LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

Anybody here do embroidery work via machine? Do you do your own digitizing?

I do "IT Support" for a family member who is a prolific machine embroidery user. She contracts out to me for her digitizing. It's easy enough to create a compatible file (SVG), but once it hits the machine software, I'm lost and she picks it up from there.

Is there a question that can be answered with something other than "yes?"

LOL, I'm in kinda that same spot. She's getting back into embroidery and wants me to digitize things I create in Corel. I've played with a few trial versions of digitizing software, no problem. Then came the 'You can just...' after she watched a few YouTube videos.

She's seen a few where the machine stitches a quick outline of a letter or number. Then a piece of material is slipped into place that covers that out line. The machine does a quick tac, then does a simple zig-zag of the outline. The material is then trimmed just inside / outside the zig-zag as necessary, then the machine does the actual embroidery edge of the number / letter to finish it off.

AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT'S EVEN CALLED !!!

I have to be able to ask the right question on the software and don't even know what I'm asking for.

I might have learned a bit more than that, but not by much. Appliques are created in the manner you describe. Stabilizer is one of the layers of material that is joined by the machine.

Depending on the sophistication of the machine's software, creating a file to be processed is as simple as importing an SVG file or other supported format. With Premiere branded software, at least versions four through six support importing SVG. I can't recall helping with earlier versions.

Inkscape will perform bitmap traces, Illustrator will create SVG files directly, Corel will do SVG export, although Corel is a company name and it's CorelDraw for the vector stuff.

I'm not sure what part of your description you are uncertain of the name. Does she has specific questions?

She has an old Baby Lock to get going with until she can get a new machine. It takes PES files. Got an answer back from another source that tells me it's called applique. I just need to figure out how to do the programming. Sounds a lot like doing layers in laser work. Now I just have to figure out how to transfer that kernel of thought into embroidery software.

I've not tried to create layers in the vector versions of the files I create for my sister. It gets imported as a single layer, all one color, then sis selects a feature and assigns it a color and a stitch pattern. For closed shapes, there's the equivalent of a fill.

I don't get enough "requests" (demands from family) to experiment as much as would be useful. I'm hoping I'll remember to try different layers on the export process, just to see what comes of it.

Got an answer back from the software company I'm looking at. They say it will do applique, just have to find the instructions. Don't know if knowing laser and trying to translate will help or hinder. At least with CorelDraw I have the layer option available.

You know, it works a whole lot better when you download the manual and watch a few YouTube videos...

That's no way to be working with computer stuff! (grin)

If it's not immediately intuitive, it's simply poorly written.

What packages are involved in your learning experience? Premiere software for embroidery machines is pretty darn pricey and it's pretty darn expensive and it's pretty darn un-intuitive, but that's just my opinion. It does come with a dozen or so manuals, but my sister doesn't know how to read. At least that's how it feels to me when she comes to me for answers. Why spend hours looking through a book when she can ask me?

Glad to hear you've made progress.

>>Why spend hours looking through a book when she can ask me?<<

Every person reading this thread who has to do IT support for family/friends is rolling their eyes and nodding in agreement right now...