Designing Frames in Paint Shop Pro for use as images in Embird Studio

A combination of Studio and a graphics program gives you endless possibilities to both digitize or edit images in a graphics program and then take the image into Studio as a background image to use for digitizing an embroidery design.  You can create frames very easily using the available shapes in Studio but sometimes you may want something different or unique. If you have a graphics program such as Paint Shop Pro  you can digitize your own shapes quickly and easily.

Having said that, let’s talk about how to digitize shapes in Paint Shop Pro.   There are quite a few shapes that are pre-installed with the program but there are literally thousands of  – the magic word – free pre-set shapes you can download from the internet.  If you want or need more pre-set shapes just Google Paint Shop Pro preset shapes or Paint Shop Pro shapes and you will find links to various sites to download shapes.  Once you have downloaded the shapes, if they are zipped, unzip them, and then load them into your pre-set shapes folder.   Usually the pre-set shapes folder will be in my documents/My PSP files/shapes.  

You will need to direct the program to the folder to use these shapes and that is very easy to do.

• Open Paint Shop Pro
• Click on file > preferences > file locations > preset shapes.  
• To the right of the new screen click on “add”; navigate to the folder where you have downloaded the preset shapes.   Once you have selected the folder and clicked on “add” in the new pop-up screen, you have then loaded the pre-set shapes and are ready to use them.

A picture is worth a thousand words, isn’t it?  Instructions on digitizing your pre-set shape are in video format, which can be downloaded by clicking here.   The pre-set shamrock shape can also be downloaded.  

Now that I have whetted your appetite for digitizing shapes with Studio and you know how easy it is to create your own shapes in Paint Shop Pro, what do you do with these shapes?  Go to the November monthly  Studio lesson page for a lesson on digitizing your own poinsettia design with an oval frame in Studio.  Also included in the lesson are sections on digitizing user editor borders and stippling designs.  And if that wasn’t enough, scroll down to the bottom of the page to find another lesson on digitizing frames.   And of course the best news of all is that both lessons are on sale for a ridiculously low price!

Have fun with frames and shapes!

Paint Shop Pro Tutorials

I have used Paint Shop Pro for years to work with graphics, beginning with PSP 4, many years ago. Over the years the program has evolved and changed and, in my opinion, is one of the better graphics programs on the market at a very reasonable price. If you are a digitizer or you use a graphics program to edit and or digitize images, you can’t really go wrong with Paint Shop Pro.

Having said all that, and no, I am not affiliated with Corel, the maker of Paint Shop Pro, I have just uploaded a set of videos on how to create simple monograms with Paint Shop Pro using free fonts. You can be very creative with these monograms and they are fun to work with. Not only can you use them as background images for embroidery, but you can also use them in many other craft mediums. To download the videos, please click here.

Included with the videos is a short video on working with fonts in Windows 7. One of the features in previous versions of Windows was the ability to work with uninstalled fonts. Unfortunately, Microsoft, in their wisdom or perhaps lack of wisdom, did not include this feature in Windows 7. But being resourceful people, we can always find a workaround for that problem, can’t we? I did post a previous article on the workaround. To read the previous article, please click here. Enjoy working with Paint Shop Pro and the videos.

Embird 2010 – version 8.8 has now arrived!

The latest build of Embird is Embird 2010 Version 8.8 and was released October 5^th, 2010 and it is, as usual, chock-a-block full of features and changes to the existing tools.  There is no charge for this update if you already own Embird 2010. If you own a previous version of Embird, there is a fee attached to upgrade to Embird 2010. There is no extra cost to upgrade Studio if you already own it. You must upgrade both Studio and Embird.

I have uploaded a bit of information on the new build as well as some videos showcasing some of the changes in the design.  The link to these videos can be found on the monthly studio digitizing lesson page.   And while you are at that page, be sure to check out the newest lesson for October – Digitizing Mandala designs.   If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you will see the link to the videos and information on the latest build of Embird and Studio.    Please click here for the direct link to the monthly lesson page.

