Table of Contents
- Primer: Why blend manual and auto digitizing
- Prep: Files, tools, and a few smart safeguards
- Setup in Hatch: Hoop, import, lock, and position
- Operation: Build the floral—bud, head, front petals, stems, and leaves
- Add the background with Photo-stitch (then cut the stitch count)
- Color assignment, save, and export
- Quality checks in Stitch Player
- Results & handoff: What to expect on the machine
- Troubleshooting & recovery
- From the comments
Video reference: “Machine Embroidery: Combining Automatic and Manual Digitizing” by Gentleman Crafter (John Bloodworth)
A floral that feels alive—petals with motion, stems that flow, and a background that hums with texture. This guide shows you how to get there fast by hand-digitizing the high-impact parts, and letting Hatch automate the rest.
What you’ll learn - How to set up a 100×100mm hoop project and lock artwork for a worry-free start.
- Manual digitizing for a sketched bud, ripple-stitched flower head, and Florentine leaves.
- When to automate: using Photo-stitch for the background and cutting density down.
- Color planning that matches real thread, plus saving EMB and exporting PES for a Brother machine.
- Smart QA: simulation in Stitch Player, runtime expectations, and stitch count realities.
Primer: Why blend manual and auto digitizing When you manually digitize the “hero” elements, you choose the stitch direction, spacing, and effects that sell the illusion of depth. Then you let the software do the heavy lifting on the background. In this project, the background alone accounts for roughly 20,000 of an estimated 30,000 stitches, and the total stitch-out takes about 90 minutes. That’s precisely why “manual where it matters, automatic where it doesn’t” works so well.
Quick check
- Hoop: 100×100mm set in Hatch.
- Artwork: imported, scaled, and locked.
- Plan: floral elements by hand; background with Photo-stitch.
Watch out
- Dense auto backgrounds can balloon stitch count fast. You’ll optimize later by pruning layers and colors.
Prep: Files, tools, and a few smart safeguards Files - Flower artwork (PNG/JPG) for the main subject.
- A contrasting background image (PNG/JPG) for texture.
Tools
- Hatch embroidery digitizing software with Freehand Closed Shape, Reshape, Digitize Closed Shape, Photo-stitch, and Stitch Player.
- Mouse or pen tablet for smoother curves.
- Embroidery machine compatible with PES export (the example uses a Brother machine). brother embroidery machine
Safeguards
- Plan to lock your artwork layer before you digitize—this prevents accidental drags.
- Budget time for optional outlines, but be ready to delete them if they only add density.
Pro tip Community feedback praised the palette and contrast—treat color as a design element, not an afterthought.
Prep checklist
- Artwork files at hand (flower and background).
- Basic familiarity with Hatch tools.
- Hoop selected in software (100×100mm).
- A clear plan: manual floral, auto background.
Setup in Hatch: Hoop, import, lock, and position 1) Start a new project and select your machine and hoop. Set 100×100mm.
2) Import the flower artwork. Scale and position inside the hoop.
3) Lock the artwork layer so it can’t move while you digitize.
Decision point
- If your artwork isn’t centered after scaling, move it now; you’ll recenter the stitched flower later when placing the background.
Setup checklist
- Hoop size: 100×100mm.
- Artwork placed and locked.
- Zoom level set so you can draw comfortably.
Operation: Build the floral—bud, head, front petals, stems, and leaves 1) Bud: sketchy texture with spacing
- Tool: Freehand Closed Shape. Choose a base stitch type and a visible working color.
- Trace the bud loosely. Use Reshape to tweak the stitch angle for a hand-sketched vibe.
- Increase stitch spacing to keep it airy. Remove the underlay; this preserves the light, sketch-like texture.
- Turn off Travel on Edge so outside points remain crisp.
Quick check
- Bud reads as “sketched,” not solid. No flattened points along the edge.
Watch out
- If the bud looks dense, widen spacing rather than switching to a heavier fill.
2) Flower head: ripple for motion and depth
- Attempted the Blocks tool for a tapered flute—discarded because it wouldn’t taper as intended.
- Return to Freehand Closed Shape, trace the full head, and refine nodes as needed.
- Apply Ripple Stitch for concentric movement—it shines on irregular shapes.
- Reposition the ripple’s center to where the head meets the trumpet for natural flow.
Outcome expectation
- A dynamic head with ripples radiating from the flower’s base; the texture should “read” as curved, not flat.
3) Front petals: separate layer for dimensionality
- Hide the prior head layer and quickly re-digitize the front petals as their own object.
- Apply Ripple again and move the center to the flower’s perceived middle so it complements the head.
- Don’t sweat perfect alignment; slight variance reduces outline density and avoids hard edges.
Quick check
- Front petals sit convincingly “in front.” Ripple directions harmonize between layers.
4) Stems and leaves: precise contours with flow
- Lock completed flower layers.
- Use Digitize Closed Shape for the leaves and stem, alternating straight and smooth corner points with mouse clicks as needed.
- Apply a Florentine effect to curve stitches along each leaf’s flow. Adjust stitch angle and spacing; remove underlay to maintain a lighter hand.
- Repeat for the second leaf and the stem; keep spacing consistent across elements.
Outcome expectation
- Leaves and stems present a coherent direction of stitches, matching the natural bend of the forms.
5) Reorder for front-to-back logic
- In the Objects panel, drag into a sensible stitch sequence: elements that should appear in front should stitch later. Confirm the overall scene looks layered.
