I have many alphas already.

Do you subscribe to Stitches Magazine? Issue just received has a page offering free software, it compares to a $1,500 software package. It even digitizes automaticaly or manually. I have d/l and now playing with it. Most of the embroidery sites also offer it, remember it is FREE. Go to
www.FreeSierraSoftware.com, it is a 240 MB d/l so you need high speed. Some sites offer it wth a $20 purchase, other sites offer a CD just for s/h. Stay away and d/l directly from the Company itself.

What nobody has told you yet, is that once you have activated Font Engine, you will be able to just click on any Windows Meta File picture (in Manager) and the program will automatically create a design from the WMF.

It is lots of fun watching the program do this, as long as you remember that the end result is not something you could sell or share as the resulting designs usually require a lot of editing to remove the mass of extra stitch layers from underneath.

But if you just want a design, in a hurry, for yourself and you don't care how dense it is, then it really is fun.

All the text designs I share here in DBC are created in Font Engine.

Another point to remember is that not ALL True Type Fonts will make up into good designs, but there are thousands of fonts to choose from so you will always find one that will work.

The Embird Alphabets are pre-digitised "scalable" alphabets that you pull up and create 'text' (sentences) and you can reduce or enlarge the letters to almost any size and KNOW that they will always stitch out perfectly.

Each scalable Alphabet is around $15 to purchase and it is always good to have 2 or 3 basic ones if you are going to be embroidering, or creating, a lot of text designs.

I hope this information is helpful.
Hugs and roses, Meganne (Melide Menschen Designs)

You can use Font Engine both in Studio and in the Basic programme. Unlike existing alphabets, which are in fact embroidery designs, you can manipulate whole sentences at once, which makes it so much easier to use. I wouldn't want to be without FE.

I have all the Embird suite (minus the cross stitch) and I really love the program. The advantage of having the font engine is that you can digitize your own fonts(change their size, fill type, density and many other properties) vs the alphas. However if you cannot afford the font engine you can easily use your already digitized alphas in the basic program.

I am posting it this way, so you will see my answer hopefully!
Embird will allow you to use and manipulate the pre-digitized alphas.....
Font engine will digitize any true type font that is in your computer. You can adjust the size, density, and whether or not you want to have an outline around each letter or not. It will digitize your font as an applique. You can take it into another section of font engine and change the way it looks, for example you can make the letters look like they are larger on one side than the other..or you can make them follow a curved line, or even in a circle. Lots of things todo with it. Well worth the money. I think for the money Embird is the best program out there.

I also want to buy. My it expired.
I find difficult because is not in Portuguese.

I have Basic Embird and Studio, I love them, You can edit your designs, make your own designs(I am still learning).

1 comment

by grobin 15 May 2010

Thank you for the info.

I have basic Embird with Font Engine...best program out there!
Font Engine will digitize any TT font you have installed on your computer,by simply typing what you want. You can change style and stitch. You can arc your words,or manipulate them into any configuration. There are several different "envelopes" to change the shape and perspective of the words. I would rather have a program that will allow me to use several different types of fonts, rather than just the set fonts. JMNSHO

2 comments

by grobin 15 May 2010

Does it allow you to use and manipulate your own pre digitized alphas. I am not clear on what you mean.

by sewdoctor 15 May 2010

Embird will allow you to use and manipulate the pre-digitized alphas.....
Font engine will digitize any true type font that is in your computer. You can adjust the size, density, and whether or not you want to have an outline around each letter or not. It will digitize your font as an applique. You can take it into another section of font engine and change the way it looks, for example you can make the letters look like they are larger on one side than the other..or you can make them follow a curved line, or even in a circle. Lots of things todo with it. Well worth the money. I think for the money Embird is the best program out there.

HI, I have Embird with Studio, but not Font Engine. I use Editor to manipulate my fonts into what I want to say and use. It is a very versatile program and a value at the price. I also joined yahoo groups on how to use it. While I do not have Font Engine, I think you can pretty much do anything with Editor that you can do with Font Engine. Someone who has FE may disagree.

4 comments

by grobin 15 May 2010

Does Editor allow you to use your own pre digitized alphas? I don't quite understand.
which yahoo group did you join?

by mooie24 15 May 2010

I have an older version of embird, (2004)
in editor you would treat your pre digitized letters as a design, therefore you can place, turn, mirror, change stitch order delete colours.
with font engine you can use any font on you pc, you can stretch it vertical or horizontal, arc it, select the type of stitch eg :- columm, applique, +/- outline choose type of fill.
I am about to upgrade , I would not be with out font engine :-)
big hugs - Mooie xx

by grobin 15 May 2010

Thank you. I understand now.

by meganne 16 May 2010

Xerxes, I believe your comment may be misleading.

In Editor you can only edit, resize, mirror, rotate, merge, etc. EXISTING designs.
You cannot CREATE letter designs from True Type fonts as you can in Font Engine. In fact you cannot create ANY designs in Editor, that is why it is called EDITOR.

What you are incorrectly calling your "fonts", I believe you should be calling your alphabet designs.

Fonts is a term usually reserved for a lettering style as used in the printing (and now electronic) media.

Without Font Engine you cannot turn Fonts into designs, unless you manually digitise each letter individually in Studio.

I do hope this info helps you to understand the proper terminology.
Hugs and roses, Meganne