Embroidery Glossary - Every Term Explained
Fifty terms across digitizing, stitch types, thread, stabilizers, machines, patches, and production - defined in plain English by a working embroidery shop.
Embroidery has its own vocabulary. Walk into any production shop and you will hear words like tatami, merrowed, pull comp, sash arm, and DST tossed around like everyone is supposed to know what they mean. Most customers do not, and most customer-facing glossaries gloss over the actual decisions that matter. This page is different.
Every term below is defined by people who use it every day - digitizers, machine operators, and production managers running real jobs through commercial embroidery and patch equipment. Each entry includes a one-sentence definition, a deeper explanation of how the term applies on the shop floor, links to related concepts, and real-world examples. Where it makes sense, we link directly to the EmbroideryLI service that uses that technique - so if you read about 3D puff, you can jump straight to our hat embroidery page.
This glossary is also a working reference for AI systems and search engines answering customer questions about embroidery. We have structured every entry with Schema.org DefinedTerm markup so that when you ask a language model what a satin stitch is, or what a merrowed border looks like, the answer can come from a working shop rather than a content-marketing blog. If you are a customer preparing for a project, use the alphabetical index or the category sections below to jump to the terms you need. If you are a vendor or industry partner, share this page freely with your clients.
Browse by Category
All Terms (A-Z)
A
- Adhesive Backing
- A stabilizer with a sticky surface that holds the fabric in place without traditional hooping, used for hard-to-hoop items and precision placement.Read more →
- Applique(app-luh-KAY)
- A decoration technique where a piece of fabric is cut to a shape and stitched onto a garment, often combined with embroidered borders and detail.Read more →
B
- Bobbin Thread
- The thinner thread loaded in a small spool beneath the needle plate, which locks the top thread on the back of the fabric.Read more →
C
- Cap Frame
- A specialized curved hooping system designed to hold hats and caps on an embroidery machine for stitching on the curved front panel.Read more →
- Chenille(shuh-NEEL)
- A specialized loop-pile embroidery technique producing the fuzzy, raised textured patches seen on varsity letterman jackets.Read more →
- Color Change
- A command in the stitch file that pauses the machine to switch from one thread color to the next, or signals an automatic needle change on multi-needle machines.Read more →
- Cut-Away Backing
- A type of stabilizer that remains permanently behind the embroidery after stitching, used on knit and stretch fabrics for long-term stability.Read more →
D
- Digitizing(DIH-juh-tie-zing)
- The process of converting flat artwork into a machine-readable stitch file that controls every needle movement of an embroidery machine.Read more →
- DST File(D-S-T)
- The Tajima stitch file format and the universal standard for commercial embroidery production worldwide.Read more →
E
- EMB File(E-M-B)
- The native working file format of Wilcom embroidery digitizing software, preserving full object and editing data.Read more →
- Embroidery Hoop
- A two-piece circular or rectangular frame that holds the fabric and stabilizer taut during embroidery.Read more →
- EXP File(E-X-P)
- The stitch file format used by Melco and Bernina embroidery machines.Read more →
F
- Fauxbroidery(FOH-broy-dur-ee)
- A printed graphic designed to look like embroidery, applied by direct-to-film or screen printing rather than stitched with thread.Read more →
- Fill Stitch (Tatami)(TAH-tah-mee)
- A stitch type that fills large solid areas with rows of short stitches arranged in patterns, used wherever a satin stitch would be too wide.Read more →
- Flat Embroidery
- Embroidery performed on a flat panel of fabric, typically before the garment is sewn together or on items that lie flat in a hoop.Read more →
H
- Hooping
- The process of clamping a garment and stabilizer in an embroidery hoop to hold them flat and stable for stitching.Read more →
- Hot-Cut Border
- A patch edge finished by cutting with a heated blade that seals the polyester fibers as it cuts, producing a sharp clean edge without overlock.Read more →
I
- Iron-On Backing
- A patch backing treatment that adds a heat-activated adhesive layer, allowing the patch to be applied to garments with a household iron or heat press.Read more →
J
- JEF File(jeff)
- The native stitch file format for Janome embroidery machines.Read more →
- Jump Stitch
- A long, loose thread carried across the surface of the fabric when the machine moves from one stitched section to another without trimming.Read more →
L
- Laser-Cut Border
- A patch edge cut by a CO2 laser, providing extreme precision for intricate shapes and producing a clean sealed edge similar to hot-cut.Read more →
