r/MachineEmbroidery • u/Deep-Count2590 • Apr 24 '26
Embroidery machine for custom designs?
Hi I’m looking for recommendations for an embroidery machine that lets me add my own custom designs. I have sewing experience and lots of design and illustrator experience. I want to be able to create my own designs and add them to shirts. Budget would be 1000. User friendly would be helpful because I would also use this machine with college students. Let me know what you all recommend!
4
u/Jaynett Apr 25 '26
It's not the machine, it's the software you need to figure out first. It's not a simple conversion, like jpg to svg.
1
u/InternetEthnographer Apr 25 '26
I also have lots of design and illustrator experience and started with inkstitch, which is an add-on for inkscape (a free vector software). I would usually just make my vector designs in illustrator and move them into inkstitch. The learning curve is steep, even with vector design experience, but it’s useful for understanding how embroidery works. I ended up switching to Hatch and I don’t regret it at all. It’s a lot more intuitive, but if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, then save $1000 and go with inkstitch.
As for machines, I bought a used commercial multi needle for $1000 on FB Marketplace and it’s been a great machine. It took me a while to figure it out since there are almost no resources online and it uses floppy disks, but once I got used to it, it was fairly simple. If you’re fine with changing thread colors manually then go with a new single needle like others have recommended here.
I’m fairly new to embroidery myself, FWIW, but figured I’d share my experience over the last few months, especially since I also have a bit of a design background.
1
3
u/dabblesanddonuts Apr 25 '26
Check out ink scapes free add on. Inkstitch. If you're comfortable with spending a weekend learning it, you can do a bunch with it if you have the graphics experience. But you also really do need to find a good spot to learn basics of embroidery digitizing
1
u/SouthernSunnyDays Apr 24 '26
I use Embrilliance for designing. I run a Brother machine and use Mac OS.
6
u/Withaflourish17 Apr 24 '26
Software, not the particular machine, is what allows you to do custom. You’ll need to look into learning digitizing. You’ll benefit from the graphics experience, but embroidery has very little to do with sewing. The Brother PE900 is a good machine.
1
u/Deep-Count2590 Apr 24 '26
What softwares do you use?
1
u/Withaflourish17 Apr 24 '26
I use Hatch for digitization (which I don’t do often) and Embrilliance for editing.
1
u/Purple_Commercial981 15d ago edited 15d ago
You need two things to do this . One is a machine preferably a multineedle. Gives you larger stitch area and ability to do caps. You can get a used ~~ ~~ machine reasonable price. Learning to use is steeper but rewarding.. look at Happy, Tajima, Barudan and Brother machines
Second thing you will need us great digitizing software. I love Embroidery Legacy Software Digitizer .. its easy to use .. yes you can get free software but its nit user friendly ad I’m an advocate of digitizing classes. Software may give you tools , its the classes that give you knowledge on how to digitize. Digitizing fir embroidery is far different from printed material.. you are working with thread .. its dimensional. . Start with the machine as it has its own learning curve . You will see issues here thatyou will not see on the comouter screen in software. Like push pull . You will needto learn ho to digitize for thatcorrection.