Carolyn Keber’s latest Step by Step Guide to Digitizing Studio V6 for Embird tutorial is now available! This 770 page tutorial will take you through the whole Studio V6 program and teach you bit by bit how to create your own wonderful designs. In no time at all you will be creating designs like a ‘pro’.Carolyn also has brand new tutorial videos for Studio V6 available on DVD. In total there are 73 videos to watch and listen to, with 11 hours of recorded lessons showing you how to digitize and more. The new 770 page Step by Step Guide to Embird Digitizing Studio V6 tutorial is included on this DVD too.There are also some awesome special offers for combinations of Carolyn’s tutorials and videos on CD – either Embird & Studio together, or the “Top 4″ of Embird, Studio, Sfumato and Cross Stitch.

I’m running Vista and have not been able to backup my password since updating to Embird 2010. Anyone else run into this problem or have any suggestions? Thanks, Kathy B

Hi Kathy,

To back up your passwords, open Embird and go to Help/Passwords. We have more details on backing up or recovering your passwords at this link.

Hope this helps,

Kind regards,

Margaret Hardwick-Smith
Customer Support
at Secrets of Embroidery

Is there a way to change the spacing between letters when using the font engine? When I sew off, the letters are too close together and almost un-readable

Embird has some very nice alphabets available. Does anybody know of the possibility to create your own alphabet for Embird?
Thanks, Edward.

Hi ya, I hope that you may be able to help me. At present I use embird and wish to learn colour blending but cant’ find any tutorials written for embird on this subject thanks for your time. Best wishes – Gary

The only tutorial that covers shading is in my Full Studio tutorial.

Here’s some tips for you though – as they might help.

Blending is created by adding layers of either fill stitch or satin stitch to an object. The lowest layer is the heavier layer (no more than 5.0 density) and each successive layer should be considerably lighter in density. Bear in mind that the more layers the more concentrated the stitching. You won’t want to break needles, tear fabric or buckle your design in the hoop. Lighter is better.

Always deselect the underlay in any blending. Keep the direction of fill for all shading the same direction as the original fill as it needs to blend in between the layers of stitching to make it more natural. If using Satin stitch consider using the Wide Satin Stitch Sample or perhaps using Column with Pattern as they allow you to create directional fills rather than Plain Fill which can only be used in one direction at a time.

I hope that helps.

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
Step by Step Tutorials for all Embird programs and for PE Design

Good Morning, I purchased the Embird and I have so much to learn.  I have purchased fonts via downloads from other embroidery websites; however, I am having a time learning to use them.  In order for me to use these fonts to make a name or initials, do I have to purchase the Font Engine as well?  Thank you! – Renee’ Bass

Hi Renee,

Thanks for your email. No, you don’t need Font Engine. Font Engine is a digitizing program for converting true type font (like you have in Microsoft Word for example), to embroidery design.

The easiest way to use fonts in Embird is with the Embird Alphabets. These are pre-digitized embroidery designs that are really flexible and easy to use. For more details, please go to this link.

Embird is a great program and has many features. To get the best use of the program I would suggest you use a tutorial.

Embird have some small free tutorials available to use from within the program.  Open Embird, go to Help and then Tutorials to find them, or go to http://www.embird.com/sw/embird/videos.htm.

If you really want to learn your program and get the most out of it I would suggest you look at Carolyn Keber’s tutorials.   They are extremely popular and are very informative and easy to follow.

Carolyn also offers ongoing support if you need any further help with learning your program.  Purchase of her full tutorials qualifies you for membership to Carolyn’s Embird Club and free tutorials on a regular basis.

If you have any further questions, just let us know.

Kind regards,

Margaret Hardwick-Smith
Customer Support
at Secrets of Embroidery

I recently purchased Embird Studio. My question is say the Fill Tool when I change the direction do I then have to also change the direction of the Underlay. It says that it is set at 50 does that mean 50 to the direction I have set. The other thing is the default seems to be 5 what is the better underlay width. Thank you in advance – Joy

Hi there

Technically speaking you should adjust the underlay angle when you change the angle of fill for Studio – however I generally do not do this. Studio creates underlay that is formed like a cross hatch and will cover adequately in the default direction but if you wish to adjust the underlay as well then that is okay. Really, it will depend on the size of the object that you are creating. If the object has large fill areas then it would be better to also change the underlay angles but for smaller fill objects it is not so important.

The 5 numbers that you refer to relate to the underlay density in millimetres. Depending on the fabric being used for your embroidery design you may wish to increase the underlay density. I would certainly increase it for fabrics with a pile – such as polar-fleece and towelling. Increasing the density of underlay is done by decreasing the underlay settings – going lower.

I hope that helps

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
Step by Step Tutorials for all Embird Programs and for PE Design

I have the newest Embird. I have to go in each time I open Embird to set the parameters. (Mostly for for the fill pattern is the one that doesn’t stay selected) On my other one, after I set it, it was always the same. Is there some way to make it stay until I want it changed?? Also, on my older version of Embird I could use the font engine and type in the name and it would be joined. Now I have to join each letter one by one. I have it check under the options menu in editor for join consecutive colors but it still want work. Am I missing a function on the new Embird somewhere that will save these settings?? Thanks for any help! – Bobbie

Hi Bobbie,

To keep your Parameters in Embird you should select the object first and then open the full Parameters screen. Click on the Parameters button at the top of the screen and check to make sure that you have the correct options checked.

In regards to Font Engine in Editor you should select your connection type in the first Font Engine screen Insert screen. At the bottom of this screen are your options. To connect to the next letter choose Floating Stitches Solid and perhaps place a check mark in the Nearest Point Box as well. That will work for you.

Kind regards
Carolyn Keber
Step by Step Tutorials for all Embird programs and for PE Design

I have been sitting in my office for what seems like forever, writing the next Studio tutorial for version 6. The tutorial is going well but it is very large as Studio has such a lot of fabulous tools and new and exciting things to play with now. The tutorial is currently at over 700 pages with more still to come whereas my last Studio tutorial was not quite 600 pages. You can see why I have been so busy.

I will not be able to release my new tutorial until the latest version of Studio that is currently being beta tested is given the okay for release. I am not sure when that will be but it cannot be too far away. This is just a little snippet of things to come – automatic outlining and also a corner command like that in Embird Editor.

Shown below is a little image of a design I created using the auto outliner and the corner command. I used some clipart which I opened in Studio and then click, click and it was done and another click click and it is an instant border.

I will explain how to do this in my new tutorial when its released. That and much much more -
Oh well, back to work – the tutorial is calling.

Carolyn Keber
Author of Embird Tutorials

I recently traded my well-used Singer Futura 200 in on the top of the line Babylock Ellisomo machine.  Imagine my chagrin when I discovered that this very expensive machine did not come with the basic digitizing software that I got with my much less expensive Singer.  From searching the web, it looks like Embird is a better option for this function than the PE/Palette software.  My question is:  can you do the same things with Embird Studio that I could do with the Singer software – that is, take a clip art photo and digitize it virtually automatically?  If not, is there another software option for doing this?