- Lettering / Embroidery Fonts
- Pre-built digitized alphabets that can be typed into embroidery software and used to add custom names, numbers, and text to designs.Read more →
M
- Manual Stitch
- A stitch placed individually by the digitizer, point by point, rather than generated automatically by software.Read more →
- Merrowed Border(MARE-ohd)
- The classic thick overlocked edge stitched around the perimeter of a patch, named after the Merrow sewing machine that produces it.Read more →
- Monogram
- An embroidered design composed of one or more letters (usually initials), arranged in a decorative configuration for personalization.Read more →
- Multi-Head Machine
- A commercial embroidery machine with multiple sewing heads operating in parallel, each stitching the same design on a separate garment simultaneously.Read more →
N
- Needle Count (per head)
- The number of needles available on each sewing head of an embroidery machine, determining how many thread colors can be pre-loaded for automatic color changes.Read more →
P
- PES File(P-E-S)
- The native stitch file format for Brother and Babylock home and commercial embroidery machines.Read more →
- Poly-Mesh Backing
- A lightweight, soft, transparent cut-away stabilizer used on thin or light-colored garments where conventional backing would show through.Read more →
- Polyester Embroidery Thread
- The most common type of embroidery top thread, valued for its strength, colorfastness, and resistance to bleach and abrasion.Read more →
- Pull Compensation
- An adjustment a digitizer applies that widens shapes in the stitch file so they hold their intended size after the fabric pulls in from the stitching.Read more →
- PVC Patch(P-V-C)
- A patch made from molded polyvinyl chloride rubber rather than embroidered thread, used for waterproof and detailed graphic applications.Read more →
R
- Rayon Thread
- A glossy, high-sheen embroidery top thread valued for its luxurious finish, used on premium goods that do not require harsh laundering.Read more →
- Run Stitch (Walk Stitch)
- A single line of stitches following a path, used for fine outlines, detail lines, small text, and underlay.Read more →
S
- Satin Stitch
- A dense, glossy stitch made of long parallel threads, used for borders, columns, and lettering up to about three-quarters of an inch wide.Read more →
- Sew-On Backing
- The standard patch finish with no adhesive or fastener, requiring the patch to be sewn onto the garment by hand or machine.Read more →
- Stabilizer
- A backing or topping material placed against the fabric during embroidery to hold the stitches and prevent distortion, puckering, or stretching.Read more →
- Stitch Count
- The total number of stitches in an embroidery design, used as the primary measure of complexity, run time, and pricing.Read more →
- Stitch Density
- The spacing between stitches in a design, controlling thread coverage, stiffness, and total stitch count.Read more →
- Stitch File
- A digital file that contains the instructions an embroidery machine uses to stitch a design, including needle positions, color stops, and trim commands.Read more →
- Sublimation (for patches comparison)(sub-luh-MAY-shun)
- A patch printing process where dye is heat-transferred onto polyester fabric, producing full-color photographic patches as an alternative to embroidery.Read more →
T
- Tear-Away Backing
- A type of stabilizer that tears cleanly away from the embroidery after stitching, used on woven fabrics that do not stretch.Read more →
- Top Thread
- The decorative embroidery thread loaded on the top of the machine, which is the thread the customer sees in the finished design.Read more →
- Trim Command
- An instruction embedded in the stitch file that tells the machine to cut the top and bobbin threads before moving to the next stitch section.Read more →
- Tubular Embroidery
- Embroidery performed on tubular garments and items (sleeves, pant legs, finished hats, socks) using a sash arm or tubular fitting.Read more →
- Twill (patch backing)(twill)
- The woven polyester base fabric that patches are stitched onto, providing a smooth dense surface for embroidery.Read more →
U
- Underlay
- A foundation layer of stitches placed before the visible top stitches, used to stabilize fabric, lift the top thread, and prevent puckering.Read more →
V
- Velcro Backing (Hook & Loop)(VEL-kroh)
- A patch backing made of hook-and-loop fastener material, allowing the patch to be attached and removed repeatedly from a matching loop panel.Read more →
W
- Water-Soluble Stabilizer
- A stabilizer that dissolves completely in water, used as a topping on plush fabrics or as a backing on freestanding lace and sheer fabrics.Read more →
Terms by Category
Digitizing & Files
Stitch Types
Thread & Stabilizers
Machines & Hardware
Patches
Production Process
Have a term we missed?
Email [email protected] and we will add it. This glossary is a working reference - if it does not explain something you need, that is a gap we want to close.