What is Push and Pull Compensation in Machine Embroidery Digitizing:
Embroidery is an Art of Distortion.
Let’s first discuss what Distortion is in Machine Embroidery.
What is the cause of Push and Pull Distortion?
Push and Pull distortion, occur when the stitches are placed on the fabric, creating tension on the fabric creating a push and pulling effect on your design.
How to identify push and pull distortion in my stitch out?
When a gap forms between a satin stitch and an outline. When elements of your design don’t line up. Here is a great example of a design that was posted in our Facebook Group of push and pull effect on machine embroidery. This design was purchased from an ETSY shop that the digitizer clearly did not understand the basic foundations of digitizing. Understanding distortion and the effect of push and pull on design.
How do you fix push and pull compensation?
With correct underlay and adding pull compensation.
Pull compensation in your software, overthrows the width of the column. Factors to consider, are the wider the column stitch, the more pull compensation you need to apply. Why is this? Because the wider the stitch is, the more tension of the top and bottom threads will increase to create a flat stitch on the fabric.
The “pulling” effect is causing a shortening effect when the stitch direction reverses. Conversely, stitches are “pushed” out along the length. However, these are not equal, opposing forces. This is also referred to as registration issues in your stitch outs.
When digitizing an Embroidery Design- Look at your design in your digitizing software
Do all the objects exactly line up no matter what direction the stitches are placed?
Is your running stitch outline placed exactly on the edge of your design?
Do all your letters line up perfectly?
If you answered “Yes” to any of those questions, your design will be a “hot mess” similar to the photo posted earlier. The great news is, it will allow you to identify and learn. This will allow you to see how registration and dancing baselines occur.
Ask yourself, did I take into consideration, push and pull-compensation? Underlay? Stitch direction? Stitch length?
Compensation is one of the harder things to master as a digitizer. You are likely to see more problems when you are a novice designer and free designs from questionable sources. The best control overcompensation is accomplished through a combination of redrawing objects and applying pull compensation settings in the digitizing software. Pull Compensation, must be drawn in when you are digitizing your design— this is a big reason why auto-digitizing software does not always produce the best result.
Can you add in too much compensation?
Yes!
Too much overlap can cause thick, lumpy areas and can run up stitch count. In some cases, excess compensation can contribute to distortion—which is what proper compensation is trying to correct.
Where do I use Pull Compensation?
In your satin stitches as well as fill stitches.
If you are experiencing Compensation/Registration Issues
Verify you have made the necessary design considerations.
-correct underlay
-correct pull compensation
-correct density
-correct stitch lengths
Stitch your design on a smooth, stable fabric, on the straight of the grain, with a sturdy stabilizer, in the smallest hoop that will accommodate your design. Place the fabric and backing in between the rings of the hoop versus floating.
If you continue to have issues, go back to the digitizing process.
