As we all know, the embroidery needle is one of the essential tools for machine embroidery. Choosing the right needle for your project is crucial as it affects not only the smoothness of your embroidery process but also greatly influences the quality of your embroidery work!

However, with so many different types of embroidery needles available, selecting the right one seems to be a daunting task. Our goal is to provide a brief and clear guide that covers all the necessary information about embroidery machine needles, helping you to quickly select the appropriate embroidery needle.

This article will introduce the embroidery needle in the following aspects:

# Structure of embroidery needles

# Types of embroidery needle tips

# Size of embroidery needles

# Materials of embroidery needles

# Brands of embroidery needles

Let’s explore it!

# Structure of embroidery needles

Understanding embroidery needle structure and the working principles of each structure is useful when deciding which needle to use for a specific project.

Several structures of the needle need to be understood.  

The first is the needle tip, which is the part of the needle that pierces the fabric.

The second is the needle eye, which is the open part through which the thread passes. The embroidery needle has a slender eye which reduces friction with the thread, thus minimizing thread breakage. The shape and size of the needle eye vary, allowing it to accommodate different thread requirements.

The third part is the long central portion of the needle, which is known as the shaft and sometimes called the needle blade. The size of the needle is determined by the thickness of the needle shaft. There is a groove in the center of the shaft. When the embroidery thread forms stitches, it actually enters this groove.

The back of the needle shaft is the needle scarf. The embroidery machine’s hook passes the thread through the needle’s scarf area.

The last part is the needle shank. The shank is the part of the needle that actually inserts into the embroidery machine. In household embroidery machines, the back of the needle shaft is flat, while industrial machines use a round shank needle.

After a brief overview of needle structure, I will introduce the different perspectives based on needle tip, needle size, needle material, and brand. This will help you select the appropriate embroidery needle quickly.

# Types of embroidery needle tips

The embroidery needle has different types of tips, which should be chosen based on the fabric being sewn. Before discussing how to choose the tip type, let's introduce the common types of needle tips.

Needle tips can be mainly divided into three categories: round point, sharp point, and round sharp point. From these 3 categories they can be subdivided into these types: R, RS, RG, FFG/SES, FG/SUK, G, SKL, TR.

R (regular round point): It is a standard needle tip for flat sewing, used for fabrics, synthetic leather, and coated woven fabrics.

RS (sharp round point): very sharp needle tip, for blind stitching, used for very straight lockstitch seams in fine woolen fabrics and embroidery.

RG (round point with rounded tip): Slightly rounded point standard for chain stitching and embroidery, used for fine knit fabrics, ultra-fine fibers, woven fabrics, sewing buttons, and embroidering soft garment leather.

G/SES (light ball point): Small round, used for regular knit fabrics, cotton woven fabrics, or synthetic fabrics.

FG/SUK(medium ball point): Medium round point, used for elastic or loosely woven fabrics, or fabrics containing rubber or elastic materials.

G(heavy ball point Large round point): used for extremely, highly elastic, and perforated fabrics.

SKL(heavy ball point): round point, used for warp-kn fabrics with a high content elastic materials.

TR ( ballpoint): Special round, used for free-motion embroidery on perforated fabrics; as well as fine yarn of cotton and/or synthetic fabrics.、

Among the many types of needle tips, the most commonly used embroidery needle tip type is RG, known as a universal needle tip. It is a slightly rounded needle tip located between the sharp point and the round point. Because the universal tip is suitable for most types of fabrics and backings, you can choose to purchase an embroidery needle labeled “RG” if you have no special requirements for embroidery.
If you want to embroider delicate patterns, you will need to purchase an embroidery needle labeled “R”; if you want to embroider on T-shirts, underwear, or thin sweaters, you will need to purchase an embroidery needle labeled “FFG”; if you want to embroider on thin yarn, curtains, and other fabrics, you will need to purchase an embroidery needle labeled “TG”.
After considering which type of needle tip to choose for the embroidery needle, you will then need to consider what size of embroidery needle to choose. Actually, the size of the needle you choose will depend on the project you plan to embroider.

