Ever wondered how you should measure your Brother embroidery hoops and why your hoop can’t fit in your embroidery machine? How to transfer designs from a computer to your Brother machine might also be a big problem. There’s no need to worry. This blog is going to solve some of the most frequently asked questions relating to Brother embroidery machines.
1. Hoop-related Questions
1.1 How do you measure a Brother embroidery hoop?
The measurements vary between industrial-use hoops and hoops for home or commercial use.
1.11 Industrial-Use Hoops
There are two width measurement methods to measure an industrial-use embroidery hoop.
The first one, you should measure how wide your hoop arms are from ear to ear. This data is very vital. Whether you can fit your frame in your embroidery machine depends on the ear-to-ear hoop size. So normally it’s not necessary for you to measure it buy yourself, just check if the hoop is specially designed for the model of your embroidery machine.
The second one, measuring the inner size of your hoops. Look the pictures above. It shows the hoop size of SewTech tubular hoop designed for Brother machines is 340 x 220mm. However, if you check the hoop size given by the manufacturer (look at the image below), you will find that the hoop is labeled with the size of 300 x 200mm (11.8’’ x 7.9’’). Actually this data indicates the size of design the hoop can be used to embroidering. Because the machine cannot sew very close to the edge of the hoop. Therefore, this is also a very important data you should pay attention to. You can only know which embroidery frame to buy after knowing the size of the patterns you want to embroider. It’s recommended to leave about 1-2 inches of space around your design in the hoop.
1.12 Hoops for Home Use
Measuring hoops for home use is simpler. You only need to measure the inner size of the hoops in a way the same as above. For example. The hoop size of the below one is 155 x 125mm. And you know that its embroidery area is smaller than this data.
1.2 How to use brother magnetic hoop?
Using a Brother magnetic hoop is the same as using any magnetic hoop. Step 1: Place the lower hoop on a flat surface. Step 2: Add stabilizer and fabric. Step 3: Snap the upper hoop. Step 4: Check. (If you can run your fingers over the fabric without moving or rippling it, then your garment is hooped correctly. If not, repeat the process.) Once hooped, never pull the fabric or tighten the screws further. Such behavior will affect your placement. Then you can attach the hoop to an embroidery machine and start embroidering.
1.3 How do I change the hoop size on my Brother?
There are mainly two steps. For the first step, you should remove the original hoop, turn off the machine, remove and reinstall the embroidery unit, turn on the machine and reattach the hoop. The second step is to go to the Settings and change the size. The step-by-step guide is put below:
- Open Layout & Editing.
- Click Option and select Design Page Property.
- Choose the desired hoop size.
2. Thread-related Questions
2.1 Can you use any thread for Brother embroidery machine?
No. Not all threads are created equal to be used for an embroidery machine. The thread types can impact the quality of your embroidery work. Take weight for example. For top thread, use a 40-50 weight thread; for bobbin thread, use a 60 weight one. Threads below 20 weight do not pass smoothly through the needle. And they may result in machine malfunction. You can check your manual to determine the correct combination of fabric, thread and needle. Also, think twice before you use a cotton thread. Most embroidery machine uses a rayon or polyester thread. Substitute a cotton thread may be risking. It shrinks when put in the water and thus ruin the design. It may not be colorfast neither. So use a cotton thread with caution.
2.2 How do you thread a Brother embroidery?
Follow the steps below to thread a Brother embroidery machine:
- Turn on the machine.
- Raise the presser foot lever.
- Raise the needle by turning the handwheel toward yourself counterclockwise. You can stop the process when the mark faces up.
- Remove the spool cap.
- Slide the spool cap on the spool pin.
- Hold the thread from the spool lightly and pass it behind the thread guide cover and back to front.
- Guide the thread through the thread take-up lever (from right to left).
- Put the thread behind the guide above the needle.
- Pass it through the eye of the needle (from the front to the back).
- Pass the end of the thread through the presser foot, then pull out about 2 inches of thread toward the rear of the machine.
3. Design-related Questions
3.1 What file do I need for a Brother embroidery machine?
The Brother embroidery machine is compatible with the following formats:
- .PES
- .DST (one of the most widely accepted expanded file formats)
- .PHC
- .PEN
Using the incompatible files may cause the embroidery machine to malfunction.
3.2 Can Brother embroidery machines use DST files?
Can I use a DST file for Brother embroidery machine? The answer is yes. .DST and .EXP are the top two most common expanded file formats. They are widely accepted across many embroidery machines. Brother embroidery machines can read .DST files.
