Area 49

Exporting a Design From Illustrator

You can also create your design in Adobe Illustrator and import it into Inkscape for use with the embroidery machine. To export your file:

1. In Illustrator, navigate to File > Export for Screens
2. Click the folder icon to choose a saving location and select SVG as the format.

View Inkscape importing instructions

Satin Stitch

Satin stitches follow the path of a line and create a clean, even edge. You will often see satin stitches used as the border of an embroidered patch.

1. Satin stitches are created from stroke objects rather than fill objects. Select your desired objects and ensure that they have a stroke color and weight, and make sure they have no fill color.

   The stroke is the outline of your object. Objects without outlines have no stroke weight or color, and objects that only have outlines have no fill color. To convert your object from fill to stroke:
2. With your stroke objects selected, navigate to Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Tools: Satin > Stroke to Satin
   1. Your lines will change appearance. This is normal.
3. Continue to the fill stitch instructions.

Linear Gradient Stitch

You can use linear gradient stitches to create smooth gradients between colors.

1. With your desired object selected, open the "Fill and Stroke" panel in Inkscape and select the gradient icon in the "Fill" tab.

2. Slide the stops on the gradient bar to control where the colors start and end. You can add colors by clicking anywhere on the bar (indicated in red).
3. You can change the colors by selecting the stop in the "Stops" panel and altering the color values (indicated in blue).
4. Be sure that the alpha (A) bar is set to 100.

4. To change the orientation of the gradient, use the orientation slider.

5. Navigate to Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Params.
6. Select "Linear Gradient Fill" from the "Fill Method" dropdown.
   1. The Params menu throws an error when I select "Linear Gradient Fill."

      This can sometimes happen with gradients imported from Illustrator. Follow these steps to resolve this:

      1. Go back to Inkscape's "Fill and Stroke Panel."
      2. Select the "Solid Fill" icon.
      3. Reconfigure your gradient using the steps above.
7. Set "Spacing Between Rows" to 0.15.

   This controls the amount of space between each row of stitches. A larger value means that your stitches will be farther apart, and you may be able to see the base material underneath. If you do not want this, you can decrease this value to place rows closer together. This value is a recommended setting that works well on felt and other sturdy fabrics. You may find that you need to adjust this and other settings.

8. Optional settings:
   1. Expand: expands the fill past the shape's outline to compensate for gaps between colors.
   2. Trim After: trims the thread automatically after the shape is completed.
9. Click "Apply and Quit" to save your settings.

Bean/Running Stitch

These stitches create single lines of stitches. The bean stitch will go back and forth over this line multiple times (creates a thicker line), while the running stitch only stitches the line once.

Bean Stitch

1. Select your desired object(s). You can select multiple objects by Shift + clicking.
2. Open the "Fill and Stroke" panel. Under the "Fill" tab, ensure that the "No Fill" icon is selected.

3. Go to the "Stroke Style" panel. Under the "Dashes" dropdown, select one of the dashed paths. This tells Ink/Stitch that you want this path to use a Bean Stitch rather than a Running Stitch.
4. Navigate to Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Params. Select "Running Stitch / Bean Stitch" with the Method dropdown.
5. Optional settings:
   1. Bean Stitch Number of Repeats: changes the number of times that the machine runs the Bean Stitch for a single line. A value of 1 will create three lines of stitches for that line. A value of 2 would add two more passes, resulting in five lines of stitches, and so on.
      1. Why don't the numbers correspond to the number of passes?

         A Bean Stitch starts with one Running Stitch. Then, a Bean Stitch is applied by following the path backwards, then forwards again. You can think of this backwards and forward motion as one Bean Stitch. So, having one repeat means the machine only does this motion one time. Having two repeats adds an additional Bean Stitch pass on top of this, resulting in five total passes.

   2. Trim After: trims the thread after each individual line.

Running Stitch

1. Select your desired object(s). You can select multiple objects by Shift + clicking.
2. Open the "Fill and Stroke" panel. Under the "Fill" tab, ensure that the "No Fill" icon is selected.

3. Navigate to Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Params. Select "Running Stitch / Bean Stitch" with the Method dropdown.
4. Optional settings:
   1. Repeats: changes the number of times that the machine runs the Running Stitch for a single line. A value of 2 would make the machine create two lines of stitches for your stroke object, and so on.
   2. Trim After: trims the thread after each individual line.

Object Order

To change object order:

1. In the layers panel, you will see a list of all of the objects in your file. If your file has layers, they will be organized underneath them, and you can expand each layer by clicking the triangle next to the name.
   1. It's recommended to organize your layers in this panel with the layers you want embroidered first on the bottom, and the layers you want embroidered last on the top.

      Selecting an object in the layers panel will surround it with a dotted line. Organizing your objects this way will allow you to easily visualize what your embroidery will look like, and it will make it easier to tell Ink/Stitch which objects to embroider first.

2. While holding down CTRL (Windows) or CMD (Mac), click on each individual object, starting from the bottom object and going in order to the top object. If your file has layers, do not select the layers. This will cause an error.
3. Navigate to Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Edit > Restack Objects in Order of Selection. This will move your objects out of their layers, which is normal, and ensure that Ink/Stitch processes them in the correct order.
4. Continue to Saving when you are ready to export your design.

Saving

It is a good idea to preview your design before saving it. To preview:

1. Navigate to Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Visualize and Export > Simulator
2. The software will play a timelapse of your embroidery file's process. You can click the horse or speed dial icon (depending on your version) to speed the simulation up. Make sure that your file is being embroidered correctly.
3. To display a realistic preview of your embroidery:
   1. Navigate to Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Vizualize and Export > Stitch Plan Preview.
   2. Select "Realistic View" with the "Render Mode" drop down.
   3. Press "Apply" and allow the preview to load. It will place it next to the canvas.
   4. When you are done viewing the preview, you can delete it by selecting it and pressing delete on your keyboard.

To save your file:

1. Navigate to File > Save a copy.
2. Save your file as a .jef file.

Note: If you save over the SVG file you imported, any changes you made in Inkscape will replace your original file.

Creating a Monogram

1. On the Home tab, in the Place group, click "Monogram."
2. On the Style tab, in the Font group, select the font style you want to use.
3. In the Font group, click the arrow under "Size", and select the font size (S, M or L).
4. Click the Monogram box and type letters for Monogramming from the keyboard.
5. Press Enter key. The letters will be imported to the editing window.

Two and Three Letter Monogram

1. On the Home tab, in the Place group, click "Two Letters" or "Three Letters".
2. Click the desired letters, and the letters will be displayed in the edit box.
3. To add a frame, click the desired frame in the Frame group.
4. Click "OK" to place the monogram design in the editing mode.