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Machine Embroidery Terms and Definitions

By Debbie Colgrove, About.com

Debbie Colgrove, Licensed to About.com

Digitizing Software in the Design Phase

Debbie Colgrove, Licensed to About.com

Digitizing:

Digitizing is the process of taking any form of art work and transforming it into a language that the sewing machine will understand and stitch it out. Digitizing is a complex process which uses the machines running, satin and fill stitchesto create an embroidery design. Digitizing is for someone who enjoys a challenge and wants to create their own designs. It requires many steps from starting with a simple clip art to a stitched out design. Digitizing Software is needed for this process

Conversion Software:

Conversion Software converts a design from one format to another so that it can be read by a different machine than it was digitized for. For Example; Bernina designs are in ART format, in order for a BabyLock machine to read the design, it needs to be in PES format. Conversion software is needed to change the design form ART format to PES format.

Customizing or Editing:

Customizing allows you to edit and manipulate a design. Merging two designs is an example of customizing. Software is required.

Converter Box:

A converter allows you to read from various card formats and save on to a blank card in the format you need for your machine to read the card.

Examples of Converter Boxes

Memory Card:

A storage devise that holds designs. Various machine use different size memory cards and they are not interchangeable.

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