Embroidery guides
Stitch it right the first time
Practical guides to machine embroidery: the numbers, settings and habits that turn a picture into a clean stitch-out, whatever machine you use.
8 min read
How to digitize a logo for embroidery, step by step
The decisions a digitizer makes for every logo: final size, colour count, which shapes become satin or fill, density, underlay, pull compensation and sew order, with the numbers that matter.
6 min read
PES vs DST vs JEF vs EXP: which embroidery format do you need?
Four formats, one job: telling the needle where to go. What each file actually contains, which brands use it, what gets lost when you convert, and how to choose.
6 min read
Embroidery hoop sizes chart: Brother, Janome, Bernina and more
Sewing fields for the common hoops of every major brand, in millimetres and inches, why the number on the hoop isn't the whole story, and how to choose the right one for a design.
6 min read
What makes a good picture for embroidery?
Why some pictures stitch beautifully and others turn to mush: resolution, colours, contrast and minimum detail sizes, how to prepare photos, and a checklist to run before uploading.
6 min read
Embroidery stabilizer guide: which backing for which fabric
Cut-away, tear-away, wash-away and topping: what each one does, a fabric-by-fabric chart, how to hoop or float, and how to read puckers and gaps back to the stabilizer.
6 min read
How to put an embroidery file on a USB stick
Format the stick, unzip, copy the right file, eject: the steps that make a design show up on your machine first time, plus fixes when the machine won't see the stick or the file.
8 min read
Free embroidery digitizing software: an honest comparison
What the free and low-cost options really include: Ink/Stitch, Embrilliance Express, SewArt, Hatch, Brother Artspira and our own tool, with prices, platforms, auto-digitizing and file formats checked on the vendors' sites.
8 min read
How to turn a picture into an embroidery file
From picture to stitch file in seven steps: choose and clean the image, simplify the colours, pick the size and hoop, convert, check the stitch count and sew a test. Plus an honest comparison of free software, paid software, digitizing services and automatic tools.
Convert your picture – free preview
Upload a PNG, JPG, WEBP or SVG and see the stitches before you pay. One credit downloads PES, DST, JEF and EXP.