When you want to know if a design will look good in a particular location or if this design is the best size for the item it is being stitched on, a printed template can help you make these decisions.  You can print actual size templates from the Embrilliance programs.  The option to include a cross-hair at the center of the design will show you EXACTLY where the machine will load the design into the hoop so that you know where the stitches will be on your item.

A printed template can also warn you of “impending embroidery doom” such as stitching over a buttonhole, velcro closure, metal rivet or eyelet as in this ball cap.  If the design was shifted about 1/4″ lower, the stitching would have been right on top of the eyelet – and we all know that sound at the machine!  Sometimes this can cause other problems like broken needles, shredded thread or worse.

If you have not used templates to help with your embroidery before, you might want to check out the How-to Helper playlist on the Embrilliance YouTube channel! Printing a template might seem like an unnecessary extra step, but just like a pirate’s treasure map, X marks the spot and will lead you to a beautiful reward 🙂