Hatch Lettering That Actually Stitches: Fonts, Baselines, Circular Text, and the Kerning Fix Pros Use

Lettering is the definitive litmus test in machine embroidery. It is where a design either looks "pro"—crisp, legible, and balanced—or looks "homemade"—wavy, buried in fluff, or strangely warped. If you have ever watched a name stitch out and wondered, "Why does the 'A' look thinner than the 'B'?" or "Why did the text arch perfectly on screen but look crooked on the shirt?", you are encountering the physics of embroidery.

Embroidery is not printing. You are pushing a physical needle through a flexible material thousands of times. The fabric wants to move; your job is to tell it to stay put.

This guide rebuilds the Hatch (Digitizer) lettering workflow with a layer of shop-floor reality. We won't just click buttons; we will discuss the settings that determine stitchability, the specific parameters for safe operation, and how to calibrate your physical setup (hoops and stabilizers) so your text doesn't fight the fabric.

Open the Hatch Lettering & Monogramming Toolbox Without Missing the “Docker” Everyone Forgets

In Hatch, lettering is not a floating overlay like in a graphic design program; it is a calculated object found in the Toolbox.

1. Locate the Toolbox: On the left-hand side of your interface, click the Lettering and Monogramming collapse menu.
2. Select the Tool: Click the Lettering icon (usually represented by an 'A').
3. The Sensory Check: Do not just start typing. Look to the right side of your screen. You must see the Object Properties docker panel pop out. If you don't see this, you are flying blind.

Why this matters: The Docker is where the physics of the stitch are controlled. Without it, you are just drawing pictures; with it, you are programming a machine.

Note: Hatch features vary by tier. This guide follows the Digitizer level workflow, which offers full control.

Prep Checklist (before you type a single letter)

Before you touch the keyboard, perform this physical and digital pre-flight check. Failing here effectively guarantees a thread break or a wrecked garment.

• Docker Visibility: Is the Object Properties panel open on the right?
• Context Check: Are you designing for a flat item (jacket back, towel) or a tubular item (finished cap, sleeve, pant leg)? This dictates your stitch sequence later.
• Consumable Check: Do you have the correct needle installed?
  • Standard: 75/11 Sharp for wovens.
  • Knits: 75/11 Ballpoint.
  • Small Text: If your text height is under 6mm, swap to a 60/8 or 65/9 needle and 60-weight thread.
• Bobbin Audit: Open your bobbin case. Is it clean? A lint bunny the size of a grain of rice can throw off tension and loop your text.
• Source Material: Do not rely on memory. Have the client's order form or text file open on a second screen.

Type Text in Hatch Object Properties (and Avoid the “No Spell Check” Trap)

In the Object Properties docker, look for the text field. Click inside it and type your content (the video example is "Hatch").

Strict Warning: Hatch is industrial-grade software, not a word processor. There is no spell check. The software will happily digitize "Congradulations" or "Happy Birthday Micheal" without a red squiggly line.

Pro tip from real shops: Never type directly from your brain into the software for client names. Copy the name from the email/order form and paste it into the field (Ctrl+V). Then, read it aloud letter by letter. It is infinitely cheaper to spend 10 seconds reading than to pick out 5,000 stitches from a ruined hoodie.

Choose Between Embroidery Fonts and TrueType Fonts in Hatch (and Know When Each One Bites You)

Hatch offers you two distinct paths, and usually, only one is the "Safe Mode" for beginners.

1. Embroidery Fonts (ESA): These are pre-digitized by human professionals. The underlay, density, and pull compensation are optimized for thread.
2. TrueType Fonts (TTF): These are Windows/Mac system fonts that Hatch auto-converts to stitches.

The Expert Recommendation: Start with pre-created embroidery fonts.

The Logic: TrueType fonts are designed for pixels, not thread. They often contain sharp serifs or tiny distinct variances that look great on a monitor but turn into a "thread knot" on fabric. Auto-digitizing algorithms are improving, but they often struggle with thin columns (under 1.5mm wide).

Speed Trick: To scroll quickly, click the font dropdown and press the first letter of the font name (e.g., press S to jump to Schoolbook, as shown in the demo).

