Dear professionals and lovers of machine embroidery, starting their own business, everyone probably thought that the priority component of your future occupation is undoubtedly the embroidery machine itself. Probably so it is, but here the machine is bought, and patterns from ready designs, enclosed in its memory, are already embroidered.
Anyway, there comes a time when there is a need to do the embroidery on its own, here begins the first acquaintance with the software. Each embroidery machine producer tries to release his software product, often claiming that it is the most suitable to his machines, which is rather a marketing strategy than the truth. But there are also third-party developers specializing in creating such programs.
You can also check: Top 10 embroidery companies
Wilcom’s original viewing software is an industry favorite for viewing, sizing and converting embroidery files. Available as a Desktop download or Web application (e3 version), TrueSizer allows you to not only view embroidery files, but also make adjustments.
TYPES OF SOFTWARE FOR MACHINE EMBROIDERY
Software in embroidery is used to create designs, edit them, convert files from one format to another. Accordingly, there is software of various levels: professional, semi-professional and converters.
Each embroidery machine uses its embroidery format. The most common formats for machines from different manufacturers:
APT – BERNINA
PES, PEC – BABYLOCK, BROTHER, BERNINA
DST – BROTHER, TAJIMA, ELTAC, and other professional machines
PCS, VIP, VP3 – PFAFF
HUS, VIP – HUSQVARNA
JEF – JANOME, NEW HOME
SEW -JANOME, ELNA, KENMORE
XXX – SINGER, COMPUCON
TAP – Happy
EXP – MELCO
10O – TOYOTA, MITSUBISHI
HOW DOES IT WORK
The machine embroidery file contains information on how the machine should move the embroidery hoops and needle, store information about vector forms, the used color palette, and other parameters.
In some software, all this information is recorded in its own format, and then it can be converted into a format for the corresponding machine. In this case, the software forms either one or two files: the main and the “working”. An example of a format in which only one file is used to store all the information simultaneously is the ART format.
Basic information about the design, recorded in the corresponding embroidery format, can be viewed by downloading the file even in the most simple embroidery software. But the “working” files can be viewed ONLY in the program in which they were created. And, if you want to open the file in the software of the same manufacturer, but in a different version, it is possible that you will see a file with significant distortion. Sometimes software changes significantly from version to version, even if they are of the same manufacturer. Keep this in mind.
So, you have some design for embroidery (for example, you have an embroidering machine BROTHER and you need a file in DST format) and you, have a file with some other format for embroidery. Can you use it for your embroidery machine? No, unfortunately, this is impossible.
If you have a file in the format you need, you can load it into your embroidery machine and start embroidering. But, it’s not always possible to see the file on the computer screen (built-in the embroidery machine). For example, industrial machines often do not have such a monitor. And how can I be in such cases, how to look at the file you have?
With the embroidery software on your computer, you can upload the file to the program and see this design as it looks on the screen. You can open and see the file not only in the format of your embroidery machine but also in other formats intended for other machines. The main thing is that your software has the ability to read it. Most often, the software only works with a limited number of formats. Then, if you want to embroider this design, you can convert from one format to another.
The software for embroidery with a minimum set of functions is called a converter. Typically, such programs are FREE or have a minimum cost.
The most popular embroidery programs – converters:
However, if you want to change the size, change the color scheme, divide the design for the hoops you have, set the design in the center of your embroidery hoops, etc., then you will need software of a different level. The category of such programs includes:
These programs usually have several block-modules. The base unit is usually inexpensive (up to 150 USD). Often such programs have a trial free version for a certain period of time (or the number of openings/closings of the program).
The category of professional and semiprofessional embroidery software includes programs aimed to create designs of machine embroidery. Of course, you can also edit ready-made designs in them, and convert them from one format to another. In professional software design contains a vector component, in semi-professional – it does not.
The most common embroidery programs that allow creating new designs include:
So, let’s consider 5 Best & Free embroidery software services:
Let’s take a closer look at the functionality of the converter of machine embroidery files My Editor by WingsXP. Mummy game free for windows 7. Actually, this is even more than the converter of formats. And all because, in addition to the standard features of reading and re-saving the file, the developers have provided users with small additional convenience.
As in all programs, there is the menu and toolbar with standard functions on the main page:
1) Opening, editing, inserting, etc .;
2) Scaling;
3) Tools for selecting and inverting the selection;
4) Tools for manipulating the visibility of objects;
5) Navigation of the project for objects and stitches;
6) Tools for manipulating the display of puncture points, stitches, paths;
7) Player for simulation of sewing;
8) Information panel for the project.
The panel of tools with special capabilities:
1) A tool that opens the color manager (threads and background);
2) Color palette with the ability to control the visibility of each color;
3) Special machine functions for removal or insertion.
Well, vertically there is also a toolbar for manipulating the design (selection, scaling, turning, editing stitches, etc.)
Crysis 2 weapon mods. Each toolbar can be customized in appearance by hiding or opening tools.
The formats that this software reads are numerous, which causes respect. And there is also a considerable number of formats for saving. The View menu gives users several options:
The Layout menu allows you to multiply the design by specifying the number of copies and the distance between the designs. Stitches menu allows users to clear all short stitches in the Remove Small window which are shorter than the specified length in the design. And do a recount of the design density (even stitching) when changing its size with the AutoDensityàApply tool. This application adjusts the density to a new size independently, by its internal algorithms and you cannot control quality. The Tools menu in the Options window helps to set the user settings for working with the application.
What exactly can we do with each design?
1. We can highlight the design by pressing just one button. All or in parts. And we can easily remove any part of the project if we find it unnecessary.
2. We can select stitches one by one or by a group, invert the selection, delete stitches and add new ones, and move them to a new place.
