Needles 101: The basics
The two numbers on the needle package show the metric and USA sizes. When you see 75/11, the 75 and 11 are equivalent sizes. Thus, 75 is the metric size, and 11 is the USA (Singer) needle size. 75/11 needle size is considered standard for embroidery.
When the needle size numbers get smaller (such as 65/9), the needle is thinner, and it is used for delicate fabrics. In embroidery, it is also used for very fine, small lettering. Thinner needles break easier, so you normally don’t use them on heavier/thicker fabrics, such as denim. Thinner needles make smaller holes while stitching, which is why you use a smaller sized needle for very small embroidery fonts and on delicate fabrics (where stitching holes show more).
When the needle size numbers get larger (such as 80/12), the needle is thicker (and stronger). The thicker needle doesn’t bend (deflect) as much during stitching, which makes larger sized needles suitable for heavier/thicker fabrics. Thus, for example, you might swap to a larger needle if you had a hat where the needle was breaking a lot (and where you didn’t have very small lettering).
Types of needles:
A SEWING needle is a “sharp” unless it says otherwise on the package. Sharp is the standard. If a needle package doesn’t say anything else, then the needle is a sharp. Sharp needles have pointy ends. Sharp needles are made to pierce the fabric.
An EMBROIDERY needle is a “sharp” needle also, but in reality, embroidery needles have a slightly rounded tip, so they are more “universal.” If an embroidery needle doesn’t say otherwise on the package, it is a sharp.
There are also other types of needles. These will be listed on the packaging. Some different types are metallic, anti-glue, titanium (coated) or other coated needles, top-stitch, and more. If a needle is anything but a sharp, then it will say so on the packaging.
Titanium needles are coated with titanium, to add extra strength to the needle. Titanium needles are useful if you need a smaller sized needle for use with a thicker fabric.
Metallic needles have larger eyes for use with metallic thread (which tends to kink more often than regular embroidery thread).
Top stitch needles also have a larger eye.
When do you use sharp and ballpoint needles?
Sharp needles are used on woven fabrics. They pierce the fabric. Since embroidery needles have that slightly rounded tip (to be more like a universal needle), embroidery needles can also be used on knit / stretchy fabrics. (But ball point needles are better for knit fabrics…see the next category…)
Ball point needles have a rounded tip. These needles are used for knit and stretchy fabrics. The rounded tip pushes aside the fabric’s fibers, instead of piercing them. If you remember panty hose, and how they run after you get one little snag, well that is how knits are created. They take one thread and do continuous interlocking loops. If you break one thread in the knitted fabric, then you get a hole or a run. Thus, the ballpoint needle is designed to not break knit fabric’s fibers. The ballpoint needle pushes the knit’s fibers to the side, instead of piercing the fibers (like sharp needles). To get the best embroidery stitch out on knit fabrics, you ideally want a ballpoint needle. However, since embroidery needles are like a ‘universal’ needle, many small shops don’t use ball point needles. If you ever see small holes around a design stitched on a knit shirt, the shop likely used a regular embroidery needle instead of a ball point embroidery needle.
Industrial machines that do ‘one job’ (knit shirts) are often set up with ballpoint needles. But shops that do a lot of items (knit shirts, hats, bags, etc.) on the same machine, will use only regular embroidery needles. It is time consuming to change 10 or more needles on a multi-needle machine, so these smaller shops stick with regular (universal) embroidery needles.
Also need to know info:
Home embroidery machines use flat shank needles.
Commercial embroidery machines use round shank needles.
These needles are not interchangeable.
Embroidery needles have a larger eye (as well as a slightly different point) than sewing needles. This larger eye is to accommodate the faster stitching speed of embroidery machines. That is why you should use embroidery needles in an embroidery machine.