Production Reality: Stick to 3-5 "workhorse" embroidery fonts (a Block, a Serif, a Script). Learn their behavior—how much they shrink, how legible they are at small sizes—and use them for 90% of your work. Consistency builds profit; constant experimentation builds scrap piles.

Set Letter Height the Hatch Way: Baseline to Cap Height (So Your 10 mm Isn’t “Mystery Small”)

In the video, the default height is 10 mm. In the metric world of embroidery, this is small—about 0.4 inches.

The Cognitive Trap: In graphic design, font size includes the "ascenders" and "descenders" (the top of the 'h' to the bottom of the 'y'). In Hatch, the height measurement is typically Baseline to Cap Height (bottom of 'A' to top of 'A').

This means if you set a font with long tails (like a script) to 10mm, the actual visual footprint might be 15mm or 20mm, but the main body is tiny.

To change the size:

1. Highlight the value in the Height field.
2. Type your desired number (e.g., 15).
3. Press Enter.
   
   
   

What experienced digitizers watch for (the “stitchability” angle)

Size is not just aesthetic; it is structural.

• The Danger Zone: Any text under 5mm is extremely difficult to stitch cleanly on standard fabric without 60wt thread and a small needle.
• The Safety Zone: For standard 40wt thread, aim for 8mm-12mm minimum for block fonts.
• Fabric Factor: If you are hooping a fluffy towel, 15mm is your minimum safety floor. Anything smaller will sink into the loops and vanish.

If you are using a standard hooping for embroidery machine setup on a single-needle machine, remember: small text requires tighter hooping. If the fabric can "micro-shift" even 0.5mm, your 4mm tall letters will look illegible.

Control Baselines in Hatch Lettering: Free Line vs Fixed Line (and Why Spacing Behaves Differently)

The Baseline determines the "floor" your letters stand on.

• Free Line: The text box expands as you type. This is standard for names.
• Fixed Line: You define a specific width (e.g., 60mm or 3 inches), and Hatch forces the text to fit inside it.

The Trade-off: If you choose Fixed Line, Hatch must squish or stretch your letters to fit the box.

• Too much text + Small box = Letters become dangerously thin (column width < 1mm). Thread breaks are imminent.
• Too little text + Big box = Letters look overly stretched and amateurish.

Sensory Check: Look at the "Column Width" of your letter 'I' or 'L'. If it looks like a single needle line rather than a satin bar, your fixed width is too narrow for the amount of text.

Use Hatch Layout Icons for Arcs, Vertical Text, and Circular Lettering (Without Fighting the Canvas)

The Layouts panel allows you to break free from straight lines. The video demonstrates Arcs, Vertical stacks, and Circular text.

The Workflow for Circular Text:

1. Type your text (e.g., "Hatch by Wilcom").
2. Click the Layouts icon (often looks like three lines or a curve).
3. Select Circle Clockwise.
4. Action: Click the center point on your canvas and drag outward to define the radius.
5. Listen/Feel: You won't hear a click, but watch for the text to snap into a ring. If it overlaps itself, your radius is too small. Press Undo (Ctrl+Z) and drag a wider circle.
   
   
   
   
   

Watch out: curved text exposes spacing problems

When you bend text, the tops of the letters fan out (on an upper arc) or crunch together (on a lower arc). This is Normal. Do not panic. We will fix this with the Reshape tool later. Do not try to fix spacing by typing extra spaces in the text box—that is the amateur method and will create uneven gaps.

Treat Lettering Art in Hatch Like Hot Sauce: A Little Is Great, Too Much Ruins the Stitch-Out

Lettering Art (the envelope shapes/distortions) allows you to warp text into waves, pennants, or perspective shapes.

How to Use:

1. Hover over the More button in the Art section.
2. For ease of use, click the header bar and tear it off to create a floating palette.
3. Click a shape to apply it.
   

Warning: Mechanical Hazard. Extreme Lettering Art distortion creates "pinch points"—areas where stitches pile up on top of each other. If the density becomes too high at these pinch points, your needle can deflect, strike the throat plate, and shatter.
Rule of Thumb: If any part of the letter becomes thinner than 1mm or stitched over itself more than 3 layers deep, remove the effect or enlarge the design.

