How to Make a Template Without a Printer

 

Need to print a template but you’re out of ink or don’t have a printer? I’ll show you how!

Templates are essential to precise design positioning in machine embroidery. If a PDF template isn’t included with your embroidery design download, it is easy to print one out using Embrilliance or another design editing software (be sure you are printing at actual size/100 percent).

Not all of us have a home printer though and it’s inevitable that those of us who do will go to print out a template and discover that we’re out of ink. Now what? Create a paper template instead.

Let’s say I’m embroidering a name on a beach towel. It is helpful to have a template to determine placement.

Creating the Text

BX fonts are wonderful since they allow you to create keyboard-like fonts rather than opening, placing, and individually moving each individual letter.

Script fonts sometimes need a bit of tweaking to get the kerning (space between letters) to be perfect. See how to do that here.

When finished with the name file, make sure you save both a stitch file and a working file. See why that is important here.

Making a Paper Template

If I open the name file in Embrilliance and click on an embroidery file, I see that the name measures 5 inches wide by 2 15/16 inches tall, so you might as well say it is 5x3.

Grab a piece of paper, preferably graph paper, and draw out a rectangle 5 inches wide by 3 inches tall.

Cut it out. Draw centering crosshairs on it if you like.  You can now use this piece of paper to help with positioning the embroidery on your project, just as if you had printed it.

Stitching a Template

Another way to create a template without printing it is to stitch it out on a medium- or heavy-weight cutaway stabilizer. See how to do it with applique designs here.

Add a basting box to your design. That places stitching around the design edge, most often to hold fabric or batting in place within the hoop or floated on top of the hoop. Hoop stabilizer and stitch the basting box but don’t use thread in the needle or bobbin. Cut along the needle perforations for a box that can be used for positioning just like a paper template. 

Do you have any tricks for creating templates without a printer?

Debbie Henry
Sew Inspired by Bonnie