And to celebrate the release of this latest version of Embird I have put a sale on – three lessons for the price of two for the Digitizing Columns, Fills and Outlines with Studio lessons at the very low price of $40.00.  With the combination of these three lessons you will have all you need to be a successful digitizer with Embird Studio.   The sale price is available on all three pages, and the links to each page are:

Digitizing Columns with Embird Studio.

Digitizing Outlines with Embird Studio.

Digitizing Fill Objects with Embird Studio.

Enjoy the newest version of Embird and the lessons.  

Windows 7 Taskbar Shortcuts

It is amazing where you will find a really neat tip to make your computing life easier. One of my passions, other than machine embroidery, of course, is genealogy. On one of the genealogy mailing lists I found this tip that I just had to pass along.

In Windows 7, the long bar at the very bottom of your screen is called the taskbar. It is made up of three parts:

1. the "Start" button which opens the Start menu
2. the middle section, which shows you which programs and files you have open and allows you to quickly switch between them.
3. the notification area, which includes a clock and other icons

The graphic belowshows the middle section of my taskbar.  As you can see there are several icons for my most-used programs.   If you click on an icon, it will launch the specific program.   Beginning at the left I have Internet Explorer, Firefox and Outlook, continuing from there.   Having shortcuts to the most-used programs easily accessible on the taskbar saves the hassle of either clicking on start/all programs and then selecting the program from a long list or alternatively filling up my desktop with icons, which is not a good idea. as with each icon you add to your desktop you are using up the computer’s virtual memory.  

In Windows 7 it is extremely simple to add a new program to the taskbar.  Each time you open a new program an icon for that program is temporarily placed in the taskbar.  To pin the program to the taskbar, right click the button in the taskbar, select pin this program to taskbar.   When the program is closed, the shortcut will remain in the taskbar. 

In the graphic above you will see that I have fourteen different shortcuts (icons) in my taskbar.   You have two choices to open the program from the taskbar:

• The obvious choice is to simply click on the shortcut with the mouse to open the program.
• But for those of us who are keyboard people there is a not-too-well-known keyboard shortcut.   Instead of clicking on the icon, press the Windows key    plus the number of the program.  As an example, Embird is  #7 in the list of programs.   Clicking on Windows and the number 7 simultaneously will open Embird.  Now, to me, as I am a keyboard person, that is one of my favourite keyboard shortcuts.  

Finally, you can adjust the size of the icons and even the location of the taskbar by right clicking in an open space on the taskbar, selecting “Properties”, editing any of the available options.

Uninstalled Fonts and Windows 7

If you are working with either a 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 platform, by now you realize that you can no longer minimize a font to the bottom toolbar and then work with it as if it was an installed font.  That is a feature in all previous versions of Windows that, for some reason, is no longer available in Windows 7.  

But there is a workaround for it.   If you just want to view a font after downloading it, you can simply double click on the font name and it will open in its own window.  However, you cannot do very much with it other than view it.  

If you decide that it is a “maybe keeper” font, you should save it in a fonts folder.   Ob my computer I have set up a fonts folder called simply “fonts” and within that folder I keep all my uninstalled fonts in sub-folders such as script fonts, dingbats, sports fonts, seasonal fonts, etc., making it easier to find a style of font quickly from the sub-folders.   Since using Windows 7 I have also added a folder called “trial fonts”, where I will save the fonts that I am not sure I want to keep.   

Now, how do you work with these uninstalled fonts?  You have the option of installing them temporarily with the AMP Font Viewer.  This font viewer will allow you to install a font into the Windows Font folder temporarily as long as AMP Font Viewer is open.  And that is the trick, make sure you leave the font viewer open when working with uninstalled fonts and Windows will then think they are installed.   And you can temporarily install more than one font at a time.

