Stitch parameters
Use this page to look up a stitch setting: what it does to the sewn result, its default, and when you would change it. These are the settings the Properties panel shows for each fill type. Defaults are the app's starting values; the active Fabric preset can adjust some seeds. "Advanced" sections are hidden behind a disclosure.
Units are listed here in parentheses for clarity. On screen the unit sits right after the number in the field ("15°"), in both the Properties panel and the essentials bar.
Every fill parameter has a (?) explainer beside it, in plain language. The Properties panel folds section by section, and each essentials-bar popover has its own Reset, which clears just that popover's settings rather than everything. A reset survives a save.
Running stitch
| Setting | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stitch | Run | Run, Triple run, Sculpture run, Backstitch, Stemstitch (new in v1.3.2), or Motif run (new in v1.3.3). Each has its own settings. See Stitch styles and decorative fills |
| Stitch length (mm) | 2.5 | Min 0.1. Shorter follows curves better; longer is faster with fewer stitches. Hidden for Sculpture run and Stemstitch, which set their own lengths |
| Bean passes | 1 | How many times the thread retraces each stitch. Odd number; 3 = triple (bean) stitch. Shown for Run and Triple run only |
| Hand stitch | off | Roughens the line so it looks sewn by hand. Pro at export |
Advanced: Passes 1 (how many times the whole line is sewn, each lap
running back over the last), Tolerance (mm) 0.07, Min stitch length (mm)
0.8, Min corner angle (°) 45, Randomize stitch placement off (with Random
seed 0, Random sigma 0.3). On the essentials bar the last group is labelled
Other.
Bean passes and Passes are different settings, and you can use both. Bean passes is always odd, so a bean line always finishes at the far end. Only Passes can sew an even number of laps, so only Passes can end a line where it started: set it to 2 and the thread comes back.
Tolerance is how far a run may stray from a curve: smaller hugs the curve with
more stitches, larger smooths small detail away. Min stitch length is the
shortest stitch a tight tolerance may leave on a curve, so it does not leave
slivers of tiny stitches (0 turns it off). As of v1.3.2 every fabric preset starts
new runs at 0.07 and 0.8 (they were 0.2 and 0). Runs you already made keep
their numbers.
When to change them:
- Stitch length: shorten it when a run has to follow tight curves. For example, an outline around small lettering follows the curves more cleanly at about 2 mm than at 2.5 mm.
- Bean passes: raise it to 3 when a plain run disappears into a textured fabric such as a towel or a sweatshirt.
Tatami fill
| Setting | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fill | Tatami | Tatami, Stipple, Spiral, Offset, Maze, Radial (new in v1.3.2), Motif, or Appliqué (new in v1.3.3; see Create an appliqué). Anything but Tatami replaces the settings below with its own. See Stitch styles and decorative fills |
| Angle (°) | 15 | Direction of the fill rows. Turning it changes the sheen |
| Row spacing (mm) | 0.25 | Smaller = denser and heavier; larger = lighter and faster. The field warns when it is tighter or looser than usual |
| Stitch length (mm) | 4.0 | Longest stitch in a row. Picking an open pattern motif raises it to 7 |
| Staggers | 4 | Row-to-row offset of stitch ends, so they don't line up into a visible ridge |
| Row ends | Borderline | Standard, Borderline, or Diagonal. The fabric preset picks one (see below) |
| Shortest stitch (mm) | 0.4 | Where a row meets the outline, a leftover shorter than this joins the stitch before it, because tiny stitches along an edge perforate the fabric. 0 turns it off |
| Pull compensation (mm) | 0 | Lengthens the fill where its rows end, to make up for the fabric pulling in along the stitches. The fabric preset sets it (Cotton 0.2). Can't go below 0 |
| Underlay | Tatami underlay on | Edge run and Tatami underlay. See below |
| Pattern | Default (no pattern) | Tiles a motif through the fill. See Add a pattern to a fill |
| Gradient | off | Fades the fill into a second thread or out to the fabric. While on, it replaces Row spacing, End row spacing, and the underlay with its own. See Add a gradient to a fill |
Next to Angle is a picker that lets you draw the angle instead of typing it: click it, drag a line across the canvas, and the rows run the way you drew it. Hold Shift for 15° steps, Esc to back out.
Row ends decides what happens at the outline. Standard stops every second row 0.5 mm short of it, so the edge takes half the needle holes: for dense fills. Borderline runs every row to the outline for a crisp edge: for open fills. Diagonal sews every second row as a straight diagonal to the next row: for turning shapes and jagged edges. The presets use Standard on Cotton, Polyester, Denim and Felt, and Borderline on Knit, Organza and Vinyl.
When to change them:
- Angle: give two fills that touch different angles so they read as separate areas. For example, a 15° background behind a 105° shape inside it.
- Row spacing: lower it when the fabric shows through; raise it for a lighter, softer fill on thin fabric. For example, 0.25 mm covers solidly on cotton, while the Organza and Vinyl presets start at 0.6 mm so the fabric is not overloaded.
- Stitch length: shorten it for a finer texture on a small shape.
- Pull compensation: raise it when the fill sews short of its outline at the row ends, leaving a gap against a border. For example, the Knit preset starts at 0.4 mm, twice Cotton's 0.2 mm.
Tatami underlay
As of v1.3.2 the underlay is two separate checkboxes, sewn before the fill:
- Edge run: a running stitch once around the outline and each hole, inset
like the underlay. It pins the edge so the fill pulls it in less. Stitch length
2.5mm. The presets turn it on for Cotton, Polyester, Denim and Knit. - Tatami underlay (the old Edge-walk underlay, renamed; on by default): open rows across the fill direction to hold the fabric flat. Passes: Single, or Double (crossed), two passes at 45° either side of the fill for soft or stretchy fabric (Knit uses it). Double doubles the underlay stitches.
Underlay Row spacing is 2.5 mm, Inset is 0.5 mm, or 0.8 mm when
pull compensation is on (pull compensation grows the underlay too, so it needs
more margin to stay hidden under the fill).
For example, switch Passes to Double (crossed) on a fleece or a T-shirt, where a single pass lets the fabric stretch out of shape under a large fill.
Compensation
Pull compensation changed meaning in v1.3.2: it now grows the fill only where its rows end, which is the direction the fabric pulls in as it is stitched. The sides that run along the rows stay put. To grow the fill on every side, use Expand (in Advanced, and in the essentials bar's Compensation popover; it can be negative to shrink the fill).
For example, use Expand of about 0.2 mm to close a hairline gap between two fills that meet, and Pull compensation when one fill comes up short at its row ends.
The two Directional pull settings are gone: what they did is what Pull compensation now does. A design that had a Directional pull value has it added into Pull compensation, and merged into that field the next time you edit it.
Advanced: End row spacing (mm), Expand (mm) 0, Random factor (%),
Random seed, Needle holes (Offsets or Partition line), Hand stitch,
Skip last stitch per row off, Travel through interior (main) off, Underlay
skip last stitch off, Travel through interior (underlay) on. The texture
settings are explained in
Stitch styles and decorative fills.
Several v1.3.2 defaults apply to any fill that never had a value set, so a design saved before v1.3.2 can sew a little differently when you reopen it:
- the tatami underlay's rows are 2.5 mm apart (they used to sit much closer), so it uses far fewer stitches;
- a row's leftover stitch under 0.4 mm joins the stitch before it;
- under a pattern motif, the fill is sewn on a 50% random background (see Add a pattern to a fill);
- a Pull compensation value now grows the row ends only.
A value you set yourself is kept. Check the stitch count and the preview before you sew an older design again.
Satin column
| Setting | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Width (mm) | 3.0 | For rail-based satin, width is "set by rails": edit the rungs |
| Stitch | Satin | Satin, Zigzag, E stitch, Square, Contour (new in v1.3.2; replaces Render as zigzag), or Motif (new in v1.3.3). A satin can also carry a Flexi Split texture. See Stitch styles and decorative fills |
| Spacing | By width | By width spaces each part of the column for how wide it is there; Spacing scale 100% (50 to 200) makes it denser or more open. Fixed uses one Spacing (mm) everywhere, 0.4 |
| Pull compensation (mm) | 0 | Widens the column so it lands at the intended width after the fabric pulls in. The fabric preset sets it (Cotton 0.2). Can't go below 0 |
| Max stitch length (mm) | 10 | Stitches longer than this are split into shorter ones so the thread stays anchored. The fabric presets start new columns at 7, and inner satin uses 7 too |
| Short-stitch inset (mm) | 0.15 | On tight curves, shortens the inner stitches so the inside edge doesn't bunch up. From the fabric preset (Organza 0.10). Can't go below 0 |
| Split method | Default | Default / Simple / Staggered: how wide stitches are broken up. Staggered for inner satin |
| Corner | Miter | How the column turns a sharp corner. See Corner methods |
| Ends | Flat | Flat, Round, or Square. Only on a centerline satin along one open path. New in v1.3.2 |
| Satin placement | Contour | Contour or Inner, on a closed shape. See Inner satin. (Not the same thing as the Contour stitch above). As of v1.4.0, any part of an inner satin wider than 10 mm is sewn as tatami |
| Part overlap (mm) | 0.3 | Inner satin only: how far each column reaches into the columns it touches, so the pull of the stitches can't open a gap between parts. Never past the outline |
| Closed loop | off | Stitch the column as a closed ring |
By width spacing keeps narrow parts more open so the needle holes do not cut
the fabric, and wide parts closer so the thread covers. At 100% a 4 mm column is
spaced about 0.4 mm. A lower Spacing scale is denser (75% is a common choice
for top quality), a higher one more open. The presets use 100%, except Knit
110%, Vinyl 125%, and Organza 150%. A satin made before v1.3.2 carries its
spacing, so it reads as Fixed and sews as it did.
