The cleaner the image, the cleaner the stitches. Good embroidery artwork has flat colors, clear edges, no background, nothing thinner than about 0.5 mm at the final size, and enough resolution that edges don't blur.
You don't need design software for most of this. Start with the best original you can find, decide the stitched size, and work through the checklist below. Then upload the image to the free digitizer and compare the stitch preview with what you expected.
PNG vs JPG vs SVG for embroidery
| Format | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| SVG | Logos and lettering; the sharpest edges at any size | Convert text to outlines; flatten gradients and remove filters |
| PNG | Logos, clip art, icons; supports transparency | Export at least 1,000 px across |
| JPG | Photos and logos when it's all you have | Compression noise around edges; use the highest quality |
| WebP, GIF, BMP | Accepted as they are | Same rules as PNG and JPG |
If you have a choice, use SVG, then PNG, then JPG. Each has its own converter page with tips: SVG to PES, PNG to DST and JPG to JEF. The digitizer cleans up JPG compression noise, but it can't restore detail that was never there.
Resolution: how many pixels you need
Aim for 1,000 to 2,000 pixels across the artwork. Here's why: a 100 mm wide design from a 1,000 px image gives 10 pixels per millimeter, so a 0.5 mm line is 5 pixels wide, enough to measure reliably. From a 300 px image, the same line is 1.5 pixels and blurs into its neighbors.
Enlarging a small image doesn't add detail; it only smooths the blur. If all you have is a tiny screenshot, ask for the original file or redraw the logo in a vector program. Larger files are fine: the digitizer scales them down for analysis.
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Use flat colors: remove gradients, shadows and glows
Thread can't blend. A gradient becomes a few hard bands, a drop shadow becomes an extra color with ragged edges, and a glow becomes a halo of stray stitches. Replace each with a solid color before you digitize, or delete it.
- Flatten gradients to one or two solid tones.
- Delete drop shadows, glows, bevels and textures.
- Remove thin outlines that only exist to separate colors on screen.
- Replace photographic textures with a solid color.
Remove or simplify the background
A transparent PNG is ideal: transparent areas are never stitched. A plain white or single-color background also works, because the digitizer detects it and leaves it unstitched. A busy background, such as a photo behind a logo, needs to be cropped or removed first.
Gaps inside the artwork, such as the holes in letters, are left unstitched too, so the fabric shows through. If your fabric is a different color from the image background, switch those areas back on in the color list.
How many colors to keep
Each color is a thread change. On a single-needle machine, that means stopping to rethread. Two to six colors suit most logos. For photos, start with four to six and adjust.
Merge colors that are nearly the same, and watch for colors that only appear along edges, which come from anti-aliasing. The design check flags designs with more than 12 colors. To pick real threads, compare colors in the thread color chart.
Line thickness and small details at the final size
Measure details at the size you will sew, not on screen. A line that looks bold on a monitor can be 0.3 mm wide on a 75 mm chest logo.
| Width at final size | What happens |
|---|---|
| Under about 0.75 mm | Sewn as a running or bean stitch, a single line |
| About 1–6.5 mm | Sewn as satin: smooth and shiny |
| Over 6.5 mm | Sewn as tatami fill |
| Gaps under about 1 mm | Close up as thread spreads |
Thicken lines you want to keep to at least 1 mm, open up gaps, and remove specks and tiny details that won't survive. Lettering should be at least 5 mm tall; see the small text guide.
Set the final size before you digitize
Size decides everything above, so pick it first. A left chest logo is usually 75–100 mm wide, a full back 250–300 mm. Check that the design fits your hoop with a margin using the hoop size calculator.
Stitch count grows with area, so a design scaled to twice the width and height has roughly four times the stitches. The digitizer warns about designs under 15 mm on their shorter side, where most detail is lost.
Common artwork problems and quick fixes
| Problem in the image | What it causes | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| JPG blockiness around edges | Ragged edges and stray colors | Use a PNG or SVG, or the highest-quality JPG |
| Soft, anti-aliased edges | Thin halo colors along outlines | Lower the color count or merge the halo into its neighbor |
| White outline around a sticker-style logo | An extra color that may stitch | Remove it, or switch it off in the color list |
| Tagline in tiny type | Unreadable or missing text | Enlarge, simplify or drop it |
| Logo on a photo or pattern | Background shapes become stitches | Crop to the logo or cut it out first |
| Hairline strokes | Lines that vanish or become single runs | Thicken to at least 1 mm at the final size |
Small logos often need a simplified version. Many brands already have one for favicons or social avatars: fewer details, bolder lines and no tagline. If yours does, use it for chest and cap sizes and keep the full version for jacket backs.
Preparing a photo
Photos are reduced to a few flat thread colors, so the result looks like a bold patch or screen print, not a photograph. Pick a clear subject with strong contrast, crop tight, and remove a busy background. Pets, silhouettes and simple portraits work best. The photo to embroidery page has more tips.
What to ask for when the artwork comes from a customer
- The original logo file. Vector files (AI, EPS, PDF or SVG) are best. The digitizer reads SVG, so ask for SVG or export one, or a PNG at least 1,000 px across.
- The brand colors, ideally as Pantone or hex values, so you can pick the nearest threads in the thread color chart.
- The size and placement: left chest, cap front, sleeve or back, and the width they expect.
- The garment color. Areas that match the garment can be left unstitched, which saves stitches and keeps the design softer.
- Permission. Only digitize logos the customer owns or is licensed to use.
Agree on the thread colors before you sew. Thread charts are limited, and a brand color often sits between two threads.
Checklist before you upload
- Best available original: SVG, or PNG at least 1,000 px across.
- Final stitched size decided, and it fits your hoop.
- Background transparent or plain.
- Gradients, shadows and glows replaced with flat colors.
- Two to six colors for a logo, four to six for a photo.
- Lines at least 1 mm wide and text at least 5 mm tall at the final size.
- Specks and tiny details removed.
Keep a copy of the cleaned-up artwork. If you need a different size or format later, digitize it again rather than scaling the stitch file.