3. We can rotate the design itself or its part.
4. We can scale the design by first selecting it and applying this tool to it and entering the required dimensions in the window that opens. Well and after scaling it is possible to apply the density recalculation.
5. We can change the sequence of embroidery objects in the design.
6. We can watch the movie-simulator of the process of embroidery, using the button Slow Redraw. And at the same time, you can control the process a little through setting the speed of embroidery.
Well, that’s what all the most common functions are like. You can download this free converter after preliminary registration on the website of the software developer WingsXP.
You can download this converter directly from the developer’s site by filling out a small questionnaire for free. We recommend the desktop version of this product, because, as the developers promise, its capabilities are slightly wider than those of its Web Beta colleague, which is intended for use on PC, Mac, iPad or Android PC gadgets. This is an excellent converter, many use it. To date, Wilcom is the most simple and easy-to-use program for embroidery, which saves time considerably. Just open a file of any format and save it in the format of your machine.
The icon of the TrueSizer changed and became this:
And, of course, the first thing that catches your eye is the square grid cells. Now, as it was before, you do not need to calibrate the monitor screen. Well, let’s see what we can do now. We’ll start with the menu.
Now, this converter reads many formats, much more than it was before. With the help of tools the following manipulations are possible:
There are icons for resizing and positioning the design.
Settings for the design displaying on the screen:
In general, this is an ordinary converter with rather limited functionality and capabilities – nothing special. You can not combine several designs together. Stitches are not recomputed in machine files when scaling. But it works quickly, it does not slow down. The big plus is that the scaling via the toolbar now works in the self-recalculation mode, and not as it was before and you do not have to calibrate the screen. There are more formats available for work. A useful thing for an amateur or a fan.
Let’s consider the main features of the program for machine embroidery SewWhat-Pro. Developers say that their program is not a converter, but an editor of embroidery (embroidery editor). You can download the demo version for 60 saves or for 30 days of use for free.
So, after installing and downloading the design, the user sees this interface:
To the right of the viewing window, there is design data: name, dimensions, number of stitches, a sequence of colors, etc. A color change is very easy and convenient through this window of design information. To do this, just select any color in the sequence. There also appears a window of color selection, in which you need to manually select the necessary one from the available in the converter numerous color palettes:
The most interesting features of this menu for the user are formats that this converter can read and save. In addition, a set of rather interesting possibilities is presented:
If you activate the Select Colors and click on any color in the design, it will be highlighted in the embroidery sequence sheet on the right. If you immediately go to Select Points, then the screen will reflect only the piece of design of the selected color. By clicking on the Hoop Guide button, you can select the hoop for your brand of machine, which will serve as a guide for making a design, which is very convenient. Design can also be divided by highlighting a stitch – right there, using the Split at Stitch button.
If Select Point is active when selecting a stitch, you can: split the design into parts by pressing Split, delete this stitch by pressing Delete or insert another stitch by pressing Insert. If you select a stitch and hold the Shift key on the keyboard, you can move it to any place. If you activate the Select Colors button, when you click on any color, it is selected. And when you press the split button, this color is divided into 2 segments in this stitch. If you press Delete nothing happens, and pressing Insert, one more stitch is added.
These are not all the opportunities of the software. We described just a small part to give you a short review of the program.
Conclusion: this is the most ordinary converter. It differs from the others only in the ability to insert inscriptions in the design and not very convenient, as it seemed to be, possibilities of dividing the design into parts. Well, the main plus of this application, of course, a very convenient function of mass conversion of designs into the desired format.
This program is interesting for detailed consideration in our review. The general view opened to the user:
The File menu has all the usual functions: opening, saving, printing, etc. There are a lot of tools here. Jasc paint shop pro 10 cracked servers. We’ll enumerate them in order:
Show Grig shows or hides the grid
Modify menu:
There is only one Change Size tool, which allows you to make small manipulations with the design.
These modifications are: proportional / disproportional change in size, reflection, rotation, displacement.
All this, of course, occurs without recalculation of stitches for normal computer files. The peculiarity of this converter – the size of the design here is displayed either in inches or in units of 0.1 mm.
Design menu:
Tool menu:
There is one more feature of this program: there is a floating toolbar on the desktop that does not allow you to manipulate it in any way. But in it all the tools selected through the usual menu are highlighted:
In general, this is a good converter. Nothing stands out from a number of similar ones. Fast and easy. Excellent file manager in this software that other programs don’t have.
ARTsizer is a new and useful converter. Having installed and opened it, it immediately becomes clear who makes it – of course, Wilcom, because the interface is almost the same as that of TrueSizer 3. But it has fewer tools.
We will analyze the main menu.
Here everything is standard: open, close, view properties (Design Properties), print, read from the cards of the machine’s memory and write to them (Card / Machine Read / Write). All this is duplicated in the upper toolbar by tools, for quick access. Let’s see what type of files can be opened by this converter. There are not so many options, but the most common are:
And you can save in standard formats, but there is ART, and VP3, what cannot but rejoice.
View menu:
There is a lot to do with how the design will be displayed on the monitor. In principle, anyone who is familiar with Wilcom will immediately see the full coincidence of the hotkeys of this converter with any other of their products.
Some of the tools listed above are duplicated in the toolbar with icons.
To sum up, this converter hasn’t outstanding features – minimum instruments. However, the user can save the design in many formats for household machines, including rare art and vp3, which are not in other converters. After all, it’s created precisely for these users.
Conclusion
Proceeding from the fact that each program has its own advantages, disadvantages, and features, the designers of machine embroidery always use several versions of the software. Well, the new owners of embroideries, at least, need to acquire a program-converter.
We hope that this little excursion into the software for embroidery will be especially useful for beginning and future owners of embroidery technology.