E stitch and Square are sewn open, so picking one on a dense column switches Spacing to Fixed at 1.5 mm. As of v1.3.3, picking Satin or Zigzag again puts Spacing back to By width, so the column is dense again (before, it stayed open). A dense spacing you typed while on E stitch or Square is kept.
Clamp width to curvature is gone: the width is always clamped on tight curves now.
Wide inner satin
New in v1.4.0: an inner satin part wider than 10 mm is sewn as tatami, among the satin parts around it, because satin that wide floats long, loose stitches. A plain ring stays satin at any width. Inner satin is also mitered at sharp inside corners, even where the outside of the turn is rounded, and a closed inner-satin ring gets its automatic underlay, so its seam no longer piles up thread.
These three changes apply to designs you made before v1.4.0 too: an inner satin wider than 10 mm somewhere, a closed inner-satin ring, or one with a sharp inside corner can sew a little differently when you reopen it. Check the preview and the stitch count before you sew it again.
When to change them:
- Spacing scale: lower it for a denser, glossier satin, for example 75% on lettering for a premium piece; raise it for a lighter satin on thin fabric.
- Pull compensation: raise it when columns sew narrower than drawn, which shows first on small lettering on stretchy fabric. The Knit preset starts at 0.4 mm.
- Max stitch length: lower it if long satin stitches on a wide column look loose or could snag; the column is then split into shorter stitches.
- Short-stitch inset: raise it if the inside of a tight curve looks bunched.
Advanced: Min stitch length (mm) 0, Short-stitch distance (mm) 0.25,
Lead-in/out length (mm) 2.5, Seam overlap (mm), Split staggers 4, Pull comp
(%) 0 (0 or more), Randomize splits off (Random seed 0, Split jitter 0),
and the effects: Satin count 1, Raised layers 1, Jagged edge
Off, Hand stitch off.
Satin underlay
Underlay is By width (the default) or Manual.
- By width picks the underlay from how wide the column is, with a Fabric choice of Standard or Stretch fabric: none under 1 mm, center walk under 3 mm, contour walk under 6 mm, contour walk and zigzag under 10 mm, contour walk and crossed zigzag from 10 mm. With Stretch fabric the crossed zigzag starts at 6 mm, for knits and fleece.
- Manual shows the three toggles, each with its own sub-settings:
- Center walk: Center spacing (mm)
2.5, Center repeats2. A single line of running stitch down the center of the column, to anchor it before the satin. - Contour walk: Contour spacing (mm)
2.5, Contour inset (mm)0.4. Running stitch just inside both edges, framing the column. - Zigzag underlay: Zigzag spacing (mm)
3.0, Zigzag inset (mm)0.2. A loose zigzag across the column for extra loft and stability.
- Center walk: Center spacing (mm)
Values typed in Manual are ignored while By width is chosen.
For example, with By width a 2 mm column gets a center walk only, and an 8 mm column gets a contour walk and a zigzag. Switch to Manual when you want a narrow column sewn bare, or more underlay than its width calls for.
A satin from before v1.3.2 with any underlay toggle ticked reads as Manual and keeps exactly the underlay it had. One with none ticked reads as By width, so it now gets the underlay its width calls for. That is intended, but it adds stitches: set Underlay to Manual with every toggle off to sew it bare again.
Satin ends
On a centerline satin (one drawn along a single open path), Ends shapes the two tips: Flat ends on the endpoint, Round is rounded past it, and Square is squared off past it by half the width. When you import an SVG, a stroke's line cap carries over: round caps give Round, square caps give Square, and butt caps (and every PDF stroke) give Flat. Columns drawn with the Satin tool, between two rails, do not have the setting.
For example, pick Round for a brush-stroke or marker look on hand-drawn lettering, and Flat where the stroke meets another shape.
