first stitched layer placed under the visible design that anchors the fabric and support…