# Size of embroidery needles

The size of an embroidery needle refers to the diameter of the needle shaft. The smaller the number, the smaller the needle shaft. There are two measurement systems for needle sizes: the American and the European measurement system. The American system uses sizes 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, and so on. The European system uses 70, 75, 80, 90, 100, and so on. For example, A 70-size needle is equivalent to a size 10, 75 equivalent to size 11, and so on. Therefore,  it is common to see measurement values listed with two numbers, such as 75/11 or 80/12.

Currently, embroidery needles in the market range from size 7 to size 11. Each size of needle has its unique uses, and here we will briefly introduce them.

Size 7 needle (55) and size 8 needle (60) are generally used for smaller patterns, such as embroidering brand logos. Because the patterns are smaller, the resulting stitches will be concentrated in the same place.

Size 9 needle (65) is generally used for knitted fabrics and fabrics that are prone to tearing during embroidery, mostly thin fabrics such as silk and chiffon.

Size 11 needle (75) has a higher usage rate. Generally, using a size 11 needle makes embroidery easier, with less frequent thread breakage, while achieving perfect embroidery.

Size 12 needle (80) is generally not suitable for ordinary thread embroidery. The most common use of size 12 needle is for embroid with gold and silver threads Although you can also use size 13 or larger for embroidery, considering the of fabrics, it is generally recommended to use size12 needles for gold and thread embroidery to minimize fabric tearing.

Size 14 needles (90), which are less commonly used, are generally used on top of wool fleece, due to the fact that wool fleece is thicker, and size 14 needles just match.

Size 16 needle (100) is suitable for stitching various heavy fabrics.

When choosing the size of embroidery needle, a good of thumb is to choose the smallest needle that is suitable for the fabric. Heavier fabrics require larger needles, while lighter fabrics require smaller ones. The 75/11 needle is the most common size and works well for most fabrics, as it will be used 90% of the time. For heavier cotton and linen fabrics, you can the size 80/12, and for heavier denim and wool, you can use the 90/14 needle.

When selecting the right embroidery needle, the first thing to consider is the type of needle tip and the size the needle, which is the reason I introduced them first. In addition to these two factors, you also to consider some other elements, such as the material of the needle.

# Materials of embroidery needles

When selecting embroidery needles in the market, we may see various coatings on the needle tips or shafts. Coatings are mainly special materials applied to the surface of the needle. These coatings serve various purposes, such as reducing friction between the needle and the fabric, preventing rust and corrosion, and enhancing the needle’s lifespan. Needle coatings can meet the different needs of embroidery enthusiasts and professional embroiderers.

In the manufacturing process, there are four common coatings applied to needles:

Nickel Plating Coating

Embroidery needles with nickel plating coatings typically appear silver-white or a similar color. The nickel plating coating involves electroplating the surface of the embroidery needle to deposit a layer of nickel metal on the needle tip and shaft. Nickel plating coating can provide abrasion resistance, rust resistance, and smoothness similar to chrome plating coating. The silver-white coating on the needle shaft makes the embroidery needle more aesthetically pleasing, durable, and enables better penetration through fabrics during embroidery operations.

Chrome Plating Coating

Chrome plating coating involves electroplating the surface of the embroidery needle to deposit a layer of chromium metal on the needle tip and eye. This coating can make the embroidery needle more abrasion resistant and extend its lifespan. Chrome plating coating effectively prevents the embroidery needle from rusting and makes the needle surface smoother. Although chrome plating coating can provide good abrasion resistance and rust resistance, the coating may gradually wear off over time and with increased use. You can recognize it by its silver surface.

Titanium Coating

Embroidery needles with titanium coating are an improved type of embroidery needle, characterized by the application of a layer of titanium alloy film to the needle tip or the entire needle shaft using titanium coating technology, resulting in a color usually with a soft golden hue. It offers good abrasion resistance, can increase the lifespan of the embroidery needle, reduce its wear and damage, possesses excellent smoothness, reduces the friction resistance when the embroidery needle comes into contact with the fabric, making it easier to penetrate the fabric, thereby improving embroidery efficiency. It also exhibits good high temperature stability, maintaining the hardness and shape of the needle tip in high temperature environments, and is less prone to change or damage. Therefore, its price is usually much higher than other embroidery needles.

