How to Choose Needle sizes for Your Embroidery Machine?

Hard to find the right needle size for your embroidery machine? Besides checking your machine needle requirements, here is a brief guide to help you to choose the right needle.Let’s begin.

What is an embroidery machine needle?

Embroidery machine needles are specially designed for use on embroidery machines. Itgenerally works with rayon and polyester embroidery threads. It has a deep scarf at the front side compared to universal needles.

The image below shows you each part of a machine needle.

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What is the difference between embroidery machine needles and standard sewing needles?

There are two major differences.

1. The eyes of embroidery machine needles are usually larger than those of standard sewing needles.
2. Embroidery needles have a deep scarf as mentioned above. They also have a rounded point which protects the thread from shredding and breaking.

What are sharp needles and ball points needles?

Sharp needles and ball point needles are designed for use with different materials. A sharp point needle, as its name implies, has a sharp point and is generally used for tightly woven fabric.

Ball point needles have a rounded tip and are generally used for loosely woven and fabric.

However, the choice of needle will come from experimenting. Some embroiderers may find that using a sharp needle works well with some loosely woven fabric too.

Understanding how embroidery needles are sized

When we say embroidery needle’s size, it means the diameter of the needle’s blade. For example, if a needle’s size is 75/11, it means the blade’s diameter is 0.75mm.  75 and 11 are the same, just different standards (EU standards and U.S standards.See the chart below:

Needle Size with Two Standards

Different Size of Embroidery Needles

Embroidery needles have several sizes. We carry embroidery needle sizes of 65/9, 70/10, 75/11, 80/12, 90/14. Here are three common needle sizes for your reference:

65/9: mainly used for small detail work when curves are sharp and density is an issue.
75/11: it is the most common size and you will use it 70-80% of time, because the diameter is not too big for embroidery and it offers sufficient needle strength.
80/12: This needle is used for heavier fabrics, such as denim, because it makes a bigger hole in the fabric while it sews.

A Needle Chart with Recommended Needle and Needle Size for Various Fabrics for your reference

When do you need to replace your embroidery needles?

It depends on the amount of use and the material used. When you feel your needle does not sound like it is working right, replace with a new one immediately. Generally speaking, after 50,000-60,000 stitches, you should replace embroidery needles in order to maintain quality embroidery and that your machine runs smoothly.

Where can I buy Embroidery Needles for my Machine?

If you have had difficulty buying quality needles for your machine, try our machine needles. They are tested and used by many commercial embroiderers. You can also shop on many other online stores like ebay, amazon and esty.

Choosing the right size of embroidery needle for each embroidery job is important to ensure quality embroidery.  A great embroidery job requires the correct use of stabilizer for your choice of embroidery thread.

If you have any questions about how to choose the needle size for your machine, please leave your questions here and we will answer to you shortly.