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Documentation

Step-by-step guides from a blank hoop to a finished file, tutorials for one thing at a time, and the reference when you need the detail.

Getting startedYour first designFrom a blank hoop to a file for your machine: shapes and threads, stitch types, the stitch preview and the export.Beginner5 articles · about 14 min Getting startedLettering that sews wellSet a name, curve it, see why it sews smoothly as satin, and finish with a monogram.Beginner4 articles · about 12 min Getting startedFrom logo to patchTurn a picture into something that sews: trace it, clean up overlaps, fill it well, match the threads and export.Intermediate6 articles · about 17 min ReferenceFrequently asked questionsAnswers about NextStitch: machines and file formats, designing and lettering, the design licence, plans and your data.Beginner7 min GuideGetting startedNextStitch runs in your browser: you design and preview on your own device, then export a file for your machine.Beginner3 minIn “Your first design”GuideDrawing and editingAdd shapes or text from the tool dock, then move, resize and rotate them — or type exact sizes in millimetres.Beginner4 min TutorialDraw and colour shapesDraw an ellipse and a rectangle from the tool dock, give each its own thread, and keep them inside the hoop.Beginner3 minIn “Your first design”TutorialMatch your threadsChoose the thread line you sew with and snap every colour in your design to its nearest real thread in one click.Beginner2 minIn “From logo to patch”TutorialSort by colourNextStitch sews each colour in one go wherever shapes don't overlap. When you set the order yourself, one command sorts it by colour.Beginner2 minIn “From logo to patch”ReferenceStitch typesFill covers an area, satin gives a smooth raised edge, running draws a single light line — and textured fills give an area its own look.Beginner3 minIn “Your first design”GuideFill and underlayHow a fill is sewn row by row, what the underlay beneath it does, and the settings that make a fill lie flat on your fabric.Intermediate4 minIn “From logo to patch”GuideLettering and Satin (area)Embroidery fonts sew as they were digitised; outline fonts are sewn in Satin (area) along each letter’s strokes.Beginner3 min TutorialSet your first textOpen the lettering dialog, type a name, pick a font and add it to your design — it is ready to sew straight away.Beginner3 minIn “Lettering that sews well”TutorialBend text into an arcCurve a name over a design: choose Arc under Shape and set how far it bends — or turn it the other way.Beginner2 minIn “Lettering that sews well”GuideSatin (area) for lettering and logosHow Satin (area) lays satin columns along a shape's strokes, why lettering looks smooth with it, and when it fills instead.Intermediate3 minIn “Lettering that sews well”GuideYour own embroidery fontsAdd a font bought as a zip of letter files: it stays in this browser, and our server keeps nothing.Intermediate3 min VideoInsert a monogramOne to three initials side by side, as the classic trio, filling a circle or a diamond, or set into each other — with fonts, frames and a towel under-layer.Beginner4 minIn “Lettering that sews well”GuideAppliquéSew a placement line, lay the fabric, tack it down, trim, and cover the edge with satin or zigzag.Intermediate2 min VideoTrace a pictureTurn a PNG or JPG logo into shapes you can stitch: the tracer runs on your device and you choose how many colours to keep.Intermediate3 minIn “From logo to patch”GuideRemove overlapsShapes stacked on top of each other are sewn twice. Make stitch-ready cuts away the hidden parts, so every spot is sewn once.Intermediate4 minIn “From logo to patch”ReferenceMachine filesOpen or insert PES, DST, JEF and more; digitised stitches are kept as they were.Beginner2 min GuideArranging and stitch orderAlign and distribute, the order NextStitch sews in, and where each fill starts and ends.Intermediate2 min TutorialScrub through the stitchesWatch your design sew before it reaches the machine: drag through the stitch order, play it back and spot the jumps.Beginner3 minIn “Your first design”ReferenceSewing time and bobbinEstimates at your machine’s speed, counting trims, colour changes and stops — and the bobbin thread a design uses.Beginner1 min GuidePersonalizing templatesEnter a name or date on a template, change its colours and size, then download it for your machine or keep it in My designs.Beginner2 min TutorialExport your first fileTurn your design into a file your embroidery machine reads: open Export, pick the format and download it.Beginner2 minIn “Your first design”