Ricoma Quick Start Guide
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Cut-away
Cut-away backing is used for permanent support, as it provides the most stability. It comes in light to
heavy weights and is heat set fusible. It offers the sharpest embroidery on highly detailed designs,
including small lettering. Cut-away backing remains permanently affixed to the fabric, and the excess
is cut away with scissors, which is how cut-away backing has earned its name. It is available in 1
oz. (light) to 3.75 oz. (heavy). Cut-away is best used on materials that stretch (such as knits) and
fabrics that will be worn and washed frequently, as it prevents the design from stretching. It is also
used on loosely woven and unstructured caps. Select a lightweight cut-away for designs with light
stitch-density and a heavyweight cut-away for dense designs. If you’re not sure if your fabric falls
under the “stretchy” category, you can actually feel the fabric to verify. To do so, grab the material
with both hands approximately 8 inches apart, and pull on the fabric. Make sure you are in the middle
of the fabric, not near an elastic waistband or a zipper. If there is substantial stretching, you should
use cut-away backing.
Tear-away
Specialty backing
Topping
Less stable than cut-away backing, tear-away backing is used for light support. It’s available in light
to heavy weight and also carries an adhesive version. Like cut-away, tear-away backing is true to its
title. Embroiderers tear this backing away from the garment, hence the name. Tear-away backing
is typically used on firmly woven, natural-fiber fabrics that don’t stretch, such as terry cloth, robes,
blankets, leather and more. In addition to being suitable for very strong and stable fabrics, tear-away
is also used when you don’t want the backing to show on the other side of the design, such as back
of towels, caps and bags. When your fabric requires strong support, you may use several layers of
lightweight to medium-weight tear-away. This method is easier because you’ll remove one lighter
sheet at the time, rather than struggling to remove a heavier tear-away.
Poly mesh or no show backing is a lightweight woven cut-away that is soft, thin and strong. It is
designed to provide additional stability to knit shirts. This type of stabilizer does not show through
light-colored garments, hence its name. It is used on polo’s and T-shirts that will carry designs with
a low stitch count. For best results, we recommend combining a no-show backing with a tear-away
backing. No-show backing may be removed with water or heat.
Aqua-top topping is a water-soluble plastic film used on the top of an embroidery design to prevent
stitches from sinking into textured fabrics. It is used for temporary support on delicate, mesh-like and
