A 3-Step Guide to Emulating Embroidery with Catalyst UV Printers
This piece accompanies the video we produced, which is available on our Youtube channel here.
Create the Image
We used AI image generation and tested a number of different prompts against multiple graphics generation systems to achieve a print-ready file. We tested the prompt below, with an uploaded version of our logo file, in Gemini and ChatGPT. Simply choose your generation tool and mimic the prompt below. You can modify the instructions to suit your specific requirements as it goes to resolution, lighting, background, etc.
"A photorealistic embroidered patch created from the provided logo. Macro style with visible rayon thread texture and dense satin stitches. Well-defined 'merrow' type outer edge. Subtle 3D effect with soft shadows. The patch is isolated on a transparent background. High resolution (300 DPI), studio lighting."
Use the Gray Gradation feature, which is built into Catalyst Print Pro rip to set up the texture.
Open Catalyst Print Pro and set up your print platen to match your item printing requirements.
In Print Properties, open the Media Tab.
Set White Underbase to 100%, Gray Gradation.
Choose the number of layers that correspond to the desired thickness. On Nanos, we typically use 6, on Aventra we use 2-3 layers, depending on the material.
Send the Print.
If we can answer questions about this technique or anything else related to UV printing, please reach out to us at hello@dpi-lab.com.