
![]() |
BeadLinks.com Home | Directory of Crafts & Hobbies Listings | Browse Crafts & Hobbies From Top | The Down The Street Bead Show |
|
|
Machine Embroidery Digitizing - What Youll Need Besides the Software
You've purchased an embroidery machine, practiced the designs that were included in the package, maybe even bought a disc of designs or downloaded a few designs off the Internet to stitch out. Now you're thinking about investing in digitizing software and taking your embroidery to the next level. But the digitizing program is just a part of what you'll need before entering the creative world of embroidery digitizing. Choosing the Hardware An embroidery digitizing program is image editing software capable of converting a digital picture to stitches and saving it in a format that can be read by your embroidery machine. And, like any robust image editor, a digitizing program is resource intensive. The program's packaging will state the manufacturer's recommended minimum computer system specifications to operate the software. Let's take a look at just such a recommendation and see how the 'minimums' stack up. (I won't mention the program or the manufacturer but these are actual recommendations from a popular digitizing software. Yours may vary but probably not by much.) The Computer Manufacturer recommends: IBM-PC or compatible computer originally equipped with a USB port. I recommend: The same. Operating System Manufacturer recommends: Windows(R) 98, ME, XP or 2000. Mouse Manufacturer recommends: N/A I recommend: Any comfortable, optical, non-rollerball mouse. When doing imaging you cannot attain the precision you need with a rollerball. And an optical mouse means there is no ball on the bottom to catch or jerk at a critical time. Processor Manufacturer recommends: Pentium 500 MHz or higher. I recommend: Pentium class 1 GB or higher. The faster the processor the better. We're imaging, not typing a letter. Memory Manufacturer recommends: Minimum 64 MB (256 MB or higher is recommended.) I recommend: Minimum 512 MB. Memory is cheap and more is always better. You can never have too much. Hard Disk Free Space Manufacturer recommends: Minimum 100 MB I recommend: You'll need 100 MB free to install the software but you're going to need a lot more than that to store your creations. Purchase a hard drive with a minimum of 40 GB, 80 GB or higher is better. A hard disk is like a garage: It collects junk and you rarely clean it out. Give yourself plenty of room for storage. Monitor Manufacturer recommends: SVGA (800x600), 16-bit color or higher. I recommend: 17" SVGA (1024x768), 32-bit color. You're going to appreciate the extra screen real estate from a large monitor, and you'll need to be able to easily differentiate your thread color choices. USB Port Manufacturer recommends: USB Ver. 1.1 or higher. I recommend: USB Ver. 1.1 or higher, 2 or more. Some programs will run only if a card reader/writer is installed. That's one port taken. If your machine accepts input directly from your computer you'll need another port available to send your finished file to your machine. Printer Manufacturer recommends: A graphic printer that is supported by your system (only if you want to print your images). I recommend: A graphic printer. You will want to print your images and the associated thread color data. As a side note: I'm not sure why anyone would have a printer that was not supported by their system. CD-ROM Drive Manufacturer recommends: Required for installation I recommend: The same, but with a minimum twenty-four-speed (24x) drive speed. A higher speed drive is fine, it transfers data faster but it's also a little noisier. CD-ROM Recorder Drive (RW) Manufacturer recommends: N/A I recommend: Once a year or so when you're in the cleaning mood, you'll want to burn your images to CD to reduce clutter on your hard drive and reorganize. Deciding to purchase machine embroidery digitizing software is just the first step to truly creative embroidery with a personal touch. Get the most out of it by making sure it is happy in its new home. Digitizer Deb Schneider offers her machine embroidery designs on her website, WindstarEmbroidery.com. You'll also find Embroidery Thread Conversion Charts and information about embroidery digitizing. You can email Deb at: dschneider(at)windstarembroidery.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Beads - Google News |
RELATED ARTICLES
Be Your Own Way, but Still Use the Safe Tools It is so often that people are not aware with the tools they use when doing their home improvement. Sometimes they use wrong tools just because they want something quick to be done. Starting A Coin Collection The best place to start collecting would be with pennies, we will focus on the Lincoln Cent for the years 1909 through 1958, which are the Wheat Cents. There are still a number of "wheat cents" showing up in circulation, so it is possible to start a coin collection without spending a great deal of money. Wholesale Scrapbooking: Should You Start A Direct Sales Scrapbooking Business Just The Discount? Have you ever thought about signing on with a scrapbooking direct sales company, just to get the discount on your own supplies? It can be a great way to get your own product at a discount and meet other scrapbookers, but it's also important to read the fine print. Here are seven of the most important factors to consider:1. 10 Slam-Dunk Crafts For Little Kids -- And Bigger Kids Too! Crafting with young children really isn't about creating something in particular. Most young children don't have the foresight to see what a project is going to be. Rubber Stamps - For Teachers and Students Once again we are reminded that summer is not long enough. It is the beginning of another back to school shopping season. Leather Work Tips For leather work, consider the basics: an awl and spare point, a retractable X-acto knife and spare blades, a retractable knife with a break-off blade and a rotary punch. In addition, you'll need needles, a lump of beeswax and some waxed linen thread. Antiques From Europe...Is It Really The Goose That Layed the Golden Egg? Many dealers and auctioneers have been bringing container loads of antiques from Europe for years now. The lure of getting "fresh to the market" antique furniture and "smalls" is something that can bring renewed excitement back into your antique business. Soap Making For Beginners - Melt And Pour Process As you will learn, soap making can be simple or complex. Some people enjoy the challenge of going all out professionally, which is fine. Identifying US Coins with Bullish Futures Okay, let's get something straight? I do not advocate the purchase of United States coins strictly for investment purposes. Like most traditional collectors, I believe coins are to be primarily appreciated for their artistic beauty, historical connections, and the joy of pursuing them. It is Possible to Create All Kinds of Items with Hobby Metal Casting Hobby Metal Casting enables the home metal craft worker to createuseful products to use around the: -HOME-WORKSHOP-GARDEN or WORKPLACE- Or turn your skills into cash.Yes,you could also make your own unique products for next to nothing to sell at markets, direct mail, or on the internet etc for big profits. Money Making Hobby - Do You Have One? Everyone has a hobby. We love all kinds of music, sports, movies, books. Production and Pricing of Craft Show Items This is where you can really make or break your craft showcareer. Being able to produce quality crafts as efficiently andaffordably as possible is the key to making a tidy profit fromcraft shows. Roasting Your Own Coffee - A Hobby You Can Love There is nothing like a cup of coffee that has been freshly roasted, ground and brewed to perfection. There are a growing number of enthusiasts who are roasting their own coffee beans and enjoying the benefits of truly fresh coffee at about one-third of the price of beans from your local coffee shop. Functional Pottery Makes a Great Gift, Plain and Simple Are you looking for something unique to give a friend or family member for an upcoming birthday or holiday? If you really want to wow that special someone, why not consider purchasing an original one of a kind pottery gift that makes life better in some way.Pottery gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and they can be practical or extravagant. Craft Crocheting from Your Home Crocheting is not only a craft but an art. Once you master the basic stitches you will be well on your way to creating masterpieces you will be pride to share with your family and friends. Plastic, Zinc, Brass, Embossing and Marking Stencils Marking StencilsStencil is a cut-out form for an alphabets, numbers, symbols and illustrations. Embossing and Marking Stencils provide quality of work and save plenty of time. 4 Fun Ways to Display Photos From baby pictures to vacation pictures, images of family and friends are treasures that are kept for a lifetime. They make great gifts and add cheer and warmth to the interiors of our homes. Molding Leather Armor In order to mould leather armor, soak it in water until it becomes pliable and soft. Then place it in the mould until it dries and hardens. Easy Crafts for Kids - Help with Learning According to the research on child cognitive development, making use of basic easy crafts for kids can stimulate their mental growth and enhance the learning process. Since early times, mankind has always known that early crafts for kids taught some important lessons. A Brief History of Candles For centuries man's progress has been lighted by candles. However, people know only very few things about the origin of candles. |

|
Sell Your Beads & Crafts Online. We are part of a 28,000+ high traffic classified website network. Post Your Free Picture Classified Ads Today |
|
|
| BeadLinks.com Home | Directory of Crafts & Hobbies Listings | Browse Crafts & Hobbies From Top | The Down The Street Bead Show |
| © 2006 |