Embroidery is an attractive and long-lasting way to customize materials like clothing, hats, and other accessories. Whether you’re considering hand embroidery or embroidery machines to customize merchandise for yourself or your business, keep reading to learn a bit more about some common stitch types. Here are some of the differences between satin and fill stitch embroidery.

What Is Satin Stitch Embroidery?

Satin stitching is a type of embroidery technique that borders a design. The satin stitch uses a zig-zagging pattern and a very small thread length to form a continuous line and border. Satin stitches can also help fill in larger areas of a pattern by packing the stitches closer together. This allows the satin stitch to fulfill multiple purposes and makes it ideal for a wide variety of projects.

What Is Fill Stitch Embroidery?

The fill stitch is an embroidery technique designed to cover a set area of fabric. With the right thread and equipment, the fill stitch will cover enough area that you won’t be able to see the fabric color underneath the embroidered area. Most of the time, embroiderers use the fill stitch to cover an outlined section. Outlines usually consist of running borders, satin stitches, or other styles that create the edge of the pattern. Fill stitches have several benefits, such as filling fabric areas, preventing puckering, and improving embroidery coverage.

Differences and When To Use Each Stitch

Because satin and fill stitches are both useful for filling in embroidery patterns, you might be wondering how these techniques differ. Embroidery machines or hand stitchers create satin stitches with tight, densely packed zig-zag lines to cover a wider area. Fill stitches are less densely packed, and a single line covers a greater amount of fabric. When they have a large area to fill, most embroiderers will use a fill stitch as an underlay. If you’re looking for a more efficient embroidery method, consider using a fill stitch. However, if you want to get the smallest details right, use a satin stitch.

These are the basics of satin versus fill stitch embroidery and their differences. Use this knowledge to plan your next embroidery customization project and choose the right stitching settings for your needs. If you need plain dad hats or other styles for creating custom merchandise, check out KBETHOS. You can find a wide variety of headwear options here.