Expert “why” (so you don’t repeat the mistake)

Your goal is legibility. Heavily distorted text is hard to read. In commercial embroidery, a logo that cannot be read is a logo that is rejected. Use Lettering Art for subtle movement, not for turning text into abstract art.

Use Center-Out Stitching in Hatch for Caps and Tubular Items (So the Fabric Gets Pushed the Right Way)

This is the "Secret Sauce" for stitching hats. Standard stitching goes Left-to-Right.

• The Problem: On a rounded hat, Left-to-Right stitching pushes a "wave" of fabric in front of the presser foot. By the time it reaches the right side, the fabric bunches up, causing the text to look slanted or crooked.
• The Solution: Center Out stitching.

How to set it:

1. Select your text object.
2. In Object Properties, look for the Sequence or Stitch Order options.
3. Select Center Out.
   

The shop-floor translation

When stitching on a curved surface, "Center Out" stitches the middle letter first (fixing the fabric to the stabilizer), then moves right, then moves left (or vice versa). This pushes the "fabric wave" away from the center, smoothing the material as it sews.

This is critical if you are using a specialized cap hoop for embroidery machine. A cap hoop puts tension on the brim, but the front face still has play. Center-Out sequencing is your insurance policy against warping.

Dial In Slant and Letter Spacing in Hatch (25°, -15°, 0.90, 0.60) Without Guessing

Don't just eyeball these settings. Use known safe ranges.

Slant (Italics)

• Positive value (e.g., 25): Leans forward. Standard for "speed" or sports looks.
• Negative value (e.g., -15): Leans backward. Rare, but useful for retro styles.
  
  
  

Letter Spacing (Kerning)

The video demonstrates changing spacing from 0.90 (loose) to 0.60 (tight).

The Sensory Check: Look at the gap between the letters 'A' and 'V' or 'T' and 'o'.

• Too Tight: The satin columns touch. This creates a hard lump of thread.
• Too Loose: The word falls apart visually.
• Safe Range: For 15mm text, a spacing of 0.80mm to 1.0mm is usually the sweet spot.

Setup Checklist (before you export a lettering file)

• Font Type: Embroidery font selected (for reliability) or TrueType (with risk accepted).
• Size Safety: Minimal height >6mm? (If <6mm, check flow for small needle/thread).
• Baseline: Set to Free Line unless you have a hard sizerestraint.
• Sequence: Center Out selected if stitching on Caps/Sleeves.
• Slant: Kept between -15° and 25°? (Beyond this, stitch angles get weird).
• Spacing: No letters touching on screen.
• Hidden Consumable: Do you have Water Soluble Topping (film) ready? If stitching on towels, fleece, or pique polo shirts, you must place this on top, or your perfect lettering will sink into the fabric pile.

Fix Weird Spacing on Arced Text in Hatch with the Reshape Tool (Purple Diamonds = Your Best Friend)

Computers are bad at spacing curved text. They execute the math, but they don't have human eyes. You will often see huge gaps between some letters and tight crunches in others on an arc.

The Fox (Manual Kerning):

1. Select the text object.
2. Click the Reshape icon (usually looks like an eccentric node tool).
3. Visual Anchor: Look for the Purple Outlines and specifically the Purple Diamonds at the center of each letter base.
4. Action: Click a Diamond -> Drag it along the curve until it looks pleasing to the eye -> Release.
5. Press Esc to lock it in.
   

Comment-style pain point (what people usually mean when they ask “Why does my circle text look off?”)

If you are using a hooping station for machine embroidery to perfectly align your chest logos, but your text looks "off-center" visually, it is usually a kerning issue, not a hooping issue. The optical center of a word is different from the mathematical center. Trust your eye, move the diamonds.

Troubleshoot Hatch Lettering Problems Before They Cost You a Hoop, a Hat, and Your Patience

The Hidden Production Prep: Hooping Physics, Stabilizer Choices, and Why Lettering Exposes Every Weak Link

You can spend hours digitizing in Hatch, but if your physical setup is weak, the results will fail. Lettering is high-contrast; errors stare back at you.

Stabilizer and fabric pairing (a simple decision tree)

Use this logic flow to determine your backend setup.

