9 Best Embroidery Machines For Shirts
Embroidery is a popular way to personalize clothing and make it unique. With old clothes, you can also add some embroidered details to refresh the look and even hide stains or holes.
If you have a T-shirt shop, offering custom embroidery on your T-shirts can also be a great way to make your creations stand out from the crowd and make your shirt truly one of a kind.
However, there is a large range of embroidery machine designs and features. If you have never worked with one before, it can be difficult to tell which one is the most suitable for embroidering shirts.
What are the best embroidery machines for shirts? You will want an embroidery machine with at least a 4″ x 4″ embroidery size to work with shirts but make sure there are connectivity options and a touch screen that allows you to customize and transfer your designs to the machine easily.
In this article, let’s take a look at what you will need to consider when buying embroidery machines for shirts and find the most suitable options for your needs.
Buying Guide
Most modern embroidery machines can sell for around a hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Depending on if you want a basic machine or a commercial machine with lots of features, the price will vary accordingly.
Let’s take a look at some factors you will need to consider when buying an embroidery machine.
Personal Vs. Commercial Embroidery
Personal embroidery projects don’t require a lot of built-in features or custom fonts and designs. On the other hand, commercial machines can come packed with a ton of features that allow custom embroidery shops to offer a wide range of designs.
Of course, more features mean a higher price tag, so if you’re just working on simple, small, and infrequent projects, there’s really no need to invest in an expensive machine.
That’s why before buying an embroidery machine, you should think about how you will be using it.
If you’re hoping to customize your shirts as a hobby, then a small machine with basic features will do. If you are looking to expand your business, then you can look for a fancier machine with more convenient features.
Embroidery Hoops
Similar to hand embroidery, machine embroidery also employs the use of hoops to keep your fabric taut and allow the machine to move across the embroidery area with ease.
Some embroidery machines come with their own set of hoops, while others require you to purchase additional embroidery hoops to work with the machine.
Embroidery Size
Although you can use several embroidery hoops of different sizes, the size of the embroidery hoop will correspond with the size of the embroidery. However, since the embroidery won’t be able to reach the edge of the hoop, the actual size of the embroidery area will be smaller than the hoop.
Each machine will also have a limit on the size that the machine can embroider, and this is usually the same as the width of the machine’s body. The most common sizes for embroidery using a machine are 4″ by 4″, 5″ x 7″, and 6″ x 10″.
If you’re adding decorative touches to T-shirts, you usually don’t need a very large embroidery size. Even a 4″ by 4″ is big enough to add small details and logos on the shirt.
Features
All embroidery machines are designed to use stitches to transform your digital design into an embroidered one on your shirt. However, there are quite a few features that make customization much easier.
Let’s take a look at some key features below.
Touch screen
Embroidery machines are usually computerized now, which means you can use them just like how you use your phone or tablet to customize the size, the text, the font, and even combine designs together.
Of course, having a touch screen on your embroidery machine will make those options much easier and more intuitive to figure out. You can opt for a machine with a black and white touch screen or a color touch screen, with the color touch screen option being much more advanced.
Without the touch screen, there will be quite a few steps you will need to do to transfer the design to the machine. You’ll need to design using branded software and then connect your computer to the embroidery machine to work.
This may not be a problem if you’re only working small, infrequent jobs. However, if you’re running a shop that needs to be very flexible with your designs, then getting a machine with a touch screen will make customization much easier.
Connectivity
Speaking of connectivity, connecting your computerized embroidery machine and your computer can be a neat function to have.
Even if your embroidery machine is packed with built-in fonts and designs, sometimes you’ll see a pattern that you like or want to create your own embroidery design.
This is where having connectivity options like Wifi and Bluetooth will be quite convenient because you can design on your computer and easily transfer the design to the embroidery machine.
Wifi and Bluetooth are available in most newer models, and some older models have a USB port that allows you to manually transfer your designs as well.
Fonts
Letters like company names or initials are the most popular thing that people choose to embroider when opting for customization. Having more built-in fonts will allow you to have more options when it comes to customizing letters.
That said, you can always create your design on your computer and transfer the design to the embroidery machine if the built-in fonts are not meeting your needs.
Sewing Capabilities
Many embroidery machines are two-in-one machines, meaning you can use them to sew as well as embroider. These machines are not necessarily more expensive, but they offer more flexibility.
If you want to sew your own clothes, then you can opt for a machine that is both a sewing and embroidery machine.
Stitching Speed
The stitching speed is the number of stitches per minute. It is usually measured in stitches per minute. Most embroidery machines run at speeds from 600-750 stitches per minute.
Fast stitching speeds allow for faster production, but they also have drawbacks. Fast stitching requires more force from the machine’s motor, which makes it difficult to control.
Slow stitching speeds allow for more control over placement and consistency in your embroidery designs.
Of course, the speed is also affected by the number of color changes that your design has, so if the design is more complicated, the machine will take a bit more time, and you’ll find that the speed is slower than the number indicated by the machine’s manufacturer.
Other Features
Embroidery machines also have tons of convenient features that make embroidering much more convenient and pain-free. Here are just some features that you may want to consider.
