Originally written 11/2024 using Inkscape v. 1.3.2 and InkStitch v. 3.1.0
Helpful references:
https://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/InkStitch_-_embroidery_patch
https://youtu.be/P82I9U4z-mk?si=2oFr4h_4NeZ7_Qk2
PNG file used in the tutorial
Fire Flower Reference File
Patch digitization example file.svg
Use colors and layers to your advantage. The colors show up on the screen when the file is loaded onto the embroidery machine, but you can load whatever color thread you want. Color changes between layers make the machine pause and ask you to rethread, so it’s also good to group layers of the same color next to each other (unless there’s a reason not to). You can regroup colors on the machine itself but it’s easier in the file creation process.
Find a good quality image. Ideally this is already a vector-based file (SVG, EPS, DXF, some PDFs), but bitmap formats can also be used. Look for something with no more than 10 colors, ideally closer to 5; this is not a hard limit but the process becomes increasingly challenging with more colors (both digitizing and stitching out on the machine).
Import the file into Inkscape. If it’s already a vector, move on to step 3. If not, select the image and go to Path->Trace Bitmap… It may take some testing to find good settings for this, but try Multicolor with Detection Mode set to Colors and adjust the number of scans up and down until you have the minimum number that captures all of the image colors. Click Apply. This will create a group of paths, one for each color. Sometimes when tracing a bitmap there will be lots of small areas created outside of where you expect; ungroup the colors and hide all but one color, then click Path->Break Apart. Shift+click to deselect the areas you want to keep, then hit delete to remove all the extra areas. Repeat for each color.
Click on Layer->Layers and Objects… to open the layers window. Create a new layer called Trace (if starting from a bitmap) and rename the original layer Original Art. Move the trace group created in the previous step to the Trace layer, or if starting from a vector image keep it in the Original Art layer.
Right click on the Trace layer and click Duplicate Layer. Rename this new layer Embroidery-basic fill.
Create a new layer called Laser Cut. Find the outermost object in the Trace layer, duplicate it, and move it to the Laser Cut layer. Hide all other layers to simplify the next step (and whenever helpful to see the object you want to work with).
Select the object in the Laser Cut layer and click Path->Break Apart. Shift+click the largest/outermost path to deselect it and click delete to remove everything else in the layer. Remove the object fill and set the stroke to cyan. Leaving that object selected, make the Embroidery-basic fill layer visible again. Click Ctrl+0 to adjust the cyan object to slightly larger than the outermost path. This will be saved separately and used as a cut file to prepare a felt backer for your patch.
Duplicate the cyan path and change the stroke to magenta and dashed. Click Click Ctrl+9 until the new path is just smaller than the laser cut line. Duplicate the magenta line and change the color to red, then click Ctrl+9 until it is a bit smaller than the magenta. These paths will be used for placement and tackdown of a precut felt patch; it is important that they are different colors than the other objects so the machine will pause between them. Move both the magenta and red paths to the Embroidery layer.
Image showing tackdown stitch (red) and placement stitch (pink, barely visible under edge of felt)
Moving on to the main embroidery, you now need to decide how the various areas will be filled. The simplest and most straightforward to digitize is to use a basic fill stitch for each area. Select all the objects in the Embroidery-basic fill layer and click Extensions->Ink/Stitch->Params. A new window will open in which you can adjust the parameters of the fill stitching and see a preview of the stitch out. In both the preview and the embroidery machine, the objects will be stitched in the order they appear in the layers window, from bottom to top.
Finished patch using basic embroidery settings