• 1. Is the item stretchy (T-shirt, Polo, Hoodie, Beanie)?
  • YES: You MUST use Cutaway Stabilizer. No exceptions for beginners. Tearaway will allow the fabric to stretch, distorting your letters into ovals.
  • NO (Denim, Canvas, Towel): You can use Tearaway Stabilizer.
• 2. Does the item have "loft" or texture (Towel, Fleece, Velvet)?
  • YES: Add Water Soluble Topping (Solvy) on top. This holds the pile down so the stitches sit on top like a raft.
  • NO: Stitch directly on fabric.
• 3. Is it a Cap or Cylinder?
  • YES: Use heavy Cap Tearaway (often 2-3 oz). Use a Center Out stitch path.
  • NO: Standard hooping.

Where tool upgrades actually make sense (without wasting money)

If you find yourself constantly battling "Hoop Burn" (the shiny ring left on fabric) or struggling to hoop unmatched items straight:

• Level 1 (Technique): Use "floating" techniques with spray adhesive.
• Level 2 (Tool Upgrade): magnetic embroidery hoops are the industry standard for reducing hoop burn and increasing speed. They snap fabric into place without the friction-burn of standard rings.
• Level 3 (System Upgrade): If you are doing volume production, a magnetic hooping station ensures every logo is placed in the exact same spot on every shirt, reducing your "thinking time" to zero.

Warning: Magnet Safety. Powerful magnetic frames can pinch fingers severely.
* Do not slide your fingers between the magnets.
* Do not use if you have a pacemaker (consult your doctor).
* Do not place near credit cards or hard drives.
If you are learning how to use magnetic embroidery hoop, practice closing the frame slowly on a piece of scrap fabric first so you can feel the snap force.

The Upgrade Path That Pays Off: From “It Stitches” to “It Sells”

Lettering is the "Bread and Butter" of the embroidery business. 80% of commercial orders include text. Mastering the Hatch tools above—center-out sequencing, proper height, and manual kerning—puts you ahead of 90% of home hobbyists.

However, as your confidence grows, your equipment might become the bottleneck.

1. The "Sleeve" struggle: Embroidering sleeves or pockets on a single-needle flatbed machine is painful because you have to rip seams or bunch fabric. Using a specialized sleeve hoop or upgrading to a free-arm machine solves this instantly.
2. The "Color Change" struggle: If you are stitching team logos with 3+ colors, a single-needle machine makes you the manual tool changer.
3. The Scale Up: When you are ready to move from "hobby/side hustle" to "production," look at multi-needle machines (like the SEWTECH 15-needle series). These machines allow you to set up the next garment while the current one runs, effectively doubling your output.

Operation Checklist (the “export-ready” sanity check)

• Text Check: Spelled correctly? (Read it backwards to catch typos).
• Pathing: Center-Out verified for caps?
• Hoop Check: Is the correct hoop selected in software? (Check that your design fits within the green safety box).
• Physics Check: Fabric is hooped "drum tight" (for standard hoops) or firmly clamped (for magnetic).
• Sound Check: Start the machine. Listen. A rhythmic "thump-thump" is good. A harsh "clack-clack" or "grinding" means Stop Immediately—check your needle and thread path.

Mastering lettering gives you the power to put a name on anything. Respect the parameters, trust your ears, and keep your creativity stabilized.

