What to expect from a digitizer?

Okay, I'll lock the door on my way out. :-)

Ellie, I don't know what happened to your post, but I've just received it now, 15th May. I can't help with the digitizing, but I can tell you that you will get help on this group.

First of all, what machine have you bought? I have an old machine, and found the digitizing very difficult. The newer software seems much easier to use. Be specific in the details of your machine and software, and I'm sure you'll get help very quickly if it's possible.

Joyce in RSA.

Hi Joyce -

I still don't see Ellie's post(s). Based on the reply-reference in yuor headers, she posts through Google Groups, which has been extremely unreliable lately. As far as I can tell, you're using Eternal September, which also has its ups and downs.

- Herb

Your original post isn't appearing here on Easynews/Giganews, so I read it on Google Groups.

Your basic question is why the digitizing service returned a design to you that didn't appear in the right colors.

You didn't mention what format the design was in. Some formats, such as .DST, carry no color information, but only information about when to change your thread.

Others, such as .HUS and .PES, do have an internal color palette, but if your digitizing service used any professional format such as DST as an interim step in their process, the color palette will have been lost. Depending on what you're viewing the design with, it will provide a default (and pretty useless) color chart - usually bright colors like Red, Black, Green, and Yellow.

BEFORE PAYING, demand from your digitizer a color chart, which is a simple list of color breaks and their associated threads, usually identified by some major thread manufacturer.

- Herb

Hi, Joyce!

I apologize for using Google Groups! I usually don't, but I was away from my house and looking for a quick answer. Silly me. :-D I completely zoned on the GG posting issues.

Also, I've checked out the many machine embroidery forums, but the guy I was using is on every.single.one of them. It's not that I wanted to talk about him behind his back (or I would have named him) -- it's that I wanted some unbiased information, not "He does a great job!" replies, or get into a discussion with him on a public forum when he doesn't really answer my questions in email. All I get from him is the files and "please check."

That said -- I have a Brother 900D. It had about 230,000 stitches on it. Is that an "old" machine? I've been Googling like a mad woman since this all started, and I'm finding it difficult to find much information about these -- including when they started selling them, or how much the other models cost. :-D

The machine people told me it wasn't abused -- but they're also the ones who did the service on it and put a defective bobbin case in it. :-D

He sends me .emb, .dst and .pes files. I wasn't able to get the design to stitch properly because of the defective bobbin case. Now that that's been resolved, the output is gorgeous, with a few "niggles" that he fixed for me right away.

While I was at the shop getting the machine fixed, I talked to them about the color oddities in the files I was receiving, and they explained it to me.

I'm viewing them with Wilcom TrueSizer e2.0. When I originally started using that, I could get a print-out that listed all the information about the design. So I thought I would just make notes on that to help me keep the color changes straight. But NOW -- of course! LOL! -- when I fire that up, the design shows up, but none of the file menus or tool bars, and I can't figure out why. So, while I can view the design, I can't find a way to print out the "cheat sheet."

It's always something! LOL!

I've done things for two friends now, and they're very happy. But now that word's getting out that I can do this, I have lots of other people wanting things done. Looks like there's going to have to be an upgrade in my future pretty soon. :-)

Thanks for the extra effort, Herb. I really appreciate it.

Yup -- that's what I'm seeing. Basic colors.

I talked to the people at the sewing machine shop about this when I was there the other day, and they explained to me why it was coming out this way. He's sending me .emb, .dst and .pes files.

I feel kind of guilty because I haven't actually had to pay him yet. He offers the initial design for free. He's done three for me now, and I asked him the other day to send me a bill, but he hasn't done it. So I'm not out any cash, just some time, but he is, too, and I'm not sure why he's not wanting to get paid!

I'm really confused by the lack of communication. Like I said in my OP, I'm pretty sure English isn't his native language, so perhaps he isn't understanding my questions, which are really all about what he needs from me to make it easier for him!

I contacted several other digitizers before him. Most of them weren't interested in lil' ol' me -- they don't do "home" formats -- which is how I ended up with him.

From my digging, I know there's a big issue with overseas digitizers. Because of the communication problems, etc., I tried to trace the IP in his emails to find out where he was. It's blocked.

So, while I feel a certain loyality to him because he's done all this work for me for free, there are some things that make me go, "Hummmmm . . ." Am I off-base here?

I have two Singer Quantums (XL5000 and 6000), each has over

3,500,000 stitches on them (I had them professionally serviced at 3 million stitches). I bought the first one new in 2004 and the second one used a couple of years later, I do not consider them to be "old". ;-)

I cannot help with your digitizing-thread stop issues, sorry. I use digitizing software and create my own designs, so I know where I have made color changes. I have occasionally purchased designs which went wonky when I looked at them on my computer. It really helps to have a color chart from the designer.

It might be a good idea to become a little more familiar with your machine before taking on projects for others, you sure don't want to ruin someone else's garment.

What stabilizer are you using for the knits? I discovered, after ruining my granddaughters favorite pink T-Shirt, that thin tear-away stabilizer was NOT the one to use for knits. :-}

I'm using tear-away and cut-away. It was the defective bobbin case that was causing the troubles. :-)

It was too late for that before I even started. I got the machine because a friend wanted me to do some shirts for him. But I certainly wasn't using his shirts for practice pieces. :-)

snip.

