Formats, Formats everywhere! - Coded files vs Stitch files

Here’s how digitizing works with regard to formats.  Embroidery software manufacturers are very proprietary so every software has a native format that can only be opened by someone with that same software.  These native format files carry the program codes that define densities, trims, color breaks and a multitude of other functions that tell the machine how and where to sew.  This is the master digitizing file or coded file that is created when a new design is digitized.

Embroidery machines run stitch files, created from the coded files, but with different formats.  The difference is, stitch files are really just a list of mathematical points on a grid that tell the machine where to put the stitches. Commercial stitch files carry no color information or codes of any kind.  (Home stitch file formats usually carry thread color information.)

For this reason, the master coded copy of a design is always saved. Whether you digitize yourself or have an outside digitizer, editing should always be done from that original to keep the integrity of the coding and to be able to edit the original wireframe of the design.

These days, most high end embroidery softwares have stitch processing.  What this means is that you can open a stitch file in the program and it will analyze and detect densities, stitch lengths and other properties. It re-assigns codes and tries to rebuild wireframe pieces so you can edit and resave the design in your native format. This process is automatic. So basically you’re able to open a non-coded file and edit, enlarge or shrink and the software will (for the most part) retain the densities intended in the design. It does an OK job. In the past, if you enlarged or shrunk a stitch file, the stitch count didn’t change, so larger files didn’t have enough density while smaller files got too dense.

Stitch processing is handy but not perfect.  Since the software is essentially choosing a density that is close to the original, it can be off slightly. It tries to detect where the trims are and does rebuild wireframes however, they are in pieces. It also cannot recreate complex fills and will break them into straight flat areas of fill losing any patterns and sometimes travel stitches.

You wouldn’t notice it the first or maybe the second time, but if you keep opening and processing the same uncoded stitch files for editing, each time the file will deteriorate further.  Your design will have missing stitches or broken and crooked letters and the quality goes down due to re-processing the file multiple times. This is why you always return to the master coded file to edit designs or create new versions from them.

Another benefit to editing only the coded files is that you can save multiple elements of different versions of a design such as taglines or phone numbers, and the art the design was created from, all in the master file.  Instead of deleting the previous tagline, for instance, you are able to simply turn it off within the file before you save your stitch file. If you need it at a later date, it’s still there and you can simply turn it back on.

Once you understand the difference between coded files and stitch files, you can see the reason for keeping both formats of your designs, what the formatting does in each file and why you need to go back to the original to do the editing.

 

**For more information on NeedleUp’s digitizing services, visit our website at http://www.needleup.com or contact Donna Lehmann by email:  donna@needleup.com