After temporarily opening fonts with AMP Font Viewer open, if you are using Font Engine in either Studio or Editor, you should run a search for fonts each time you open Font Engine, so it will pick up any newly installed fonts into your trial fonts folder. 

Good luck with your non-installed fonts now that you have the secret to make working with these fonts easier!

Remove Text Formatting and Paste Unformatted Text

How many times have you copied something from a web site and found that you also copied the formatting that you really didn’t want?   Or you copied from one document to another and included unnecessary formatting.  It can be very frustrating at times, can’t it?  The standard method of copying (Control>C) and pasting (Control>V) brings along all the unwanted text formatting, including text with a different font size or colours, images, tables, borders or any other formatting that you don’t want or need.   

A simple utility called Plain Text allows you to follow the same copy>paste routine but you have options to paste unformatted text with a different keyboard shortcut key (Control>Windows). 

I have used Plain Text for quite a while now and really wouldn’t want to do without it – it saves so much time removing unwanted formatting.  Visit the Plain Text web site for more information on this must-have simple utility.  I highly recommend it.   If you find you need a bit more information on how to use this utility, click on the “Home” tab on their web site.  

Enjoy!

Password Brain Drain

How many passwords do you have?  In any given month you probably enter over 100 different passwords to access e-mail, bank accounts, favourite retail sites and other assorted stuff.  Now, that can be mind boggling if you have more than one password to remember.

According to security experts you should choose a different password for each one, including numbers, letters, symbols and upper/lower case characters.  Oh, sure – you can remember that many different passwords – or even one password with extra symbols – did that = go before the 3 or was it a + sign?  Does that sound familiar?  And how much do you rely on the “forgot my password” please click here message?

We all probably do the same thing, use a unique password for sites that are extremely important to keep secure such as banking or other financial sites.  All the others share the same easy-to-reember string of letters and digits.  Or you may use the same forget-proof password for everything.  Unfortunately at some point even your dog will know that forget-proof password!  So, any hacker-in-training could figure that out without flexing a single geek muscle.   This will leave you very vulnerable to having your password hacked, especially at sites with less than stellar security to begin with.

Dealing with dozens of passwords is a pain, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.   The solution to trying to remember all those passwords is to come up with unique passwords for eeach site and store them in a safe – a software tool that remembers them, so you don’t have to.   But don’t forget you will have to remember the password for the “safe”.   And, no, don’t write your passwords down in the back of your address book.  That would probably be the first place a burglar would look for information after the refrigerator where you store your diamond necklace!

There are quite a few software programs available to use for password storage.  The most popular and it seems the most secure is Robo Form.  Another password security software you may want to look at is My One Log On.  This suite of tools is based on the web, not on your computer, so you can use it from anywhere.  If you have Norton 360, you do have a built-in password security system.  There are many other free utilities available, but with free, you do get what you pay for, so check out any free utilities very carefully before using them.   Open Source software is free and usually very safe, so you may want to take a look at KeePass Password Safe, a very powerful open-source program.

Embroidering with Metallic Threads

Do you have problems with thread breakage and fraying when embroidering with metallic thread?  It is small comfort, but you are not alone!  There are some things you can do to improve the results when working with metallics

