Converting an image to embroidery: what works and what does not

What a converter really does

Embroidery is not an image: it is a sequence of stitches 1 to 7 mm long, placed by a needle in a precise order. Converting an image means deciding which areas become fills (rows of parallel stitches), which become satin stitches (a tight zigzag along a line), which become running stitches, in what order they are sewn, where the thread is trimmed, and how to compensate for the thread pulling the fabric. A converter that merely "traces the outlines" does none of that: it produces a picture of embroidery, not embroidery.

The three families of images

1. The flat-colour logo: the ideal case

Two to six solid colours, clean edges, plain or transparent background. That is 80% of what a shop is asked for (clubs, companies, schools, associations). Settings: the real width of the embroidery (8 cm on a polo chest, 10 to 12 cm on a jacket back), a number of colours equal to the number of threads you will load, detail at 50. Look at the shape preview: every area should be a clean shape, with no splinters. Raise the detail if a fine element disappears; lower it if crumbs appear.

2. Line drawings and lettering

Lines become running stitches (under 0.9 mm) or satin stitches (up to 1.6 mm wide automatically, wider if you decide so). Hand lettering gives a nice result in satin if the letters are more than 6 mm tall. Below 5 mm, the embroidery clogs up: replace the text with real embroidered text in running stitch, or enlarge it.

3. Photos and gradients

A photo has no areas: every pixel is different. The converter must first simplify it (edge-preserving smoothing, reduction to 6 to 8 colours), then embroider the shaded areas with a density gradient: tight rows in the shadows (0.30 mm), spaced rows in the highlights (0.62 mm), so that the fabric plays its part. The result is a stylised embroidery, like a stencilled portrait. It is very popular as a gift; it is not suitable for a company logo that has to be identical on 200 polos.

The mistakes that cost needles

• Enlarging afterwards. A file converted at 5 cm and then enlarged to 10 cm has half as many stitches per centimetre: the fabric shows between the rows. Convert at the final size, or use "Re-digitize", which recalculates the stitches.
• Too many colours. Twelve colours for a logo that has four: the areas fragment and the thread changes multiply. Count the threads on the original logo.
• The background. A white background on a white T-shirt: pointless, 5,000 extra stitches, and a stiff square. Tick "ignore background".
• Detail at 100. The slider at maximum keeps everything, including the shadows of JPG compression. Stay between 40 and 70 on a logo.
• No test. Even when perfect, a file is tested on an offcut of the final fabric, with the planned stabilizer.

When to call a human digitizer

A thirty-colour crest with gradients and turning satins, a realistic portrait for a large order, a logo whose proportions have to be reworked for embroidery (thickened lines, replaced text): an experienced digitizer charges €15 to €40, delivers within 24 hours, and their file will be better. For everything else, the converter is enough, and you stay in control.

Frequently asked questions

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Updated 2026-09-24.