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I'm new to embroidery and using my machine. I need to purchase the PED Basic. Which other of these programs do you recommend and what's the difference with them? I need something that's fairly easy to learn.
Also, can I go ahead and download some designs without my PED Basic and save them to my flash drive? Will I be able to pull them back up and transfer them to my machine at a later date?
Thanks, Cindy

Hi Cindy,
I found your post!!! Our school email is down so I will give you the link on here.

http://embird.com/sw/embird/register.htm

You will need the basic program. See you tomorrow. Kim

Cindy -

I've never used Sew What Pro, so can't comment on that program. I CAN say I love Embird. It's very easy to learn. With Embird you can edit and resize designs and save them in whatever format you need.

You can go ahead and save all the designs you want on your flash drive. What you will do is save designs somewhere on your computer, then transfer them to PED Basic as you use them. The little PED card only holds a few designs at a time, and is not intended as your main storage area - it's just for getting designs from your computer to your machine.

If you are like most people you will tend to get a lot of designs. You'll want to keep them organized into different folders/categories. Which reminds me, you will definitely want to buy Embird's Iconizer. Iconizer allows you to see your designs. It shows the design size and the number of stitches.

Good luck!

I bought SewWhatPro last year for $65.00 and I totally REGRET it. It is horrible with fonts that I downloaded. Although they have a very helpful yahoo group, I still find the program horrible. I do not have embird but I am crossing my fingers that it will be under the tree this year (give DH a little hint will ya?)
I have only heard very good things about it.
Stacy

Embird is the best! I love the features on even just the basic Embird! That is what I have; basic Embird and its Iconizer plug-in. The Iconizer is the absolutely best
$20 I have ever spent! To be able to see the designs in full color within folders rather than icons is great!

Happy Stitching!
Angel

Thank you for your valuable input. I think I'm going to spend the extra on the Embird and Iconizer. Merry Christmas to me! I am just worried that I won't figure out how to store files, change formats, etc. That kinda scares me. I'm not at all computer sassy, but willing to learn. I have a great coach, Hopesymom, (AKA Kim) that I work with. Thanks for everything.
Kim, let me know if I bother you!!!
Cindy

I know I'll have more questions when the software arrives.

Cindy,
You will be glad you purchased Embird with Iconizer! I am not very computer savy, but it did not take me long to learn to convert designs, print actual size templates, etc., with the basic Embird I have. Please download the Embird tutorials done by Cantoo, a member here on SewForum. The tutorials are great, as Cantoo does such
a splendid job of explaining steps! These tutorials are all you need to get you up and running with Embird basic and Iconizer. Cantoos' tutorials are listed this forum and also on her website www.cantoosdesigns.com. Check them out and refer to them when you get your Embird software installed!

Congratulations (and Merry Christmas)!!
Angel

I must say that I love embird, I wouldn't even bother purchasing the pe basic as you will not have to use it unless you have to use a card for your machine. If you can use a flash drive or hook your machine to your computer save yourself the money and just go with the embird.

Iconizer is a great feature that allows you to see your designs on your computer with out having to open the software.

I would create a folder in your document files, name it Embroidery files.
then you can create new folders and files to better organize the designs such as have a folder named animals, or baby designs, or names, or fonts or what ever.. when you download designs from here or purchased save them to those folders so you can locate them easily.

as far as converting designs, I would say that you will probably not really need to do that all that much as most designs on here and that you purchase either come in the .pes format which I think is what you would be using because you stated that you would need to purchase the pe basic software...??
If you find a design that you have to have, and it is not in a .pes format, then you would need to convert it. With embird it is very easy to convert it to the correct file type.
Cantoo's tutorials are priceless.. and there are enough answers here on the forum to get you through just about any problems you encounter..

Good luck with your new purchase and happy stitching..

oh I forgot to say, I have had the pe basic and pe design and have found that I could have saved a lot of money myself by just going with Embird..

So sorry, Cindy! Ruth's (Cantoo) website is http://www.cantoodesigns.com. No "s" after Cantoo! Ruth has helped me so much with her input on this forum, and
I have yet to find any tutorials on Embird basics that are as down-to-earth understandable as hers. She has been an invaluable "blessing" to me regarding
machine embroidery and Embird!

Angel

You are fortunate to have a sewing mentor to help learn machine operation and using the controls and screens on your machine.

Those controls and screens do a lot with a lot to learn so learn those first before purchasing and learning extra software. The logical learning process is know machine operation and machine embroidery basics first, have a few successful sewouts using the machine designs while manipulating those around and adding lettering using the screens and control buttons, then go to either Embird or SewWhat, SewWhatPro, which all have 30 day free trials to use and decide which one you like best.

To solve the problem of not knowing computers well, in your computer help section (F1), there are interactive tutorials you can do to help you learn to use computer features and build your confidence using them since you work with computer and embroidery files the same way.

Speaking from experience, doing program interactive tutorials is a big benefit when you get to Embird or SewWhat, word processing, spreadsheet, database, and graphics programs for a variety of devices one eventually has to use at one time or another. The published manuals and instruction reference books have gotten too expensive to buy so anything published on web and at vendor sites is the most economical reference.

If you download the free trial of Embird and decide you want to buy it, here's the cheapest place to get it plus you get a free set of designs.
http://www.secretsof.com/admin/download ... ID=1521772

Thank you. I'm waiting on my PED Basic now. Should be here Monday, if not today. This coming week, I will be looking at the Embird. Thanks for the cheapest route. We all love to save money when possible! My sewing machine only reads cards, so I don't think that my flash drive will work directly with the machine.
Cindy

Cindy, you will figure it all out and there's lots of help from Cantoo on here-a big thanks to her! It's very easy to learn how to convert, resize, and do the basic things. When you resize a design, it will automatically adjust the density for you unless you tell it not to. If you have a problem with something, you can always come here and don't forget to save to your favorites the link to Cantoo's tutorials. Now they aren't in order so keep looking down that list for them and you may want to print them out before you buy Embird so you'll have them handy when you get it and you're working with it. Good Luck!!!

Wow Cindy!!!! You got some great advice here. I told you these folks were terrific!!! And no, you will not bother me one bit. I can't wait to see your darling little ones all decked out in embroidered outfits!!! See ya Monday. Kim

Thanks guys - cute outfits involve sewing huh. That's a whole nother ballfield!! That will be my next step. See you tomorrow kim.

Cindy

PS - That little side-winder (bobbin threader) is great! Works alot better than the one on my machine.

I own Sew-What-Pro. It does everything I currently need and was easy to learn. I can merge, edit, resize and merge colors. There is an inexpensive iconisizing program. That is a must-have for me now. Both Embird and Sew-what-pro have free trials. Try them out. For me, Embird was harder to use in the free trial.

Good idea to try both!

I have had both and I am with the lady that said SWP was not worth the money paid nor do the letters stitch well. I have been having Embird since August and thanks to people like Cantoo and this forum answers usually within minutes. If I had to do it again EMBIRD IS THE ANSWER.....

Want Embird so thank you for the information.

Embird because in the end you will #1 save money and #2 in the end never regret it. There are free tutorials online for it and with it being the mot popular software there are always someone around to hold your hand while you learn. You can always add goodies to it as time and money allow.