From my mailbag...
I need help finding software for my Singer Futura 200, that will let me turn clipart into embroidery designs. I did see Buzz2stitches on the internet. It would do jpeg, bmp, GIF etc. Could you help me buy something like that? -- Ellen
And my response...
Hi Ellen -
All digitizing software creates designs in their own proprietary format. Once the design has been created you then EXPORT it to the format your machine needs. For example into PES, or DST, or HUS, or whatever format you want. So any digitizing program will digitize for a Singer Futura or any other brand of machine.
The only one that's a pain to deal with is the Bernina Artista machine because the only sofware that will save a design in the Artista format (called ART) is the Bernina software. That doesn't mean you have to digitize with Bernina software, just that you have to use Bernina software to convert the design to the Bernina format. This is very nice for the Bernina dealers - but not so good for their customers. ;-)
When I was first exposed to embroidery designs, I assumed that there was a program that you could use to just convert the clipart into a design, just like you can convert a JPG to a GIF file... Click-click-click-done! But it doesn't work that way.
Turning clipart into embroidery designs is called "digitizing". And the software is called "digitizing software". There are several programs on the market that do this and they range in price from $39 to $30,000 -- depending on what you want.
Before you get too excited about the $39 price tag I have to tell you the big... "BUT"
You generally get what you pay for in digitizing software. The $39 program is absolutely worthless! Don't even consider buying it, but if you do, then please don't say you weren't warned.
On the other end of the deal is the commercial programs that sell for anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000. That's not what you need either. Those programs were designed for a different purpose and a different market.
Fortunately, there are reasonably priced programs available that will work well. The low end is around $450 and the high end is around $1,900 for good digitzing software.
At the low end of the prices is the Embird Suite. It is sold in pieces or "modular components" so you can buy what you need and not the ones you don't need. To digitize you will want Embird 2006, Embird Studio, Embird Font Engine, and Iconizer. Total right now is $454 for all of them.
Next is "PeDesign" (or Palette as it is called in BabyLock stores) which does everything the Embird Suite does and some more stuff too for about $700.
Next is "Generations" which has a list price of about $1,600 and that I've seen for as little as $1,200 on sales. It is comparable to Pedesign.
Also available is "Artista" at your Bernina dealer. It's a home-version of a commercial program.
We are very familiar with all the above programs since we own them all and have used them. There are other programs available that are also used by many people with good results. These programs are "Origins, "Viking 4D", and "Janome Digitizer 10000".
I could recommend any of the above 7 programs as good choices. There are OTHER programs on the market that are BAD choices for various reasons. I won't name names but I can tell you that just because a program claims to do something, doesn't mean it really does. Also -- just because it makes what looks like an embroidery design on the screen doesn't mean it will sew it out well. So before you spend $39 or $1,399 on a probram not on the list above, do some extensive searching on the internet for opinions from other owners. Also - look for tutorials available from multiple sources. If the only tutorials available for a program come from the manufacturer then chances are nobody that owns the program was able to make it work well enough that they'd want to make a tutorial on how to use it.
Finally -- digitizing is a SKILL that must be acquired. Buying the software doesn't make you a digitizer any more than buying a clarinet makes you Benny Goodman! You must buy the software and learn how to USE it before you will be able to create designs. Once you buy a program, buy a tutorial or two and read (or watch) the tutorials. Then practice what you've learned and test-sew out what you've created. THEN you'll be a digitizer.
One more piece of advice that's important at this point...
All artwork is owned by someone. That ownership is called "Copyright". It is illegal to distribute a design that you create with artwork that you don't have permission to use from the copyright owner. For artwork that is legal to use and easy to digitize for a beginner, look at www.jdsclipart.com and buy one or two of her "generic" design sets. "Generic" sets mean they are sold to as many people that want to buy them, and are priced very reasonably at about $10 for 10 pieces of clipart.
If you want more help with specifics of digitizing, try our website www.digitizersworld.com
