Fill, satin or run, per shape
Large areas become fill: rows of short stitches in a staggered pattern. Borders, letters and narrow shapes, roughly 1 to 7–8 mm wide, become satin. Fine details become run stitches.
How it works
How to digitize a logo for embroidery, step by step
Upload a PNG or JPG of your logo, up to 25 MB. Your digitizer cleans the art, turns its colors into threads and, for most designs in about a minute, shows it stitched in 4 styles. Pick a style and a size, then download DST, PES, JEF, EXP, VP3 or XXX. Downloading needs a free account.
Last updated · The Stitch and Threads team
Real results, on real products
SampleTiger mascot
Classic
9,273 stitches · 5 threads · 50 mm wide
SampleSurf sunset badge
Bold Outline
14,105 stitches · 5 threads · 90 mm wide
SampleHappy bee
Soft & Light
4,567 stitches · 5 threads · 90 mm wide
SampleRose monogram
Classic
7,515 stitches · 3 threads · 90 mm wide
Mockup: our rendered stitches on a product photo, at true size. Sample designs, not customer work.
Seven steps
What happens from upload to download?
- 01
Upload your art
Upload your art. Drop a PNG or JPG, up to 25 MB, then create your free account to digitize it.
Logos, lettering, clip art and line drawings work best. Upload the biggest, cleanest image you have. Photos are experimental in the Beta. Your art stays in your browser until you sign in, then the page becomes your design.
- 02
We clean the art
Your digitizer removes the background and turns the colors of your art into threads. You see the original beside the cleaned art, with the thread colors and a list of what changed.
For our sample badge, it found 8 colors and merged 2 edge blends, leaving 6 threads.
- 03
Choose the size and placement
Tap a placement chip, Left chest 3.5″, Cap front, 3″ patch or Jacket back, or type your own width from 10 to 400 mm.
A typical left chest logo is about 3–4 in (75–100 mm) wide. A cap front is usually about 2–2.25 in (50–57 mm) tall.
- 04
See 4 styles in about a minute
For most designs, in about a minute, your digitizer shows your art stitched in Classic, Bold Outline, Soft & Light and Line Art, each with its stitches, colors, size and an estimated sewing time.
- 05
Look at it three ways
Switch the big preview between Stitched, Art & threads and On product.
On product shows our sample badge on a polo, a cap, a t-shirt or a tote. Your own design on products is coming next.
- 06
Pick and change
Pick a style, change the size, turn the outline on or off and choose your file format with the controls. Every change shows in your conversation, with Undo.
Asking for changes in your own words is coming next.
- 07
Download your file
Choose DST, PES, JEF, EXP, VP3 or XXX and download. Every free account gets 5 free designs, with no card.
The first download of a design uses 1 free design. Downloading it again, in any style or format, is free.
Step 2, up close
What does cleaning the art mean?
Embroidery sews solid thread colors. So before planning stitches, your digitizer removes the background and merges colors that are nearly the same into one thread. Drag to compare the cleaned art with the stitched result.
01
Your upload
The picture as you sent it.
02
Art & threads
Background removed, colors merged into 6 threads.
03
Stitched
Every shape planned as fill, satin or run.
The craft
What does your digitizer decide for every shape?
These are the decisions that separate a file that sews well from a picture traced in thread.
The stitch angle
Your digitizer sets the angle of the stitches in each shape. Fill angles are fixed today; choosing your own angles is not a feature yet.
Underlay
Stitches sewn first, under the visible ones. They hold the fabric steady and lift the top stitches. Classic and Bold Outline use underlay; Soft & Light doesn't, to stay light.
Pull compensation
Thread pulls the fabric in as it sews, so shapes are made slightly wider: 0.25 mm in Classic and Bold Outline, 0.20 mm in Soft & Light.
Sewing order
Shapes are sewn in an order that lands outlines on top and keeps thread cuts down.
Stitch count and sewing time
Every style shows its stitches, threads, size and an estimated sewing time before you download.
What is satin stitch?
Satin stitch is zig-zag stitches sewn side to side across a column. It's best for borders, lettering and narrow shapes, roughly 1 to 7–8 mm wide. Wider columns get loose and can snag, so they're filled instead.
What is fill stitch?
Fill (often called tatami) is rows of short stitches in a staggered pattern, for larger areas. The spacing between rows is the density: tighter means more stitches, more coverage and a stiffer result.
What is a run stitch?
A run stitch is a single line of stitches, for fine details and outlines. A triple run is sewn three times, so it's heavier and bolder. Line Art uses a triple run.
What is underlay?
Underlay is stitches sewn first, under the visible ones. They hold the fabric steady and lift the top stitches. Common types are center run, edge run, zig-zag and fill underlay.
Step 5
What are the three views?
The big preview has three tabs, so you can judge the design before you download.
- Sample
Stitched
A realistic render of every stitch, lit so you can see each row.
Rendered preview from the stitch file. Not a photo.
- Sample
Art & threads
Your cleaned art beside the thread colors your digitizer chose.
SampleOn product
The sample on a polo, cap, t-shirt or tote. Your own design on products is coming next.
Mockup: our rendered stitches on a product photo, at true size.
Step 7
Which file formats can I download?
Six formats, for the machines people sew on most. Pick the one your machine reads.
Before your first run
How do I get a good first sew-out?
- Start with clean art. Logos, lettering, clip art and line drawings, as big and clean as you have.
- Size it for the hoop. Common home hoops are about 100×100, 130×180 and 160×260 mm. Check your machine's manual.
- Match the stabilizer to the fabric. Usually cut-away for knits, tear-away for stable wovens, and a water-soluble topping on towels and fleece.
- Test first. A preview is a realistic render, not a photo of a sew-out. Thread, fabric, stabilizer and machine all change the result.
Questions people ask
What file types can I upload?
PNG or JPG, up to 25 MB.
How big can my design be?
You choose the width, from 10 to 400 mm.
Is the preview exactly how it will sew?
No. The preview is a realistic render, not a photo of a sew-out. Thread, fabric, stabilizer and machine all change the result. Do a test sew-out first.
Can I change the design by chatting?
Not yet. Asking for changes in your own words is coming next. Today you can change the style, the size and the file format with the controls.
Your AI digitizer
Drop your art. See it stitched in 4 styles.
PNG or JPG, up to 25 MB. Free account · 5 free designs, no card.
Drop your artwork