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I don’t know everything about zippers; I did not come from a sewing background before I began machine embroidery, unlike the vast majority of my peers! I have learned everything I know about zippers from a machine embroidery background, which could be a positive or negative I suppose! Zippers are labeled according to their widths and the width of the zipper teeth.

You can get a lot of beginner information from Google, but here are the basics I think you need to start using zippers with an embroidery machine. The first rule of thumb is no metal zipper teeth! Here are three other features of zippers you need to know.

1. Length of zipper

When stitching a project, you’ll need a length of zipper that matches the length of the project measurements. Most digitizers to my knowledge will tell you the length of the zipper you need, but if they do not, you can deduce it yourself. If you’re stitching a 6×10 zipper bag that is horizontal like the Switch bag below, you will need 10″ of zipper. You do not measure a zipper by the length of the full tape; you measure between the metal stoppers that keep the zipper pull from flying off the end of the tape.

2. Width of zipper 

The size 3 zippers I use have a width (the zipper tape) of 1″. The size 5 zippers I use have a width of 1.25″. I have seen other widths, so please make sure when you purchase zippers online that they follow these measurements. The width of the teeth is also different: size 3 zippers have 3mm wide teeth and size 5 zippers have 5mm wide teeth.

The difference in the designs correspond with digitizing specifically for these size zippers. I have been asked many times, “Can’t I use a size 3 in place of 5?” or vice versa. In my opinion you can try whatever you want, but the design is not guaranteed to stitch properly if you are experimenting with supplies other than what is recommended, so take that into consideration if you feel adventurous.

3. Zipper tape

You can purchase what’s called zipper tape, which is just a long length of zipper tape and a handful of zipper pulls. You install the zipper pulls yourself using a method suggested by the seller or an online tutorial, so you are able to cut any length of tape you need.

Most of the zipper bags I make, and that I see on social media from other digitizers, were digitized for a size 3 zipper. However, for some popular designs, like my denim pocket zipper bag, customers will request that I digitize it for a size 5 zipper as well (right), and I try to accommodate when I can! I am trying to do better about labeling my designs specifically as size 3 or 5. Shown below are the size 3 zipper version and size 5 zipper version of the denim pocket zipper bag.