Hi girls, What's the best digitizing software to purchase? I also want the ability to digitize true type fonts AND don't want to have to sell my blood to afford it... any ideas? Let's chat...

oops! forgot the link!

Hi Rosie, I am currently trialing Embird 2006 (30 days free) and it looks very promising. It has a Digitising module and Sfumato module, and these are what most interested me, along with the font engine as I have over 2,000 fonts in my pc and found a lot of them difficult to digitise on my (horrendously expensive) Xpressive 2 software, which is a real pig to use. I am finding Embird quite user friendly, by comparison and there is a lot of help out there for it, including an Embird User Group. It also has an Iconiser module, (only $20) which shows embroidery designs in Explorer, eliminating the need to save Jpeg thumbnails. You may have already seen this website but i've included it in case you haven't. regards, Meganne

I think you have a bunch of good answers here. I would like to buy Embird but I have Mac and the digitizing softwares don't work in mac, only in windows :-{ Flower and XoXo

I have the Masterworks program. I haven't used it a lot at this time. What I have used, it is pretty good.

Oh simplyrosie, I hope it doesn't come to you having to sell your blood - I hear vampires are in short supply at the moment, haha!!! You've been given some good answers here, sweetie, so hugs and a flower for you.

I am in the same position as you my dear. Cheap, but one that I can digitize and chg colors and size and amt of stitches chg also when size is chg'd I think I'm going to try one free trial at a time and really give each one a good run for the time. I have a Husqvarna #1+. *4U

Hi, Rosie! About software for digitizing: I got top of the line software more expensive than my machine, but I find it to be worth every penny. It does the true type fonts, resizes by taking out or adding stitches so you don't get dense or skimpy designs, changes colors, edits individual stitches, captures just part of a design so you can manipulate it, repeat it, edit it, all that good stuff. It also has an auto-digitize feature, but do let me tell you about that, on ANY program. You won't be happy with it. The program recognizes pixels, but doesn't know a rose from a bumble bee. It decides how to digitise the pixels from density, etc., but has no artistic ability, and the program is hopeless at pathing the design. I have used the auto feature occasionally, then done manual correction, when the design is a very simple cartoon type pic. When it's complicated, best to do it manually, because by the time you correct everything the auto did wrong, you could have done it faster & better yourself. I have Janome Digitizer Pro (more features than Customizer), and have never regretted the purchase. If you're an artist, auto-digitize will just frustrate the bejeezuz out of you. If you want more info, just ask. I'm not sure what kind of machine you have. If I had gotten the Husky, I would have bought their program, that looked good too. Best of luck. Marji

1 comment

by simplyrosie 07 Apr 2008

Thanks Marji! I am going to investigate more and more to see which SW is best for me. I just hate to get something and be disappointed, you know? Blessings my friend. xoxo

Teri, I am not sure that I would ever want to bother with all the pretty designs that you can buy at the click of a mouse. Haha. Loretta

2 comments

by simplyrosie 04 Apr 2008

You have a point Loretta... but I'm also an illustator and I want to digitize my own stuff. lol... xoxo

by marjialexa 05 Apr 2008

Hi, Loretta! I think in order to want to digitize, you have to be both a bit of an artist & computer geek, and love to learn programs. Truly, with all the beautiful designs here at Cute, you could spend all your time just sewing them & never digitize at all, let others do that work! So have a good time sewing, collecting designs, & don't worry about it at all, just keep chatting with us so we can see your lovely face. Love, Marji

I am on my second program. I have found out, you get what you pay for. I now have 'Masterworks' by Designer Galley (http://www.designersgallerysoftwa...).They have come out with a Masterworks II but I only see a few things that are different and since I love my mine, I can't see the expense of going to the new one. And after learning how to digize I can do some of the pre-progrmed additions. My program does everything I want. It supports .pes, .sew, .exp, .hus, .xxx,.dst,.jef,.shv, .vip, and .pcs. I haven't bought any of the other Designer Gallery programs but I truly believe it is a good company. I also have instructional CDs with my program and it really taught me well on how to use the program. John Deere is the instructor on the CD and did a very nice job. I believe you can download some of their programs for a trial, usually for a month. Only thing is you can't save or print. Good luck. Check out a lot of programs until you find your fit.

I forgot to say you can also get trial versions for free, I think it is for a month. These are at Babylock USA.

Simplyrosie, I have Palette, If I had it to do over again would buy the Designer Gallery series. There you can buy slowly and just what you need at the time. H.*.

Good Question Rosie . Stefania, If you get Embird let us know how it works. I am also looking for a program that will reduce a design in size. ( Cheapest ). Thank You both and flowers for both of you.

1 comment

by simplyrosie 04 Apr 2008

Try Wilcom Truesizer... Works perfectly and it's free! ;-)
http://www.wilcom.com.au/PRODUCTS...

I have 4D Professionnal. It's for Husqvarna and Pfaff. It's a very good one and complete but it's rather expensive. I hope you wille understand my english !

I have tried "Embird 2006" (Embird Editor, Embird Manager, Font Engine, Cross Stitch, Digitizing Studio and More)
Looks at this link:
http://www.secretsof.com/content/...

Embird is the cheapest. I think!

Stefania

2 comments

by simplyrosie 04 Apr 2008

Thanks Stefania. I've looked at it and thought I had decided on purchasing Embird, and then I came across Buzz Tools. I want a program to automatically digitize a vector image and then allow me to alter (especially take out the black outline which I dislike). Have you tried digitizing yet with the program?

by epic 04 Apr 2008

I have only tried "Trial version" of Embird 2006 , but I want to buy it as soon as possible.