Appliqué Satin Width and Density Guide

Satin cover width

The satin cover is the visible border around the fabric. Wider covers look bolder and hide the raw edge more safely; narrower ones look finer. In the appliqué tool the satin cover thickness runs from 1 mm to 8 mm, and the default is 2.5 mm.

• Around 2.5 to 3 mm is a common, neat edge for letters about 2 to 3 inches tall.
• 3.5 to 4 mm gives a bolder look and more forgiveness if the fabric shifts slightly, but needs thicker letter strokes (see fonts for appliqué).
• Wider than 5 mm suits large letters and puff styles. At this width, satin stitches get long; see the split satin note below.

Satin density

Density is the distance between satin stitches. The tool’s range is 0.2 to 3 mm, with 0.4 mm as the recommended default. Smaller numbers pack the thread tighter and look fuller; very small numbers risk puckering and thread build-up. Larger numbers sew faster but leave visible gaps between stitches.

Tack-down width

When the tack-down is a zigzag, its thickness sets how wide the zigzag is. It must stay at or below the satin cover width, otherwise the hidden guide layer would show past the finished edge. A narrower tack-down holds tight corners and small counters more cleanly; a wider one gives the satin more foundation on soft or stretchy fabric. If you choose a running-stitch tack-down instead, there is no width to set. See zigzag vs running tack-down.

Fabric type and pull compensation

Dense stitching pulls fabric in, so the finished satin can come out narrower than designed. The Fabric type setting adds allowance to the placement, tack-down and satin to compensate.

Split satin stitches on wide columns

By default, satin stitches longer than 6 mm are split in two, which can leave a faint line of small dips down the middle of a wide satin column. The Split satin stitches checkbox turns that off, so every stitch runs straight across. That gives a cleaner column on wide covers, with the trade-off of longer stitches. A stitch file also cannot hold a single stitch longer than about 12 mm, so very wide columns are still split where needed.

Starting values