Operation checklist
- Bud complete: loose spacing, underlay off, edge points intact.
- Head and front petals: ripple centers placed intentionally.
- Leaves and stem: Florentine effect applied, spacing matched.
- Sequence reordered to reflect depth.
Add the background with Photo-stitch (then cut the stitch count) 1) Center the floral and import background
- Hide your original artwork layer so you can see stitches clearly.
- Select all floral elements and position them at the hoop center.
- Import a textured background image.
2) Auto-digitize with Photo-stitch
- Run Auto-Digitizing Photo-stitch on the background artwork.
- Expect a dense, multi-layered result—excellent texture, but initially heavy on stitches.
3) Optimize: prune layers and colors
- Delete redundant Photo-stitch layers while preserving the visual effect.
- A four-color background worked well and preserved a dark-to-light gradient; you might squeeze it to three depending on the image.
Quick check
- Background maintains depth while cutting stitch count substantially.
Watch out
- Auto backgrounds can dominate your stitch budget. Keep an eye on the stitch counter in Hatch as you prune.
From the community
- Readers praised the color choices—use contrast between floral and background so the flower remains the focal point.
Note on hoops
- This workflow is identical regardless of hoop style or frame. If you prefer a different hoop type, setup steps remain unchanged. For example, a 100×100mm hoop corresponds roughly to a compact format many stitchers associate with a “4×4.” brother 4x4 embroidery hoop
Color assignment, save, and export 1) Assign colors from Threads Palette
- Choose colors you actually own; visually compare the on-screen palette to physical spools. The screen may not perfectly match real life.
- A white flower can look richly detailed when the stitch effects do the heavy lifting—this design went with an all-white flower and kept the interest in the stitch direction and spacing.
Pro tip
- After color assignment, take a beat to step back from the screen. If the flower blends into the background, tweak the background’s values rather than over-detailing the petals.
2) Save and export
- Save an EMB as your editable “A-grade.”
- Export a PES for use on a Brother machine. Re-export if you later adjust colors or layers.
Quick check
- EMB saved safely; PES exported for the machine.
Neutral add-ons you can use (optional)
- If you like magnetic frames, your digitizing workflow here stays the same. magnetic embroidery hoop
- Hooping aids can help keep fabric flat; they don’t alter the Hatch steps above. hoop master embroidery hooping station
Quality checks in Stitch Player
- Open Stitch Player to simulate the design at speed. You can scrub the color bar to jump around.
- Validate sequence and look for overlaps, gaps, or odd travel that could show on fabric.
- If everything looks logical, you’re ready.
Quick check
- Order: background first, then stems/leaves, then head and front petals makes sense for most fabrics.
- No unexpected flattening or thread build-up where elements meet.
Results & handoff: What to expect on the machine
- Stitch budget: around 30,000 total stitches in this composition, with roughly 20,000 in the background. That’s why pruning Photo-stitch layers matters.
- Runtime: about 90 minutes overall—an ideal “set and let it run” stitch-out.
- Visual result: ripple-energized petals and Florentine leaves over a textured background.
Pro tip
- If your machine enforces a stitch limit per design, keep a close eye on the counter while optimizing the background. Dropping a color or trimming a layer can be the difference between “fits” and “won’t load.”
Troubleshooting & recovery Symptom: Outer points on the bud look flattened
- Likely cause: Travel on Edge left on.
- Fix: Turn off Travel on Edge for that object; widen spacing if needed.
Symptom: Ripple looks off-center or fights the petal contours
- Likely cause: Ripple center point not aligned to the head’s base or perceived petal center.
- Fix: Reposition the ripple center toward where the head meets the trumpet or the visual middle of the petal cluster.
Symptom: Leaves look stiff or flat
- Likely cause: Stitch angle doesn’t follow the leaf; no curvature.
- Fix: Apply or fine-tune the Florentine effect and adjust angles until the direction “reads” as natural.
Symptom: Background takes too long or exceeds machine limits
- Likely cause: Too many auto-generated layers; too many colors.
- Fix: Delete redundant Photo-stitch layers; reduce to about four colors (or try three) while keeping the gradient look.
Symptom: On-screen colors don’t match real spools
- Likely cause: Monitor and thread palette differences.
- Fix: Eyeball with physical threads and reassign palette colors; then re-export.
Symptom: Outline test adds stitches but not clarity
- Likely cause: Outline doesn’t enhance shapes already well defined by direction and spacing.
- Fix: Delete the outline pass; the project above did exactly that to keep density down.
Decision points you may face
- If you want even faster background: Try dropping to two colors—but ensure the flower still pops.
- If your floral elements are too dense: Increase spacing or remove underlay in those sections.
From the comments
- Community sentiment highlighted how effective the color choices were in this composition. Takeaway: value contrast (light subject vs. darker background) plus directional stitches provides definition without relying on heavy outlines.
Optional gear notes (doesn’t change the steps above)
- If you favor magnet-assisted hooping for convenience, it won’t affect digitizing choices here. magnetic embroidery hoops for brother
- Some stitchers prefer a magnetized frame; the Hatch workflow remains identical. brother magnetic hoop
- If you’re working at compact sizes, consistent placement is what matters most—not the specific frame brand. embroidery hoops magnetic
Heads-up on machine format and size
- The editable EMB stays in Hatch; export PES for Brother. If you are experimenting with compact hoops, this method still applies. magnetic hoop brother
- Newer stitchers exploring entry-level hardware can follow the same digitizing flow once hoop size is set. embroidery machine for beginners