Guest Linda S Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 I just got, through a heck of a deal, a new Brother PE 780D embroidery machine from Sew Vac Direct. I'm having fun playing with the designs and alphabets, and I'm thinking I'm going to want to do more with this. In particular, I was "elected" (is that forcibly volunteered?) to be the logo sales chair of our quilt guild this year. We have two companies in town from which we can get garments, hats, etc., but their prices on things like lanyards, etc., are outrageous. I'd rather buy a hundred of them myself and embroider them for the group. There seem to be a lot of different kinds of embroidery software out there, from free to a couple thousand dollars. Do any of you use a simple and less costly digitizing software that you would recommend? This is just a sewing-machine-type embroidery machine, not one of the big girls! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Hi Linda, You may want to take a look at Embird. A most popular, and not overly expensive embroidery software that has digitizing as an add on. http://www.embird.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Thanks Angie - that's on my possibility list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriVB Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Linda--if you area considering computerizing your longarm--I would take a look at Art and Stitch--it can do amazing things--both quilting designs and embroidery digitizing. It has been extremely easy to learn--it isn't as complete of an embroidery program as say Bernina--but is totaly user friendly to learn vector drawing and way too much fun!! Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Thanks Terri - that software is about 150% more expensive than my actual embroidery machine. I was hoping to find something a bit more cost effective. Thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Linda, Angie, I didn't see a price for the Embird; did you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 You have to click on the different links to get the price, Sylvia. It is, of course, free to try the demo, but then you need to register it for $144. That's a good price, actually, but I think in order to digitize you need to add an additional package. I'm trying to figure it all out, but it's not readily apparent what you need in order to do what. I have and am trying to find the time to read John Deer's Digitizing Made Easy. Unfortunately, he tries to be nice and isn't going to favor one program over the other. Argh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Hi again Linda, Are you wanting "fonts" for doing embroidery on the various products for your guild? or are you truly wanting to learn digitizing? for your guild logo projects, and for your own pleasure. I have Palette 6.0. And while I have digitized a logo for our retreat denim shirts, and some redwork---I personally don't like digitizing per se. It is a lot of drawing, importing, choosing stitches--test stitch outs. Manipulating designs. Tons of time learning the whole process and a lot of time sitting at the computer. Compatibility of your Brother machine with the programs and hoops/stabilizers, and the end result all have to be considered. You might be better off shopping for an online professional digitizer to do the design work for you. Their prices vary. Buy the finished digitized design from them, and transfer it to your machine to stitch out. Or if it's just fonts you are wanting---there are literally thousands of embroidery design websites with "font" of all sizes for sale to download and use. If you want an actual guild logo with fonts around it, and you want to design it---and you've never played around with digitizing, this could take some time to learn (and do). It could get costly either way. My suggestion is to be sure what direction you want to go---also, if you are running Windows 7, some digitizing programs don't "play well" with Windows 7. So, if you buy any programs, make sure they do. And with Macs---forget it. I have not upgraded my Palette 6. Too costly---and it will not work on my Windows 7 equipped laptop. I have to use my husbands old computer with XP to use the program. There is a Windows XP patch, but it takes too much time to toggle between my Designers Gallery software, and Palette. The new Palette upgrade is over $500 and I don't need to have Palette, or digitize that bad..... Just some things I wanted to share with you, and for you to think about. I do a lot of machine embroidery, labels, names on shirts, monogram towels and etc. some for pay, some for my own pleasure. I'm working on MollyMine.com --- Crazy quilt blocks right now. (series one) Keep us posted as to what direction you go with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Thanks Angie. My machine has a large selection of alphabets (six, plus large monogram letters). I have also thought about sending the logo to a digitizer to have it done. I've seen some sites that do it for about $35 each. Could be more cost effective for the guild stuff, but in the meanwhile, I'm thinking there are a lot of my own designs or some Dover copyright free designs I might like to use as embroidery and, after a while, all those $35 charges would add up to a software purchase. Right now Embird is looking pretty good, but I'm on a quest to make sure I can get what I want for the least amount of dollars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 $144 is a great price! I had Brother's program that costs $500 back in the day but it won't run with Windows 7 and even the patch won't work. It costs $800 now. I can't do that. (that would buy a lot of fabric). But.....I would like to use my embroidery machine (Mine is old....Brother Disney 2003D. The machine is like new because I only used it to write names on Meredith's clothing and such. Wish I had a cheap program to use with it now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Hi Linda, Art & Stitch may seem expensive, but you sure get a LOT for your money, and GREAT support & backup. You can download the trial version from the website and play around with it. There are lots of video tutorials and a very complete, with pictures, User Guide that you can print out. The only difference between the trial version and the licensed version is that you can't save your designs in the trial. But it would sure give you an idea of where you might like to go with digitizing. Just go to the website and watch the videos and you may get excited enough that you'll invest in it. Upgrades are free, and we've had 2 since the software debuted a year ago. This software is designed by Loes and Theo van der Heiden who have contributed regularly on this forum. They are teaching hands-on classes at many of the big machine quilting shows this year. You may find you're just as interested in digitizing for your quilting machine as you are for embroidery, if/when you computerize your machine. Not that you have to computerize to use the software. There is also a section on how to digitize and print your own paper patterns! This is a VERY complete digitizing program, and VERY user friendly. Just watch the videos and you'll see for yourself. http://www.artnstitch.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Linda, I use PE-Next. You can't beat the Brother software. It's easy and the upgrades are not bad in price. No matter what, it's expensive to get started. You're welcome to send me the logo and I'll see if I can digitize it for you (free). I have PE-Design Next and Art and Stitch. I also have the program did prior to art and Stitch. I do a lot of my own digitizing. I have a 6 needle and 10 needle Brother plus the Quattro. Do you have a business license? You can get wholesale blanks. If not try, "Just Blanks" or "The Sophisticated Sewer". You will pay major bucks to have a company digitized the logo and sometimes they don't do the best work. You can email me at sewsweetgator@aol.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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