"What Stabilizer Should I Use?"
Probably the most common question among embroiderers everywhere! Because professional-looking results depend on pairing the right embroidery stabilizer with your project, you don't want to get it wrong. Backing functions as a stabilizing substrate behind the embroidered design, and the kind of fabric being embroidered will determine how much stabilization is required for the design so that the fabric keeps its shape and lies flat without adding unnecessary bulk.
Knowing how to answer the question, “What stabilizer should I use?” is a matter of taking into account your fabric type, the density of the design, and the end use of the item. When you get it right, your embroidery will maintain its shape through countless washing and wearing cycles and will look fresh, crisp, and professional for the life of the garment.
Our basic, easy-to-remember principles in this handy guide will help you make sense of all the choices, eliminate confusion, and give you a tidy, streamlined way to understand embroidery stabilizers.
But first, let’s understand backing.
The Big Three
Embroidery stabilizers can be divided into three broad categories:
Cut-away backings are made of either woven or non-woven materials. They come in a wide range of weights, from a light 1-ounce weight to much more substantial weights exceeding 3 ounces. There's a cut-away weight to match almost any fabric. And of course, they’re called cut-away stabilizers because you cut away the excess backing after the embroidery process is finished. They are meant to remain embedded in the matrix of the embroidery to stabilize the design for the life of the garment and they do not dissolve or disappear when washed. They are meant to be used primarily on unstable fabrics.
Tear-away backings are made of non-woven materials. They typically come in a slightly narrower range of weights than cut-away, with the heaviest tear-away backings being cap stabilizers for baseball hats. And as you might expect, they’re called tear-away stabilizers because you tear away the excess after the embroidery process is finished. They are meant to stabilize the garment during stitching, but are not needed after embroidering, and are torn away from the design. Any excess tear-away left behind on the back of the embroidered item softens, breaks down, and disintegrates with subsequent washing cycles. They are meant to be used only on stable fabrics that don’t need any further support.
Specialty backings can be categorized as either cut-away or tear-away most of the time, with a few exceptions. Generally, they have special features like an adhesive surface or embedded reinforcement, or other properties that make them specialized for certain things, but the bottom line is that most of them are still really just enhanced cut-away or tear-away. Some true exceptions to these would be things like finishers (sometimes called “cover-all” material) that don’t actually stabilize per se, but instead cover the back of embroidery and protect the skin from scratchiness. Use them as recommended, either for stable or unstable fabrics.
Start Here!
The first question you’ll want to ask when deciding on an embroidery backing is simple but foundational.
Am I stitching on a knit fabric or a woven fabric?
Knit and woven describe the two main ways fabrics are put together. For most embroidery jobs, you’ll be embroidering on one or the other. Knits and wovens need to be treated very differently when embroidering on them because the stability or flexibility of the fabric will determine how compatible machine embroidery will be with the material.
- Knits are a matrix of yarn or threads looped around each other in a specific pattern similar to a chain link fence. Knits can be made of thick yarns like sweaters and winter hats, or they can be made with fine, thin threads like you find in yoga pants or t-shirts. The looping pattern and the natural gaps in the knit allow the entire fabric to stretch in almost any direction, making knits naturally unstable fabrics. Embroidery stitches don’t stretch, but knit fabrics do, which means knits are naturally incompatible with embroidery. To keep the knit fabric from straining against the stitches, pulling, puckering, and curling around the design after it’s washed, you’ll need a cut-away stabilizer that will hold the design flat and remain behind the embroidery for the life of the garment.
- Wovens are made with vertical and horizontal yarns or threads crisscrossing each other (called warp and weft threads) resulting in a fabric with fibers usually tightly positioned against each other to create a sturdy material. Woven material can be made of thick, heavy strands like canvas and denim, or with thinner threads like dress shirts or satin. Woven fabrics don’t stretch like knits; generally, they only have a natural diagonal flex (called a “bias”). Some wovens are made with a very small percentage of elastic threads, such as stretch denim, but this generally doesn't affect their stability. Wovens are naturally stable fabrics, which makes them easily compatible with embroidery. For most wovens, you may use a simple tear-away. The fabric benefits from being stabilized during the embroidery process, however, once the design is finished, the backing can be torn away and the design will remain stable. Some exceptions are wovens which are light and airy with an open, delicate weave, like sheer fashion scarves or heirloom linens. For these, you may opt for a specialty backing to minimize stress from pulling a conventional tear-away against the thin, fragile weave. Also, there is no harm in opting to use a cut-away on some light wovens when the garment is going directly against the skin since cut-away stabilizers tend to be softer than tear-away. A good example of this is the simple hospital scrub, usually made from light woven material, but often worn close to the skin.
A word about non-woven materials: Non-woven materials refer to textiles that are neither knits nor wovens, such as leather, vinyl, and felt. When preparing to embroider on these materials, generally they can be treated like wovens because they are usually quite stable.
Now That I Know Which Stabilizer to Use, How Do I Choose My Backing Weight?
Stabilizer “weight” refers to the density of the backing material, measured in ounces per square yard. When deciding what stabilizer weight to use for your embroidery project, some experimentation may be necessary, however, as a matter of routine, you will want to ask yourself the following questions, in this order:
- How heavy is my fabric? For knits, heavy-weight items will require a heavier weight backing, while lighter knits only need a light-to-medium weight backing. For most wovens, a light-to-medium all-purpose tear-away is usually sufficient, no matter the weight. For delicate, open, and airy wovens, a pop-away tear-away or a dissolvable stabilizer will avoid pulling and stressing the fragile weave.
