Satin stitch sews back and forth across a narrow shape in one long column, which gives a smooth, shiny, slightly raised finish. Fill stitch (usually tatami) covers a shape with rows of short running stitches, like a woven texture. Running stitch is a single line.
The deciding factor is width. Satin works on shapes from about 1 mm to 6–7 mm wide. Wider than that, the long stitches get loose and snag, so you switch to fill. Thinner than about 1 mm, satin has no room, so you use a running or bean stitch.
Satin, fill and running stitch at a glance
| Stitch | Works best at | Look | Use it for | Avoid it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satin | About 1–6.5 mm wide | Smooth, shiny, raised | Lettering, borders, outlines, narrow shapes | Large areas |
| Tatami fill | Wider than about 6.5 mm | Flat, textured, matte | Backgrounds, large shapes, solid areas | Thin lines and small text |
| Running stitch | Lines under about 0.75 mm | Thin line | Fine detail, outlines, tiny text | Anything that needs to look bold |
| Bean stitch | Lines under about 0.75 mm | Bold line | Outlines that must stand out | Very dense detail |
The 6.5 mm and 0.75 mm limits are the defaults in the free digitizer. Other programs use similar limits, and most let you change them.
Satin stitch: when it works
Each satin stitch spans the whole width of the shape, so the thread lies flat and catches the light. That's why satin is the standard for lettering and borders: it gives clean, crisp edges and reads well from a distance.
The limits come from that long stitch. Past about 7 mm, a single stitch is long enough to snag and loosen in the wash. The digitizer splits any satin stitch longer than 7 mm and turns columns wider than 6.5 mm into fill. At the narrow end, a column under about 1 mm puts needle holes so close together that the stitches pile up, so experienced digitizers rarely go below 0.8 mm.
Satin direction matters. Stitches run across the column, so curves like the letter S need the angle to turn with the shape. Automatic satin follows the shape's centerline for you.
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Fill (tatami) stitch: when it works
Tatami fill is rows of running stitches, offset from row to row so no lines form across the shape. The digitizer sews rows 0.4 mm apart by default with stitches about 3.5 mm long. Changing the row angle changes how the fill catches light, which is why two touching areas in the same color can still look different.
Fill covers any size, but it adds stitches fast. Filled areas usually make up most of a logo's stitch count, and more stitches mean longer run times and a stiffer patch. Estimate it with the stitch count calculator before you commit to a large solid background.
Running and bean stitch for fine lines
A running stitch is a single line of stitches, usually around 2 mm long. It is the only option for details thinner than about 0.75 mm, and it is also what travels between shapes under other stitching.
A bean stitch sews each stitch three times (forward, back, forward), so the line is bolder without being a satin. Use it for outlines that need to stand out on textured fabric. On very small details it can look heavy, so test it.
Underlay for satin and fill
Underlay is sewn first and covered by the top stitches. It anchors the fabric to the stabilizer and keeps the top layer from sinking. Different stitch types use different underlay:
| Top stitch | Common underlay | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow satin (under about 2 mm) | A center run, or none | More would make thin text lumpy |
| Medium satin | Edge runs along both sides | Gives crisp, raised edges |
| Wide satin | Edge runs plus a zigzag | Lifts the column and stops sinking |
| Fill | An edge run plus a light fill at another angle | Stabilizes the area and stops gaps |
In the digitizer you choose the underlay level (none, light, standard or heavy), or let the fabric preset choose it. Knits, stretch fabrics and fleece get heavy underlay. Leather gets light underlay because every needle hole is permanent.
Choosing by width: a simple rule
- Measure the shape's width at the final stitched size, not on screen.
- Under about 0.75 mm: running or bean stitch.
- From about 1 mm to 6.5 mm: satin.
- Over 6.5 mm: tatami fill.
- Between 0.75 and 1 mm: satin if the shape is short, running stitch if it is a long thin line. Better still, thicken the line in the artwork.
Most shapes in a logo fall clearly on one side. The hard cases are lettering that is wide in some strokes and thin in others, and tiny text. The small text guide covers those.
Mixing satin and fill in one design
Most logos use both. A typical badge has a tatami fill background, a satin border around it and satin lettering on top. The order matters: fills sew first, then the satin details and borders over them, so the satin covers the slightly uneven edge where the fill stops.
Where two colors meet, the lower one should run a little under the upper one. The digitizer extends lower layers 0.3 mm under the shapes above them, which hides small shifts in the fabric. Without that overlap, you get thin lines of fabric showing between colors, especially on knits.
Fabric changes the balance too. On towels and fleece, a fill holds the pile down better than a wide satin, which can sink between loops; a topping helps both. On stretchy knits, wide satin columns tend to pull the fabric in more than a fill, so keep satin narrow there.
Common satin and fill mistakes
- Satin on large shapes. Long floats snag and look loose. Switch the area to fill.
- Satin on hairlines. Columns under 1 mm look bumpy and can break thread. Use a running stitch.
- Dense fill on knits. A heavy fill on a T-shirt makes a stiff, bulletproof patch. Use the knit preset, which spaces rows slightly wider.
- No pull compensation. Shapes come out narrower than drawn and outlines miss the fill. The digitizer adds 0.2 mm per side by default.
- No overlap between colors. Fabric shows in thin gaps. Neighboring colors should overlap slightly; the digitizer uses 0.3 mm.
- Small text cut out of a fill. If the fabric moves, the letters lose their edges. Sewing small text on top of the fill is more forgiving.
How the free digitizer chooses, and how to override it
The digitizer measures each shape and applies the widths above. You can override any color with auto, fill, satin or outline in the color list, and the preview updates. The design check warns when shapes are too thin to sew cleanly.
Download the result in your machine's format, for example image to PES for Brother or image to DST for commercial machines.