Machine embroidery is now so heavily utilized for product branding, corporate advertising, and uniform adornment and also for personal sewing and craft projects by hobbyists that the word "embroidery" is now generally more readily associated with forms of Machine Embroidery than any of the more traditional forms of "Hand Embroidery".

    There are two main types of Machine Embroidery:

    The first "Free Motion Sewing Machine Embroidery", involves using a basic zigzag sewing machine.

    The second "Computerized Machine Embroidery" involves using an embroidery machine or sewing/embroidery machine.

    Please see a brief introduction on computerized machine embroidery as follows:

    These days virtually all modern embroidery machines are computer controlled and specifically engineered for embroidery. Industrial/commercial embroidery machines and sewing/embroidery machines both have a hoop or framing system that holds the framed area of fabric tightly and securely underneath the sewing needle and move it around automatically to create a design from a digital embroidery file (pre-made pattern).

    Both can read and sew out embroidery digitizing files (of various types) with varying degrees of user input required depending on its capabilities.

    For example sewing-embroidery machines generally only having one needle will require the user to change thread colors "on the fly" where as a multi-needle (industrial) machine having more needles can generally be threaded up all at once prior to running the design. This method also requires the user to input the correct color (needle) change sequence into the machine before hand.

     Modern (industrial) embroidery machines can trim and change colors automatically and can have any where up to 15 or more needles per "head"(available colors). The term "head" refers to the "sewing head" as some of the larger industrial embroidery machines can sew the same design out onto 20 (or more) garments at once (as any one of these industrial machines can have many sewing heads).