3.3 What file is best for Brother embroidery machine?
The best file does not exist. The type of the file will not affect your embroidery work when using a Brother embroidery machine. So any compatible format is equally good for Brother embroidery machine.
3.4 How to download free Brother embroidery designs?
You can download designs using USB media. Follow the steps to download designs from computer:
- Insert the USB media to computer.
- Open file where the designs are saved.
- Copy the design.
- Right click on your USB file and paste.
- Safely remove the USB media from the USB port.
Then the designs you need is in your USB drive.
3.5 How to transfer embroidery designs from a computer to Brother machine?
Transfer designs from computer to machine using USB media:
- Attach the embroidery unit to the embroidery machine.
- Plug the USB media into the USB port on the computer
- Turn on the embroidery machine.
- Copy the data of the designs to the RemovableDisk.
- Press on the machine.
- Select the pattern you wish to retrieve.
- Press .
- Adjust the pattern and begin embroidering.
3.6 Can you make your own designs with Brother embroidery machine?
- Can I use my own designs on a Brother embroidery machine?
- Yes. Brother embroidery machine allows for design transfer, thus anyone can use their own designs with it.
3.7 Can you sell Brother embroidery designs?
No. It’s illegal. You can’t use any of these designs for commercial use. All patterns attached to a Brother embroidery machine are intended for personal use. They are copyrighted. Any infringement of the copyright law is not allowed unless you have permission from the copyright holder. Insisting on taking the risk of selling copyrighted designs may get you fined or even caught.
By the way, there is some restrictions about the garment embroidered as well. When purchasing a embroidery design software, you are authorized to embroider any designs built-in. But selling those garments may not be allowed if the design sewn out is a licensed one, such as Disney and Sesame Street.
4. Other Frequently Asked Questions
4.1 Can you embroider hats with a Brother embroidery machine?
Yes, absolutely. A Brother embroidery machine can be used to embroider hats.
Actually there are specially-made hat embroidery machines for you to choose. A hat embroidery machine is designed to embroider hats. It can handle thicker and heavier fabrics. For example, Brother PE800 is a single-needle embroidery machine that sells very well. Some enthusiasts have already tried to embroider a hat with it. Normally embroidering caps & hats on a home embroidery machine is no easy task, but with a 4x4 hoop, the situation changes completely. A non-structured hat is more recommended.
4.2 How do I make the letters bigger on my Brother embroidery machine?
Resizing a built-in font or design is feasible as long as you follow the instructions below:
- Select a character stitch in either the Gothic font or outline style.
- Press the settings key and then the settings screen will appear.
- Press arrow keys until is selected.
- Press OK.
- Press to select your desired size.
- Press OK.
This way you can get your letters larger when embroidering with a Brother machine.
4.3 How long do Brother embroidery machines last?
A very long period with proper upkeep. Keeping the machine oiled and greased is very effective. With proper upkeep, the machine can be used for a long time and still run like the day they were built. In theory, if you run a one shift single person operation, the Brother embroidery machine may outlast you. But if you run it on heavy fabrics frequently, it will reduce the lasting period of the machine. Besides, what poses an issue is that as the machines phase out models, it becomes hard to find the right parts for the machine. This can indirectly induce the elimination of the machine.
So here are some tips for Brother embroidery machine care:
- Clean the machine regularly, getting lost of the dust and thread remnants.
- Change needles frequently. Bent or dull needles can cause damage to both the machine and fabric. If the above situations have not emerged, it is highly possible that the quality of embroidery has already decreased.
- Oil the machine: Proper lubrication is helpful to ensure a smooth operation. Your machine's manual will tell you about the specific areas that require oiling. It’s also important that you use only the recommended oil.
- Calibrate Timing and Tension: If you are unsure how to adjust them, it is best to ask for help from a technician.
- Get the embroidery machine serviced regularly: This is not necessary, but it does no harm, neither.
- Finally, turn off your machine when not in use.
Follow the above tips and what your machine’s manual says should extend the lifespan of your machine.
Conclusion
From the perspectives of hoop, thread and design, the article introduces some frequently asked questions about the Brother embroidery machine. Glad to help solving your problems. Visit our website https://www.magnetichoop.com/ for more industry information.
FAQs
Q:
What files can Brother embroidery machine read?
What file type does an embroidery machine use?
What is the embroidery format for Brother?
What USB format does the Brother embroidery machine use?
A: .PES, .DST, .PHC and .PEN are all adaptive.