- Lighting – LED lights over the working area help you see your work better so that you can work more efficiently. This makes it easier to see more details of the embroidery and make adjustments easily if needed.
- Automatic needle threader – The automatic needle threader makes threading your needle easier. All you have to do is press a button, and the thread goes through your needle for you. For those who have poor eyesight or just hate threading needles, this feature is a must-have.
- Automatic thread tension – Automatic thread tension allows for consistent stitching every time, even if you change the type of fabric or thread that you’re using. This helps you avoid looped threads or even tangles as you create your design.
- Automatic thread cutter – An automatic thread cutter makes cutting excess threads off after stitching faster and easier.
- Bobbin winder – The bobbin winder is a feature that allows you to manually wind bobbins without interrupting your work. It’s especially useful if you’re working on a large project and need many bobbins but don’t want to stop stitching in order to wind them.
- Adjustable bobbin winding speed – There are different types of threads that require different speeds for winding bobbins. This feature allows you to adjust the speed according to the type of thread you are using.
- Snap-on presser foot – Sometimes, you might need to change your presser foot while working on an embroidery project, especially if you’re working with a slippery fabric or a thick fabric. With this feature, you can easily snap on or off the presser foot depending on what kind of fabric you want to use next.
- Snap-on embroidery hoop – As mentioned before, you can switch embroidery hoops according to the size of your design. This feature makes things easier by providing an easy way to attach or detach your hoops with ease.
Best Embroidery Machines For Shirts
| Rank | Product | Embroidery Size | Where To Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brother SE1900 Sewing And Embroidery Machine | 5" x 7" | See it on Amazon |
| 2. | Brother SE700 Sewing And Embroidery Machine | 4" x 4" | See it on Amazon |
| 3. | Brother Innov-ís NQ1700E Embroidery Machine | 6” x 10” | See it on Amazon |
| 4. | Brother PE900 Embroidery Machine | 5” x 7” | See it on Amazon |
| 5. | Janome Memory Craft 400E Embroidery Machine | 7.9" x 7.9" | See it on Amazon |
| 6. | Brother PE545 Embroidery Machine | 4” x 4” | See it on Amazon |
| 7. | SINGER | Legacy SE300 Embroidery Machine | 7 ⅞” (across) | See it on Amazon |
| 8. | Bernette B70 6" x 10" Embroidery Machine | 6” x 10” | See it on Amazon |
| 9. | EverSewn Sparrow X2 Sewing & Embroidery Machine | 4.75” x 7” | See it on Amazon |
1. Brother SE1900 Sewing And Embroidery Machine
Five by seven inches of hoop is the number that decides most shirt jobs. It takes a full chest design or a back print in one hooping, which is exactly where a smaller field starts costing you in alignment and rehooping.
It embroiders and it sews. Two hundred and forty built-in stitches means the machine that just monogrammed a shirt can also hem it, instead of handing the job across the table to a second machine.
Editing happens on a 3.2-inch touchscreen, and the 138 built-in designs and 11 lettering fonts cover most shirt work before you go looking for imported files.
2. Brother SE700 Sewing And Embroidery Machine
This is the entry point. A 4 by 4 inch hoop is small, but it is the right size for a left-chest logo, a sleeve detail or a pocket monogram, and that covers most of what people actually put on a shirt.
It connects over wireless, so designs move from a laptop to the machine without a USB stick in between. That sounds like a small thing until you are three revisions into a logo and walking back and forth.
It sews too, with 103 built-in stitches alongside the 135 embroidery designs. A beginner is buying one machine rather than committing to embroidery before they know whether they like it.
3. Brother Innov-ís NQ1700E Embroidery Machine
Brother Innov-ís NQ1700E Embroidery Machine is the ultimate embroidery machine when it comes to versatility.
This machine is ready to go right out of the box with 258 built-in designs, 140 combinations of frames and patterns, and 11 embroidery lettering fonts.
All of these designs are fully customizable thanks to the 4.85-inch color LCD touch screen display that allows for on-screen editing that includes letter editing, enhanced zoom, resizing, rotating, repositioning, and combining designs!
The large 6 x 10-inch embroidery area allows you to create designs that span across the front or the back of the shirt in just one go, and you can take advantage of the customization options to create large designs for your shirt in just one go.
And because it has a built-in USB port to import designs from your memory stick, there’s nothing stopping you from putting your creative ideas into motion today!
4. Brother PE900 Embroidery Machine
The PE900 is Brother’s direct replacement for the discontinued PE770, and it keeps the reason people bought the older machine in the first place: a 5″ x 7″ embroidery field on a machine that does embroidery and nothing else.
It arrives with 193 built-in designs — scrollwork, florals, quilt patterns — and 13 lettering fonts, so you can stitch a name across a shirt pocket without loading anything from a computer.
Wireless LAN is built in, so designs move over from a PC through Brother’s Design Database Transfer software, and there is still a USB port if you would rather skip the network entirely. The Artspira phone app adds 50 more free designs and lets you draw a pattern on your phone and send it straight to the machine.