Snip

I thought your use of "digitizer" was software, not a person! I tried the software many years ago, and found it very difficult. The only time I had a design made was expensive, but very good. When I have needed help with anything I have always found it on this group, thanks to Herb and others. Since I live in South Africa I've mostly been far from any technical help, so almost all my learning has been via the internet.

My machine is a Husqvarna Rose, which I bought about 1996, so yours seems to be very new to me! I have no idea how many stitches mine has done, but it must be well into the millions.

When I embroider on knits I use a tearaway stabiliser underneath, and a soluble one on top. That does away with the stretch problem that may arise. I prefer tearaway to cutaway as I'm always worried about a slip of the scissors!

Good luck to you in your new enterprise.

Joyce in RSA.

OH! LOL!

Wow! I guess so! :-)

I knew I was going to be getting this machine about two weeks before it was actually in my hot little hands, so I did a lot of Googling during that time. It's helped a lot, but it all makes more sense now. I also had the manual that I could read through, so that helped, too.

At least!

I don't think the original owner used it long -- 230,000 or so stitches doesn't seem like much, unless I misread that and put a comma in the wrong place. I was told she upgraded her machine, and didn't need this one anymore, but who really knows?

I've ordered some soluble, but it hasn't arrived yet. I learned that the lady who was helping me with the machine hasn't been doing this much longer than I have -- which is not very darn long. She's nice, and willing to help, but my "lesson" consisted of us pretty much figuring it out together, which is fine, but I want to try some other things and she really wasn't familiar with them.

Thanks! As long as my friends are happy, it's all good. :-)

Another thought: you might want to download the trial version of Embird:

can use it for a month for free. Use it to do a "virtual" stitch-out, which may be just what you need, to see where your digitizer put in color stops. I use PSW 2.0a for digitizing, but I also have a registered copy of Embird, and Embird Font Engine (as well as several of their alphabets). Embird is very useful for taking a look at purchased designs which my software sometimes screws up. You can also open and "save as" several different formats.

I also have the free version of Wilcom TrueSizer. One can never have too may software apps. ;-)

NAYY,

Beverly

Thank you! I'll try that. :-)

Maybe you can tell me what I've done to mine? I have the free Wilcom TrueSizer e2.0, but I've lost the menus and toolbars -- and they were there before! All I have is what looks like a full-screen view of the file I've opened. I've played with the F1-F12 keys, but that doesn't seem to do anything. The Help gives some limited keyboard commands, and talks about the menus and toolbars -- but doesn't mention how to get them back if they aren't there. :-)

I'm about ready to uninstall/re-install it, but thought I'd ask you first. :-)

I like the way you think. :-D

You're welcome, good luck.

If you are serious about doing custom embroidery for others, I strongly recommend you investigate a digitizing software package. The learning curve on PSW was steeeep, and the manual is horrible, but by trial and error I have worked most of it out. I used to have some pics up on a web site, but lost it when the host closed down. :-(

Herb is the Wilcom expert here, I rarely use it. I just loaded it, and it comes up by default with the normal "File-Edit-View-EMBroidery-Help" options across the top and some icons below the text.

I looked in the help file, but the only thing there that seems appropriate is "Reverting to factory setting" under troubleshooting.

Here is a copy-paste of the text (graphics omitted this is a non-binary newsgroup):

***************************************************** Reverting to factory settings If you have made changes to the default settings in your software and you want to revert back to the factory settings, use the Revert utility. To revert to factory settings 1 Exit TrueSizer. 2 On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button and select Programs > Wilcom TrueSizer e1.5 > Wilcom Tools > Revert.

The Revert to Factory Settings dialog opens.

3 Select the items you want restored to factory defaults.

Reverting to the original settings removes any changes you have made to styles, templates and hardware settings. New styles, templates and hardware settings are unaffected as they are saved separately. 4 Click OK.

The selected items are restored to factory settings. There is no confirmation message.

*********************************************************

I hope Herb will jump in here. As a last resort, reinstalling is probably the way to go.

You should see my thread and stabilizer collection...

;-}

Beverly

Beverly's suggestions are right on, except that they refer to version

1.5 rather than the 2.0 that you have - It should be similar. Re-installing is easy and can't hurt.

- Herb

I tried the revert, but that just put the grid lines back. Re-installing took care of it. I see now there's an "x" to close the toolbars and menus, so I must have done that at some point. :-)

Thanks, Herb and Beverly.

I re-installed, used it a couple of times, and now when I start it up, the menus and toolbars are missing again -- and I was very careful not to click the little "x" that dismisses these. I can't find anything in the help on how to restore them.

I'm really not wanting to re-install the program every few days.

Is there another free, small program I can use to view the files and print the info reports? I'm not looking to edit at this point -- just print the reports.

Thanks!

I'm not sure what it is that you're seeing and not seeing, or what you mean by printing a report; it doesn't make a lot of sense - the x should close the current file, but nothing else; reducing the menu bar to just the File and Help options; when you open another file (or drag one into the window) all the menu items re-appear.

If you're not seeing the menu bar AT ALL, try to bring up the menu items with the alt-key. Alt-F for the File menu, Alt-H for the Help menu, and if there's a design open, alt-V for view.

Please describe the screen as you see it. For instance - does it have a title bar? Is it in full-screen mode (two overlapping boxes next to the upper-right-hand X) or resizeable (one box there)? Do yo see your design or a windows that's completely gray (or other color), etc.

- Herb