Table of Contents
Assessing Your Equipment: Single Needle vs Multi-Head
A 100-piece order flows differently depending on the machine sitting on your bench. In embroidery, "capacity" isn't just about speed—it's about how much human intervention is required per garment.
The scenario is classic: 100 coats, a ~5,000-stitch design, and a one-week deadline. The concern? Pricing. Is $6 per coat a steal or a mistake? Is $15 too scary?
To answer this, you must first audit your hardware reality.
What you’re really pricing: capacity, not just stitches
The "Speed" number on your screen is a lie. Real speed is determined by how often the machine stops.
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Single Needle Flatbed (Home Machines):
- The Bottleneck: Every color change requires you to physically re-thread. If a design has 5 colors, that’s 500 manual stops for 100 coats.
- The Sound: You hear silence (downtime) more than stitching.
- The Verdict: You are pricing for your labor, not just machine time.
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Single-Head Multi-Needle (e.g., 6/10/15 needles):
- The Bottleneck: Hooping time. The machine stitches color 1 through 5 automatically.
- The Sound: A rhythmic "clack-clack" of the needle bar shifting, followed immediately by stitching.
- The Verdict: You cut downtime by 50-70%.
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Multi-Head (2/4/6+ heads):
- The Advantage: Linear scaling. Two heads = double the income per hour.
- The Verdict: This is mass production territory.
If you are running a single head embroidery machine, never price-match a factory with 12 heads. You offer boutique care, not commodity speed.
The deadline test (before you quote)
Perform this "sanity check" before sending an invoice:
- Stitch Count Reality: 5,000 stitches is the "profit sweet spot." It’s fast enough to finish quickly but valuable enough to charge for.
- Color Complexity: On a single-needle machine, 2 colors is manageable; 8 colors is a nightmare.
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The "Bulk Factor": Coats are heavy. They drag on the hoop.
- Sensory Check: If the hoop pops out while sewing, the heavy fabric will pull the design out of registration.
Warning (Physical Safety): Heavy Garment Hazard. When embroidering heavy coats, the weight of the fabric can drag the hoop. Do not put your hands near the needle bar to support the fabric while the machine is running. A 700 SPM needle moving through thick canvas can shatter and send shrapnel toward your eyes. Always use a table or stand to support the coat's weight.
Calculating the True Cost of Running an Embroidery Business
Pricing is psychological until you do the math. Then, it becomes logical.
We must move beyond "thread cost" and look at the "Hidden Killer" of embroidery profits: Friction.
Treat “paid-off” equipment like it still has a cost
New business owners often think, "My machine is paid off, so it costs $0 to run." This is false. Every hour you run your machine creates wear on motors, belts, and reciprocating shafts. You must charge a "Machine Hourly Rate" (e.g., $5-$10/hour) to build a replacement fund. When your machine eventually dies, the customer should have already paid for the new one via this surcharge.
Hidden consumables & prep checks
For a 100-coat run, you aren't just using thread. You are burning through supplies that novices forget to bill for.
The "Invisible" Bill of Materials:
- Needles: Heavy