§ GLOSSARY · PUSH-PULL COMPENSATION

PUSH-PULL COMPENSATION

Small offsets added to a design to account for how stitches deform the fabric they sit on.

Embroidery vocabularyPlain-English definition
INTENDEDACTUAL
WHAT IT MEANS

Embroidery threads pull the fabric inward along the stitch direction and push it outward across the stitch direction. Without compensation, columns appear narrower than designed and fills appear pulled toward the center. Push-pull compensation extends and offsets stitch paths to land back on the intended outline after the fabric has deformed.

WHEN IT MATTERS

Tight columns of text, sharp corners, and small registration marks fail predictably without push-pull compensation. The right amount is fabric-specific — stretch knits need more compensation than woven cotton.

SEE ALSO
SATIN COLUMN
SATIN STITCH
SPARSEBALANCEDDENSE
STITCH DENSITY
DRIFT BETWEEN COLOR PASSES
REGISTRATION
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