Two features earn their keep on multi-colour shirt work. Advanced Color Sort reorders the stitching so you swap thread fewer times, and Jump Stitch Trimming cuts the loose thread jumps inside a colour block for you rather than leaving them for your scissors.
One thing to be straight about before you buy: the PE900 sits at 4.5 stars across 292 reviews. That is a thin count by Amazon standards, and it is thin for a reason — a $1,000 embroidery-only machine never gathers ratings the way a $20 notion does. Nothing in this category clears 500 reviews at 4.2 stars or better, so 292 is close to the ceiling of what is available here.
5. Janome Memory Craft 400E Embroidery Machine
The Memory Craft 400E machine is packed with powerful features to help you create beautiful embroidered designs on your shirts.
This Embroidery Machine comes with 160 built-in designs that come pre-installed on the machine. In addition, there are six fonts that can be used for all types of projects, including monograms, lettering, and more!
You can also import your own designs from your PC using the USB port on the side of the machine. This makes it easy to use any design you want without any additional software needed; just plug and play!
There are also a ton of other convenient features that embroidery beginners will appreciate, including a built-in needle threader, automatic needle threader, easy set bobbin system, bobbin winding plate, and a bobbin thread sensor which makes it easy to set up and use them right out of the box!
The 7.9″ x 7.9″ Embroidery Field is large enough to meet most needs, especially if you are mainly working with shirts and other clothing garments, and will allow you to create beautiful embroideries with ease.
6. Brother PE545 Embroidery Machine
If the PE900 above is more machine than a first embroidery project calls for, the PE545 is the same idea scaled down — embroidery only, a 4″ x 4″ hoop, and a price that lands under $500.
It ships with 135 built-in designs covering kids’ patterns, holidays and florals, plus 10 fonts (7 English and 3 Japanese) for lettering a shirt.
The 3.7-inch colour touchscreen is the part beginners actually notice. You drag the design where you want it, edit it on screen and preview the finished stitch-out before the needle moves — and there are tutorial videos built into the machine itself, which is unusual at this price.
Design transfer works the same way as on the PE900: wireless LAN from a PC using Design Database Transfer, the built-in USB port, or the Artspira app if you want to sketch something on your phone and send it over.
Same honesty note as the PE900: the PE545 rates 4.5 stars across 252 reviews. It is a small sample because household embroidery machines sell in the thousands rather than the millions, not because buyers are lukewarm. Nothing in the category clears the 500-review mark at 4.2 stars or better, so 252 reviews at 4.5 stars is about as much consensus as this shelf offers.
7. SINGER | Legacy SE300 Sewing And Embroidery Machine
The SINGER Legacy SE300 is a great, highly convenient machine that’s perfect for those who love both sewing and embroidery.
It features 250 built-in stitches for sewing and 200 embroidery designs, as well as 6 alphabet options. This means you can make your own shirt and then add customized decorative touches to the garment to make it your own!
The LCD Touch Screen makes navigating through the menus easy and intuitive. Simply touch the screen to scroll through your options. The LCD Touch Screen allows you to choose your design, adjust the settings, and sort out all the features just how you like them.
You can even transfer designs from your computer or tablet directly onto the machine using the USB port. The extra-large 7 7/8 inch embroidery area allows you to create large designs, which are accommodated by the two included snap-on embroidery hoops.
This sewing and embroidery machine is a great choice for quilters, crafters, and sewists who want the convenience of having one machine that can do it all!
8. Bernette B70 6″ x 10″ Embroidery Machine
The Bernette B70 is a versatile embroidery machine capable of creating beautiful embroidery.
This machine has a 5-inch LCD display screen that makes it easy to read and navigate through menus without having to refer back to instruction manuals every time you need help!
It also comes preloaded with over 208 designs created by professional artists, so you’ll be able to start using this machine right away without having to spend hours designing custom artwork yourself.
The Bernette B70 features USB stick transfer, so you can transfer your design from your computer directly to the machine with ease.
The 6″ x 10″ embroidery area is accommodated by the three included embroidery hoops, which allow you to create embroidery designs in various sizes. You can even use them in combination to create a design that spans across your shirt.
9. EverSewn Sparrow X2 Sewing & Embroidery Machine
The EverSewn Sparrow X2 is an easy-to-use, powerful sewing and embroidery machine.
With over 120 different stitches for sewing and over 100 embroidery designs to choose from, you can create anything you like with ease.
The Max embroidery area of 4.75×7 inches is just perfect for customizing your shirts, even with the most complicated designs.
The LCD screen provides easy customization. In addition, you can also install the App, which offers design modifications, easy placement, and monitoring features, so designing and embroidering your own design is even easier.
Because this is a sewing and embroidery machine, there are also many other advanced features that you may enjoy. The presser foot pressure adjustment allows for balanced stitching across all materials, from tule to leather, allowing you to use just about any material you can think of.
The advanced foot pressure adjustment adjusts independently for each foot, enabling balanced stitching on every type of fabric. And with its advanced auto threader, threading will never be a headache again!
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