Hi Y’all. I got the trial version of SewArt64 to try making a simple patch. I find it very easy to get started, but when saving, the options for thread type and for hoop size have me a bit stumped. Should I just put in a hoop size that’s larger than my design, or should it match the hoops we have at the space?
Also, should I worry about the thread type?
Thanks in advance for your help!
I’d match the hoops that the Space has available. Fewer chances for mistakes that way. I don’t think that the thread type should be a problem.
@John_Marlow (Chris) should know for sure.
I used to teach sign off for the machines at the space. I highly recommend you be up there with the machine and do some testing as you change things on your design. I made the mistake of spending a bunch of time at home making a design look great on screen only to try and stitch it and it looked not how I expected.
I concur with Beth about setting the size to one of the hoops at the space. For thread, pick something as close to what you think you’ll use. I don’t /think/ it matters too much aside from when you print the stitch out instructions it includes thread details on the layers. But definitely Chris knows more about designing 
Even Chris runs a test of her designs. She had mentioned that she usually picks bright/contrasting colors for her first run-through, so that she knows where the design is putting each color.
Thank you both for the advice, I’ll make some time to come up this weekend. Maybe if I install it on my laptop I’ll get a new 30 days of trial on the software.
Almost forgot – since the Viking SE is so old, it only takes small flash drives. It came with a 32 meg. Although, the original flash drive should be in the … thing that fits over the free arm. That may be in the cabinet with the embroidery threads and such. Paul was moderately certain that you should be able to use a 1 gig flash drive. No guarantees here. If the flash drive is too big for the software, it can’t find the end and it won’t read the drive.
Other tips:
FILE FORMATS:
ARTWORK:
You’ll have to use a different email address.
This feature of many email hosting platforms (including gmail) might work…
(tl;dnr - add a plus sign (+) after your userid, before the @domain.com, and a string of other characters as-desired - e.g. [email protected] = [email protected], [email protected], etc. and all will be delivered to the root ID’s email inbox)
Ah that’s good to know. I’ve been designing in Inkscape and exporting to pngs, but if it comes out cleaner as an svg then that lets me skip a step.
I assume the different layers are for different colors? For now I’m just working in black and white and not bothering to stitch the white background, but good to know when I inevitably get the urge.
Thank you for the info!
Yes, the SewArt layers are for different colors. You could use more than one layer for the same color depending on your stitching order (for instance, you might stitch a black section first, then some other layers, then the top layer might be a black outline).
So as I’m messing with the files again in SewArt64, the svg file looks more choppy and pixelated than the png I exported from it, but I assume this isn’t a good representation of the finished product, right?
The first thing I would ask is how you got the svg file. Did you author your image in Inkscape? If so you should have a vector image that will export cleanly. If, however, you imported a png file into Inkscape then your “clunkiness” might come from that import process.
SewArt, in general, isn’t good at dealing with small areas. (For that matter, no embroidery program is). Even if you have a true svg vector image, if you have small stuff you’re going to see choppiness - both on the screen and in the finished product.
Jpeg and possibly png offer anti-aliasing that are going to make the screen representation look better but are not going to improve the stitching file. The SVG file may be giving you a truer representation of what it’s going to stitch.
Where you should see an improvement using svg is in the number of colors. If you are NOT using svg, then when you use the (SewArt) Reduce Colors command you will see that the areas around color transitions are actually a bunch of colors that you don’t really want. In B&W you would likely see several shades of grey. When you are using svg you will have only the discrete colors that you intended.
Ah yes, the color simplicity thing was immediately clear to me, so I went with svg in the end.
I did start with a jpg that I imported into Inkscape, then I used the Trace Bitmap feature to grab the black image off the white background, and resized that before adding a circle border and saving.
Use the applique function in SewArt for the border. Applique will be the first thing you will do in your stitch sequence. It will automatically generate three layers:
Confirmed 16Gb sticks will work. I just purchased and tested a 16Gb stick from Walmart ($4, Onn brand) successfully. It’s now in the top drawer in the orange wood cabinet under the table.
When I try putting the applique first, my border shape seems to always have a chunk that’s not getting the stitch applied to it. However, when I add the applique after a fill stitch, it doesn’t have that issue. The circle is just a circle I added in inkscape around the biang character, so I’m not sure why it would cause a problem.
I can’t explain it. Unfortunately SewArt isn’t the most robust of programs and sometimes just has unexplainable artifacts. I’ve seen this sort of thing too. I’m glad you figured out a workaround - I’ll make a mental note to use that myself. Thanks!
