In my early days as an embroidery educator, I learned that while I try to stay neutral and unbiased, most popular embroidery digitizing programs have the essential tools needed to create embroidery patterns. With these necessary tools, everyone can achieve (almost) the same result.
But different programs differ in tools and advanced features that make it easier to create designs. Some programs require a little more work to enter your “stitch settings” manually, while others I consider “more advanced” because they help automate the process and speed things up for you.
Things to Consider When Finding Embroidery Digitizing Software:
My Personal Preference
As with everything else in life, only some will like the same brand of software. Some swear by Floriani, and others fall in love with Hatch. Determining your background may influence your decision in some way. If you have manufacturing or machinery experience, some software that links your artwork directly to the points makes more sense, and you may feel more comfortable right from the start. You will be programming a different type of software, which is more geared towards the graphics industry, which you will understand more quickly if you have a graphics background.
Do Your Own Research
The trial phase helps you decide if the software is right for you. However, keep in mind that you make sure only to do this with relevant online resources. If you’re looking for a starting point, try Hatch’s free 30-day trial by clicking here. As a bonus, we’ll be offering a simplified embroidery digitizing challenge so you can see if digitizing is what you want to pursue.
Another great way to research is to go online and ask others what they think of a specific brand of software. There are many Facebook groups, blogs, YouTube videos, and other useful sewing-based tools online where you can ask questions and get honest feedback from your customers.
Reputable Embroidery Software Brands & Embroidery Education
The last thing you should do is buy a program because it’s cheap or discounted, and you’ll get the manual that wasn’t correctly translated from the original language! When you need to know how to scan, the training you receive after purchasing the software is crucial. Lack of exercise is one of my main problems in the home (less commercial) embroidery industry. Often people buy software and have to guess themselves second or learn from unqualified teachers who don’t know any better and never digitize professionally. These “gaps” in software knowledge are the reason my book Digitalizing Made Easy has sold over 300 copies worldwide. Now, I recommend checking out our fan-favorite Digitizer Dream Course if you find a brand of software that you like but don’t have good training to help you master it.
Should I Buy Through A Dealer Store Or Online?
It depends on how much individual help you think you need with the basics. If you feel the level of support from your local dealer is sufficient to justify the additional cost, I will support your local dealer.
Alternatively, the software may have to go through multiple sales channels to get into your hands. Brick-and-mortar stores, regional sales coordinators, and software vendors, of course, have to make money.
However, paying your merchant for this service is good if you know you’ll need a lot of help to understand the basics. They should be paid for their work and effort. However, it would help if you also kept in mind that most shops and their employees are usually only familiar with essential software. If you want to learn how to digitize and create more complex designs, you need to learn from someone who specializes in digitizing. Know someone who has searched for Coca-Cola, Disney, the NFL, and the NBA (and hundreds of others) and now offers software-specific scanning courses? (Okay, pat me on the back)
Do You Really Need To Buy Software From Embroidery Machine Brand?
Even if you don’t need it, sometimes your hardware and software are the same brands with bells and whistles. For some people, something like a wireless connection can be a great motivator.
But when it comes to designing and digitizing in particular, it doesn’t make much sense to buy your own brand of software on the machine. In fact, you usually end up paying more.
Where Can You Get Software Support/Help?
There is always a slight learning curve when learning something new. Consider that the first time you use Microsoft Word, it may take 5-10 minutes to learn how to underline, center, and capitalize words in headings.
Education is the key, and our courses go a long way toward digital learning, but sometimes you have a particular question about how to do something or where to find a tool. While Google is a great resource, sometimes it’s easier to post your question online where people can answer and help you.
Being part of a community/group is a huge benefit for this reason! We personally run the largest Hatch Facebook group on the internet, with over 10,000 active members worldwide. If you have questions about how to do something or just want some inspiration, just post in the group, and one of our awesome members or one of our managers will help and point you in the right direction. We also post Demo Fridays every other week to show you how to improve your embroidery skills by learning new techniques at Hatch.
Remember, Hatch isn’t the only software that has groups/communities; many software brands have them too. However, no matter who you sign up with, you need to make sure that members and admins are actively signing up and providing support.
Start Where You Need To Start
The last thing I would suggest is that you try not to sell yourself on higher-level software unless you feel you can use add-ons. If you’re utterly new to embroidery, you probably don’t need full-featured or high-end digitizing software just yet. With a modular program like Hatch, you can always start small and scale if you feel the options are something you want to use.
Now, having worked in this field all my life, I realize that most embroiderers do not fully understand what digitizing is or if you really want to invest the time. That’s why I’ve created a free Digital Embroidery 101 Course video with a PDF cheat sheet to help you learn the basics of digitizing that every embroiderer should know. Whether you want to create your designs digitally or not, the theory taught in this course will help you achieve better embroidery results. If you’re new to the world of digital embroidery, this is the best place to start (and it’s free… what do you have to lose?).
My Personal Suggestion? Try Hatch Embroidery Software for Digitizing
Any brand I list on my site will be considered a famous brand. While I have sold a few of these brands in the past, if I had to pick a favorite, it would go to Hatch.
As the world leader in digitizing embroidery software, Wilcom has invested three years of innovation and expertise into the new Hatch embroidery software. Hatch has an easy-to-use, powerful and affordable interface. They’re also modular, so you can start small and add as you grow. I recommend you download a free 30-day trial of Hatch through us (I’ll even throw in some bonuses) to compare it to other software available. But for now, here are a few things that set Hatch apart:
