Embird
Embird is a great way to get started digitising your own designs. It is not dedicated to any particular machine so if you move on from your current machine to a different brand, you will not have to learn how to use a new bit of software.
To get started digitising you will need to buy the basic Embird 2006 package and a plug-in called Studio. The Basic Embird will allow you manipulate designs but not create them. Studio allows you to create your own embroidery designs from scratch. You don't need a fantastic PC to run these programs.
We use Embird and a few plug ins for our business, here is our set up in full:
Embird 2006 - Basic Package
We use this to change colours in designs, re-size embroidery designs and convert any designs we buy in to work with our machine. It's really easy to use and there is lots of help available. You can download it directly and don't have to wait for a CD to be sent to you.
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Embird Studio - Digitising Tools 3.0
This is plug-in that allows us to create our own designs from clients sketches or even photos. It's not as simple as a one-click conversion, you have to trace the designs so you will need some computer skills to be able to use this properly. Its packed with features though and after two years, we are still finding new ways to do things! You might see Sfumato Stitch advertised with this product. Sfumato is designed to convert pictures to designs almost at the click of a button. Despite trying, we could not get usable results with this part of the package so in our opinion, we would not consider recommending this to you. I'd be really interested to hear other reports.
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Embird Font Engine
If you plan to add lettering to your designs, then this plug-in is absolutely essential. There is nothing this beast can't do to a letter! It automatically picks up all the fonts you can access in Microsoft Word, and there are loads you can add too. It uses standard fonts and will save you a lot of money and time.
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You will also need some graphics programs to manipulate your pictures (resize and crop) so they are the right size to work from. You can use your built in one if you have Microsoft Picture Editor or Microsoft Image Editor. Have a look to see what you have got installed. If you have a digital camera, you might have a suitable package on the CD you got with the camera. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a great one often bundled with cameras.