WORKFLOW
Most bad embroidery files start with bad artwork preparation. A clean vector or a high-resolution flat PNG saves more time than any advanced stitch setting.
Start with the right file
A vector file (SVG, AI, EPS, PDF) is ideal because edges stay sharp at any size. If you only have a PNG or JPEG, use the largest original you can find: at least 1500 px on the long edge for a 100 mm patch. A screenshot or a social-media download is usually too small and carries compression artefacts.
Clean the edges
- Remove the background, or make it a clean solid colour.
- Close holes and gaps in the silhouette.
- Remove shadows, glows and semi-transparent effects.
- Decide which details are essential and which will disappear at 1 mm.
Embroidery is a physical process. A soft drop shadow becomes a grey blob; a 0.2 mm hairline becomes a broken line; a gradient becomes a series of bands. Simplify before digitizing, not after.
Plan the text
Keep the important text at 4 mm cap height or more on woven cotton. Use a bold, open font. Avoid thin scripts and tight spacing. If the text is legal information or a small tagline, plan a print or a woven label rather than asking the needle to do the impossible.
Set the physical size before the stitch file
A design that looks good at 60 mm may fail at 25 mm because the thread is the same size while the artwork shrinks. Decide the finished size, then check the smallest stroke and the smallest gap. The preview should be rendered from the stitch path at that size.
A quick preflight
- Is the background clean and transparent?
- Is the smallest text at least 4 mm?
- Are there hairlines or gradients that need simplifying?
- Is the file large enough for the final size?
- Does the design still read at arm’s length?
If the answer to any of these is no, fix the art before you spend time on density. A clean source makes every later decision easier.