- How dense is my embroidery design? The next factor to consider is the density of your chosen embroidery design. Density refers not just to the number of stitches in the design, but how closely together they are laid in the design. Especially for knits, a lighter-density design on a lighter-weight shirt is a perfect combination: a light-to-medium backing may be all that’s needed. Conversely, a heavier-density design on a heavyweight garment will likely do the job. However, it often isn’t that simple. Here are some examples for you to consider:
Example #1 A design may have 40,000 stitches in it but the design is spread out across an entire jacket back, is a light and airy floral with a lot of separation between the elements, and has no large areas of heavy fill. We would call that a large number of stitches, but with low density. At most, a medium weight stabilizer would likely be sufficient.
Example #2 A design may have only 13,000 stitches in it but it is concentrated in a small, 1.5” x 2.5” left chest area on a black polo shirt. It has a combination of layered fill stitches with some satin stitch lettering. We would say that this design is high-density. A medium-to-heavy stabilizer would be appropriate here, and you may need to engage in a little experimentation; if the polo shirt is a lighter weight, you will want to be careful not to add more weight to the embroidered area with a very heavy stabilizer. A specialty stabilizer specifically for performance wear may save the day.
The general principle: Think about the weight of the garment in relation to the density of the design you’re planning to embroider.
There are many factors involved in embroidery backing selection, including stability of the garment, stitch density, color, stitch length, stitch speed, design size, and digitizing. Working within these basic principles, and with a little experimentation, you may find that certain stabilizers work better than others on some of your projects.
The chart at the bottom of the page lists several example items with suggested stabilizers, but should not be considered an exhaustive list.
RS20 - RipStitch #20
RET - RipStitch Soft Easy Tear Pop Away
TW15 - RipStitch TW 1.5
TW20 - RipStitch TW 2.0
S18 - RipStitch Soft S-18
CSA300 - CapStitch A300
| Item |
Suggested Embroidery Stabilizer
(Use Key Above To Identify Backings)
|
| Aprons | RS15 - RS20 - S18 - TW15 - TW20 |
| Baby Bibs (Woven bibs only) | RET- S18 - TW15 - TW20 |
| Bandanas | RET- S18 - TW15 - TW20 |
| Blankets | TW15 - TW20 - S18 - CAS |
| Blanket (Horse) | ASC - C025 - RS20 -TW20 - S18 |
| Blanket (Stadium) | RET- S18 - TW20 |
| Blouses (Woven Silk or Poly) | RS15 - TW15 - TW20 - SH15 |
| Caps (Baseball) | CSA300 |
| Caps (Knit) | ASC - C025 - CAS |
| Children's Sleepwear | ASC - ASHD - SH - 9414 - CAS |
| Coat Linings | RS15 - RS20 - TW20 |
| Cover Rough Stitches | CAS |
| Dog Collars | SS |
| Double Knit | ASC - ASHD - C025 - CO30 |
| Dresses (Woven) | TW15 - TW20 - SH15 |
| Duffle Bag | RS15 - RS20 - TW15 - TW20 |
| Felt | RS15 - RS20 - TW15 - TW20 |
| Fleecewear (7oz Light) | ASC - ASHD - C025 - C030 - S18 - TW20 |
| Fleecewear (9oz Med.) | ASC - C025 - TW20 - S18 |
| Fleecewear (12oz Heavy) | ASC - C020 - C025 - TW20 - S18 |
| Golf Shirts (Herringbone, Interlock) | ASC - ASHD - C025 - C030 - 9414 |
| Golf Shirts (Light) | ASC - C020 - SH15 - 9414 |
| Golf Shirts (Loose) | ASCW - ASHD - C025 - C030 - SH15 - 9414 |
| Golf Shirts (Pique) | ASC - ASHD - C020 - CO25 - C030 - SH15 -9414 |
| High Density Embroidery Designs | ADHD - C030 - CSA300 - 9445 - 9446 |
| Jackets/Baseball (Satin) | ASC - C025 - S18 - RS20 - TW20 |
| Jackets/Windbreakers (Nylon) | ASC - C020 - RS20 - S18 - TW20 |
| Jackets/Varsity (Wool) | ASC - C025 |
| Karate Belts | RS20W - TW20 - SS |
| Leather/Suede/Vinyl | RS15 - RS20 - S18 - TW15 - TW20 |
| Peel & Stick | SS |
| Performance Micro Fiber Shirts | PS200 - 9414 |
| Scarf (Woven) | RS15 - TW15 - S18 |
| Sheets/Pillow Cases | RET- S18 - TW15 - TW20 |
| Shirts (Collars/Cuffs) | SS |
| Shirts (Denim/Twill) | ASC - C020 - RS15 - S18 - TW15 |
| Shirts (Linen/Oxford) | RS15 - RS20 - TW15 - TW20 - S18 - SH15 |
| Shirts (Bicycle) | 9414- SH15 |
| Shorts (Cotton/Nylon) | ASC - C020 - RS15 - TW15 - S18 |
| Socks | 9141 - SH15 |
| Sweaters (Fine/Tight) | ASC - C020 - C025 - SH15 |
| Sweaters (Shetland) | ASC - ASHD - C025 - C030 |
| Swim Suits | ASHD - C030 - 9414 - CAS |
| Tablecloths/Napkins/Placemats) | RS15 - RS20 - TW15 - TW20 |
|
Tie (Knit)
|
ASC - C020 - C025 |
| Tie (Silk) | RET- RS15 - TW15 |
| Tote Bag | RS15 - TW15 |
| Towels | TW15 - TW20 |
| T-Shirts (4oz Med) | ASC - C025 - SH15 - 9414 |
| T-Shirts (6oz Heavy) | ASC - C020 - C025 - 9414 |
| Umbrella | RS15 - RS20 - TW15 - TW20 - SS |
| Webbing/Belting | RS15 - TW15 |