FAQ

• Q: In Wilcom Hatch Digitizer Lettering, why is the Object Properties docker missing when creating text objects?
  A: Turn the Object Properties docker back on before typing, because Hatch lettering settings are controlled there and working without it is “blind.”
  • Open the Lettering tool from the Lettering and Monogramming toolbox, then look to the right for Object Properties.
  • Stop and restore the docker/panel visibility before changing font, size, spacing, or sequence.
  • Success check: The right-side Object Properties panel is visible and shows editable lettering fields (font, height, baseline, spacing, sequence).
  • If it still fails… Confirm the software tier supports the controls being demonstrated (the workflow assumes Digitizer-level control).
• Q: In Wilcom Hatch lettering, how can users prevent misspelled client names when Hatch has no spell check?
  A: Copy-and-paste the customer name from the order source instead of typing from memory, then manually verify it.
  • Paste the text into the Object Properties text field (Ctrl+V) from the email/order form.
  • Read the name aloud letter-by-letter before saving or exporting.
  • Success check: The on-screen text exactly matches the customer’s provided spelling (including spaces and punctuation).
  • If it still fails… Re-check the original order form/text file on a second screen and compare character-by-character.
• Q: In Wilcom Hatch lettering, why does 10 mm text stitch out “mystery small,” and how should letter height be set correctly?
  A: Set height knowing Hatch typically measures baseline-to-cap height, so the visual size can be smaller than expected—especially with scripts.
  • Increase the Height value directly in Object Properties (type the new number and press Enter).
  • Avoid ultra-small text: under 5 mm is a high-risk zone; for standard 40wt thread, 8–12 mm is generally safer for block fonts.
  • Success check: Letters remain crisp and legible with open counters (holes in “B,” “e,” “a”) during a test stitch.
  • If it still fails… Enlarge the text or switch to a small needle (60/8 or 65/9) and 60wt thread for tiny lettering.
• Q: In Wilcom Hatch Digitizer, how do users fix uneven gaps on arced or circular lettering without adding extra spaces?
  A: Use the Reshape tool and manually move the purple diamond nodes for optical kerning on curves.
  • Select the lettering object, then activate Reshape.
  • Drag the purple diamond at each letter base along the curve until spacing looks even.
  • Press Esc to lock the changes.
  • Success check: The word looks visually centered and evenly spaced around the arc (no “crunching” on one side and big gaps on the other).
  • If it still fails… Undo and increase the circle radius; overlap usually means the radius is too small.
• Q: On finished caps using Wilcom Hatch lettering, how does Center-Out sequence prevent leaning or crooked letters during stitching?
  A: Switch the lettering stitch order to Center Out to reduce fabric push and wave buildup on curved/tubular surfaces.
  • Select the text object, then find Sequence/Stitch Order in Object Properties.
  • Choose Center Out before exporting the file.
  • Success check: The stitched name stays straight across the cap front instead of slanting as it progresses left-to-right.
  • If it still fails… Re-check cap clamping tension on the driver and confirm the design is not being forced into an overly tight fixed-width baseline.
• Q: In machine embroidery lettering, how can users stop thread nests (birdnesting) underneath when stitching text?
  A: Re-thread the machine with the presser foot UP, because incorrect seating in the tension discs is a common cause of birdnesting.
  • Lift the presser foot, completely re-thread the top path, and ensure the thread snaps into the tension discs.
  • Pull the thread near the needle to feel for normal resistance (not zero resistance).
  • Success check: The underside shows controlled bobbin/top-thread balance instead of a loose “mess” of top thread.
  • If it still fails… Inspect and clean the bobbin area for lint buildup; even small debris can disrupt tension stability.
• Q: In Wilcom Hatch lettering, what mechanical safety limits should users follow when applying Lettering Art distortions to avoid needle strikes?
  A: Keep distortions subtle and avoid “pinch points” where stitch layers stack or columns collapse, because extreme warps can cause needle deflection and breakage.
  • Remove or reduce effects if any part of a letter becomes thinner than 1 mm.
  • Back off distortion if stitches stack more than 3 layers deep in a tight area.
  • Success check: The design previews without ultra-dense choke points, and the machine runs without harsh “clack” sounds during the test-out.
  • If it still fails… Stop immediately, inspect needle condition and alignment, and simplify the lettering art or enlarge the text.
• Q: In machine embroidery production, when should users upgrade from standard hooping technique to magnetic embroidery hoops for lettering problems like hoop burn and shifting?
  A: Upgrade in levels: optimize hooping technique first, then use magnetic hoops if hoop burn or slow, inconsistent hooping keeps ruining lettering.
  • Level 1 (Technique): Float with spray adhesive and improve hoop-tightness to reduce micro-shifting that makes text wavy.
  • Level 2 (Tool): Switch to magnetic hoops to reduce friction-related hoop burn and speed up consistent clamping.
  • Level 3 (System): If volume work demands repeatable placement, add a hooping station and consider a multi-needle workflow when throughput becomes the bottleneck.
  • Success check: Lettering stitches out straighter with fewer visible rings/marks, and setup time per garment drops noticeably.
  • If it still fails… Review stabilizer pairing (cutaway for stretch, topping for loft) and confirm lettering size is not below safe stitch limits for the thread/needle being used.