Drawing & stitch types

Every shape on the canvas has a stitch type that controls how needle positions are generated when you export.

Running stitch

A single line of stitches following the path. Use for outlines, fine details, and decorative seams.

• Length — distance between needle positions. Default 2.0 mm.
• Underlay — usually off for running.

Triple-run

Same path stitched three times (forward, back, forward) for emphasis. Pick this for bolder outlines without jumping to satin.

Satin column

Two parallel paths become a column of zig-zag stitches between them. The classic look for lettering, borders, and decorative columns.

• Density — stitches per millimetre across the column. Default spacing 0.4 mm.
• Underlay — center-line or zig-zag underneath; recommended above 4 mm width.
• Max width — bisect splits wider columns into tatami automatically.

Rotating satin direction

The "direction" of a satin column is determined by the two paths that define it — the stitches run perpendicular to the column's centre line. To change direction, either redraw the column or use Edit Points on the Properties panel to drag the path nodes.

Tatami fill

A back-and-forth fill that covers a closed shape. Use for large filled areas — logos, backgrounds, big letters.

• Angle — direction of the fill rows.
• Spacing — distance between rows. Default 0.4 mm.
• Stitch length — length of each stitch along the row.
• Offset pattern — how the row starts shift to hide the stitch ends.

Underlay

Underlay is stitching beneath the visible stitches that stabilizes the fabric and lifts the top layer. bisect picks sensible defaults; override them in the Stitch panel if a sample sews poorly.

Stitch order

Toggle the sequence overlay with Q to see the order stitches will sew. Drag objects in the Layers panel to reorder. Use the stitch simulator to scrub through one needle at a time.

Color stops

Each color change becomes a color stop in the exported file — the machine will pause for you to swap threads. Group same-colored objects to minimize stops. The Preflight panel has a Minimize thread changes button that reorders elements of the same color to sit next to each other in the sew sequence (no visual change to the design).

Outline-to-running on import

When you drop an SVG, every stroke becomes a running outline and every fill becomes a tatami fill. If you want a heavier outline, select it after import and change the outline type to Satin (border) or Triple in the Properties panel.