Desktop vs. web
Boldbobbin's desktop and web versions share the same editor. A few things differ because a browser tab can't do everything a desktop app can.
The same on both
- Drawing tools, the canvas, the tool rail, the essentials bar, layers, and palettes.
- Save, Undo, Redo and Export sit in one place in the header on both builds.
- Generating stitches and previewing them.
- Importing SVG/PDF, embroidery files, and reference images, and all three Auto-digitize methods (Photostitch, Cross-stitch, Auto-Trace).
- The six bundled digitized fonts, importing your own, and the font editor. Text uses Boldbobbin's own digitized fonts rather than the fonts installed on your computer, so lettering stitches identically everywhere. See Fonts and lettering.
- Exporting to every supported format.
- Signing in, saving to the cloud, opening cloud designs, and publishing to the community gallery.
- Pixel art and the sprite editor, and density analysis.
- All seven interface languages.
Different
| Feature | Desktop | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Files on the home screen | Shown | Hidden: a browser has no addressable file system |
| Saving a local project | "Save to this computer (.vemb)…" writes a file | "Download (.vemb)" downloads the file |
Opening a .bbf font by double-clicking it | Supported | Not applicable: import it from the Lettering library instead |
| Where your own fonts are stored | Files in the app's data folder | In the browser's storage |
| Screen eyedropper in the color picker | Windows: anywhere on screen. macOS: inside the Boldbobbin window | Chrome and Edge: anywhere on screen. Firefox and Safari: inside the window |
| Opening a file by path | Supported | Not supported ("Opening by path is only available on the desktop app.") |
| Sign-in callback | Returns through the boldbobbin:// deep link | Returns in the same browser tab |
| Updates | An update pill on the home screen installs the new version in place | Not applicable: reload the page |
| "Open with" from your desktop | Machine files are registered, so double-clicking one imports it | Not applicable |
| Menu bar | Can be the operating system's native menu bar | In-app, trimmed, with the account menu behind your avatar |
Opening machine files from your desktop
On desktop, Boldbobbin registers itself for twelve machine-file types: DST, PES, EXP, JEF, PEC, VP3, U01, XXX, TAP, HUS, 100 and 10o. Your operating system then offers Boldbobbin in its "Open with" menu, and double-clicking one imports it through the same preview flow the Import menu uses.
They come in as stitches to work with rather than as projects, because a machine file has no project structure to restore. See Import an embroidery file.
Updating the desktop app
The home screen shows an update pill when a new version is out, and it installs the update in place rather than sending you to the website to download an installer by hand. See Install Boldbobbin.
Realistic render mode
The Realistic render mode needs WebGPU. On the desktop app and WebGPU-capable browsers it is available; otherwise the Realistic button is disabled and you can still use Vector and Stitch modes.