Ceramic Coating

Ceramic coating is made by applying a layer of ceramic material to the surface of the embroidery needle. It is commonly used on high-end embroidery needles, providing exceptional hardness and wear resistance while reducing the friction between the embroidery needle and the fabric. This type of coating is often used for special embroidery projects, such as embroidering metallic threads and beads.

In most cases, chrome-plated needles are suitable for most of our embroidery work. When should we consider purchasing titanium-plated needles? This actually depends on the content you plan to embroider. If you want to embroider heavier or denser materials, such as baseball caps or heavy denim or canvas, you may need to choose titanium needles because they increase the hardness of the needle, helping it to withstand heavier use.

Alternatively, if you are thinking long-term and want to save money on buying more embroidery needles in the future, you can directly choose to purchase titanium-plated needles because they have a longer lifespan.

# Brands of Embroidery Needles

Considered all of these factors, you may be wondering which brand of embroidery needle to choose. This article recommends three brands for you, named Schmetz, Groz-Beckert, and Organ.

Schmetz

Schmetz is a renowned German brand that Established in 1851. They specialize in the production of various types of sewing machine needles, including embroidery needles. As an industry standard, Schmetz needles are known for their excellent quality and reliability. They are suitable for a variety of embroidery machine models, including Singer, Brother, Janome, Juki, Bernina, and more!

In addition to printing the needle size on the shaft, what sets Schmetz needles apart from other brands is the color coding on the shoulder of each needle based on its purpose and size, making them easy to distinguish between different types. The first color represents the needle type, and the second color represents the needle size. Furthermore, Schmetz embroidery needles are made of high-quality materials, with outstanding wear resistance and durability, ensuring stable performance over extended periods of use.

Schmetz needles are available for purchase at Walmart, Amazon, or directly on schmetzneedles.com.

Groz-Beckert

Groz-Beckert is a renowned German manufacturer of embroidery needles, established in 1852. The company focuses on producing various types of sewing machine needles and embroidery needles, and is highly regarded in the industry for its quality and stability.

Groz-Beckert offers a wide range of specifications and sizes to meet diverse embroidery needs. These needles exhibit stable performance and durability due to precision manufacturing techniques and the use of high-quality materials, maintaining excellent embroidery results over extended periods of use. Additionally, Groz-Beckert provides needles with a GEBEDUR™ coating, as well as chrome and hard coatings. These needles have a titanium nitride coating, which distinguishes them from standard needles due to their gold-colored appearance.

They are packaged in green boxes with labels that provide a lot of information about the needles, such as the name of the needle in the upper-left corner, the size of the needle in the upper-right corner, and the needle point type in the lower-left corner.

Groz-Beckert embroidery needles are relatively more expensive and costly compared to Schmetz. Secondly its market coverage is relatively small and may be difficult to purchase in certain areas.

Organ

Organ embroidery needles is a renowned Japanese manufacturer of embroidery needles, established in 1929, specializing in the production of high-quality sewing machine needles and embroidery needles.

Compared to the two embroidery needle brands mentioned above, Organ's packaging is mainly made of cardboard with plastic, making it very suitable for storage and needle preservation even after opening. The packaging displays limited information, showing only a machine needle model and specifications.

Organ DB×K5 embroidery needle system is also commonly used in many industrial embroidery machines. Compared to other products, it offers 5 times wear resistance and a surface hardness that is more than twice that of standard electroplating and welding products.

You can purchase Organ needles on professional e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, or at local embroidery and sewing supply stores, as well as large craft stores.

Overall, these industrial embroidery needle brands excel in quality and reliability. When choosing brand that suits your embroidery needs, you can consider factors such as machine compatibility, embroidery effect, lifespan, and price. It is recommended to purchase from reputable suppliers to ensure the acquisition of high-quality products.

As you can see, there is a lot of information about embroidery needles. I believe that through this article, you have gained a deeper understanding of embroidery needles.

A wise approach would be to try different brands and specifications of embroidery needles and test them out. With more experience, you will be able to easily choose the embroidery needles that are most suitable for your projects.

If you are a beginner in embroidery and feeling overwhelmed, please be patient and practice. I believe you will soon become a professional!