• The most important thing you can do is to use the correct thread.  A high quality thread from a reputable dealer works much better than the cheaper threads you can purchase or old thread that has been in the cupboard for several years.  If you find a brand of metallic thread that works for you, then use that brand.   There are many good quality brands of metallic threads, but not all brands will work with every machine.
• Use the correct needle.   Use a metallic or “long eye” needle.  If you don’t have a metallic needle, use an embroidery needle.   If using an embroidery needle and the metallic thread is thicker than normal embroidery thread, try going up one size needle.
• Use the correct design.  Dense designs will not embroider well.  If possible, find designs that are specifically designed for metallic threads or use the metallic threads in certain sections of a design that are open and not too dense.
• Increase the thread path.  Metallic thread loops and kinks more than rayon or polyester thread.  When a kink hits a thread guide, it causes extra tension which is the culprit that causes the shredding and snapping of thread.   Use a thread stand specifically designed to provide a smooth path for metallic thread.
• Check the spool to make sure there are no rough edges that will snag the thread.   If you have problems with breakage, turn the thread upside down and have it unreel from the opposite side.
• Check the throat plate of the machine to ensure there are no nicks that might cause thread shredding.
• Slow the machine speed.  This can be the most important thing you can do when embroidering with metallic thread.  The faster a machine sews, the more tension there is on the thread.   A high tension will cause fragile threads to break.
• Check the machine tension.  You don’t want the tension too tight.  Loosening the thread slightly will dramatically reduce thread breakage and puckering.
• Choose the right fabric and stabilizer.  Tightly woven, stiff or abrasive fabrics and stabilizers are not metallic-friendly.
• Avoid adhesive stabilizer.  Adhesives can build up on the needle and thread, impeding smooth sewing.

Don’t give up on metallic thread.  The final results of a completed embroidery design using metallic thread in all or part of the design is well worth the effort.  With a few of the suggestions I have listed, you can successfully embroidery with metallic thread.

Digitizing Made Easy – Or is it Easy?

Digitizing your own designs can be both fun and addictive, can’t it? You can sit peacefully for hours enjoying digitizing your own designs.

But then chaos ensues and that “perfect design” turns into a nightmare. You don’t know what went wrong, spend hours trying to redo it, and are just about ready to give up.

But there is help out there, if you know where to look. There are many machine embroidery lists on Yahoo that are devoted to machine embroidery or specific mail lists for specialized software programs or embroidery machines. If you go to Yahoo and do a search for machine embroidery, you will find literally hundreds of different sites. Join one or two of these lists and you will be amazed at how much information is available.

If you use Embird Studio to digitize, not only do I have a Flying Needle Studio Yahoo list, but I also provide monthly lessons on embroidering with Embird Studio. This month’s lesson – July, 2010 – covers embroidering crazy quilt blocks and several other techniques, including how to do your own sew-in-the-hoop designs. I also have a specialty lesson on digitizing columns using Embird Studio, which can be a real bug-a-boo for some people as well as other specialty lessons. You will find the list of lessons available on the left of this post. So do take a wander through and see if there is a lesson or lessons that will help you.

Two articles which I recently found that will also be helpful are from on-line embroidery magazines.

Erich Campbell has a blog, Needles and Stitches, where he chats about various digitizing topics. One topic that was very interesting is the article on Foundations in Digitizing: Know your Substrate! (that’s just another word for fabrics). It’s a good article and has a lot of very useful information on how texture in fabric can alter the results of embroidery.

Another great article for new digitizers, and even those who have been digitizing for a while is in the July/August Impressions Magazine. It talks about what you can do with a graphic, how to analyze the parts, make changes without actually changing the graphic itself, how to set the digitizing order and a lot more.

Enjoy digitizing, it can be so rewarding when you finish a design and can say “I did it myself”!

Bulk Rename Files and Folders

How often have you wished for an easy way to rename files and/or folders without having to go through the tedious process of renaming each one individually?  I know I have gone through that tedious process more often than I ever wanted to until I found the Bulk Rename free file renaming software for Windows that works with all platforms from Windows 98 up to Windows 7.

Bulk Rename Utility is a free file renaming software that allows you to easily rename files and entire folders quickly and easily.  It will rename multiple files, allow you to replace or insert text into file names, convert case, add number and even remove or change file extensions.  What more could you ask for?  Well, you would want it free, of course – and that is exactly what it is – free!

Be sure to check out the tutorial and frequently asked questions on their web page and you can also download the manual.   I am not affiliated with this web site, just think it is a utility that should be added to your frequently used utilities when working with your computer.