3D Embroidery

The same stitching, worked over a foam underlay so the design stands proud of the surface.

3D embroidery, sometimes called puff embroidery, places a piece of foam on the fabric before stitching and then saturates it with thread. The foam is trimmed away at the edges afterwards, leaving a raised block of stitching with straight sides.

The effect only survives on shapes with enough width to support the foam, so thin strokes and small lettering have to be opened up or stitched flat instead. Most production files therefore combine both — a raised main shape with flat detail around it.

Works on: Caps, structured panels, heavy jersey, fleece
Typical use: Cap fronts, oversized logos, varsity-style lettering
Artwork: Minimum stroke around 3 mm; avoid small counters

Reference work

3D Embroidery reference 2 — On the garment

3D Embroidery reference 3 — Close-up of the finish

Want this finish on your own product? Send us your artwork and target quantity — we will come back with a costed quote and a lead time.

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