Corner methods
Corner decides how a satin column turns a sharp corner, which changes how the stitches are laid where the column changes direction. You pick it from five small drawings of what each one does.
| Method | What it does |
|---|---|
| None | The column just turns, nothing added. |
| Miter | The bisector splits the corner, tip to tip. |
| Cap | A cut line straight across the corner. |
| Overlap | The outgoing column's leading edge reaches back over the incoming one, so the corner never thins. |
| Round | The outer edge arcs around the vertex; the inner notch stays sharp, and the outer edge does not bunch. |
A method only applies where there is a real corner, so a gentle curve is left alone instead of having a corner treatment forced onto it.
New satin columns start at Miter. Hearts start at Overlap, for the sharp turn at the top. Picking Satin on a shape you already drew miters its corners too, so a rectangle you drew as tatami and switched to satin matches one you drew as satin.
For example, if the point of a satin V or the tip of a star looks thin, try Overlap; for a softer outer corner on a frame, try Round.
A three-way Corner style (Miter / Bevel / Round) used to sit here. Older designs that used it still sew unchanged, but the setting is no longer offered.
Ties (lock stitches)
Ties are the small back-and-forth stitches that anchor the thread so the first and last stitches can't pull back out. They are part of the design: drawn on the canvas, counted in the stitch total, included in the preview and the animator, and written into every file you export.
Every object carries its own ties, because whether an end needs tying depends on what the thread does around that object. Edit them in the Properties panel's Ties section, or from the essentials bar. A multi-selection shows Mixed where the selection disagrees.
Tie in and Tie off are set separately, each with a Mode:
| Mode | When it anchors |
|---|---|
| Never | Not even where the thread is cut. Choose this when you add your own anchors by hand. |
| At a cut | Only where the thread is actually cut: a trim, a color change, and the start and end of the design. |
| After a long travel | At cuts, and whenever the travel to or from this object is longer than Travel over (mm). A long travel is what risks dragging the thread out. |
| Always | At cuts and at every object boundary, whatever the thread does in between. The safest and the heaviest. |
Plus:
- Reach (mm): how far the anchor reaches toward the neighboring stitch. Shorter is more discreet, longer holds better on loose fabric.
- Backtracks: how many times the needle goes out and back. Each backtrack adds two stitches.
For example, if tie-offs have pulled out on a loosely woven fabric, raise Reach; on a sheer fabric, keep it short so the tie stays discreet.
What a newly drawn object starts with is set in Settings → Parameters. Changing it never touches an object you already made.
Fixed in v1.4.0: the exported machine file, the Analysis window and the run sheet PDF now follow each object's own ties, including Never and your own Reach and Backtracks. Before, they tied every object the default way, so an object set to Never was still tied at each cut in the file. Designs that keep the default ties export exactly as before.
Since v1.2.3 ties are part of the design rather than two checkboxes on the Export dialog. Your existing designs stitch out exactly the same. Those stitches were always going into the machine file; the count on screen now includes them.
Entry and exit
Tatami and satin objects have Entry and Exit points that set where the first and last stitches land (in millimeters), which is how you steer the travel between objects. Use Reset to auto to let Boldbobbin place them, or the auto-optimize button to have it pick sensible ones for you. An explainer sits beside the section, and it folds away in Properties.
For example, put a fill's exit on the side nearest the next object, so the thread travels a short way instead of across the design.
The automatic points are chosen again when you reorder objects, press Auto-optimize, or run Optimize entry/exit on a selection. As of v1.4.0:
- A closed satin column (a satin ring drawn with the Satin column tool) starts in the middle of the column, not on its edge, so its tie-in does not land on the outline beside it. When it is the last thing sewn, it also gets an exit a little way along, so it no longer ends exactly where it began, with its tie-in and tie-off stacked in one spot.
- Lettering keeps its own route, first letter to last. Reordering a word no longer moves where it starts, which used to add a travel line across the whole word.
On the canvas, the cursor over an entry or exit marker becomes a diamond in the marker's color (green for entry, red for exit), so you can tell which one you are about to drag where the two overlap. A selected line drawing shows a green entry diamond in the Stitch view, which you drag along its lines. Its exit can't be pinned: a red diamond shows only where the route ends somewhere else, and in a double run, which ends where it starts, the one diamond marks both. A Maze fill always leaves beside where it came in, and Spiral / Radial fills also show a blue center marker you can drag. See Stitch styles and decorative fills.
Digitized text
Text set in a digitized font doesn't show a Fill type: how it stitches comes from the font. Instead you get a Digitization section:
| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| Range | Which of the font's size ranges the text is stitched from. Selectable when the font offers more than one |
| Connections | What the machine does between the strokes of a word: Automatic (sews gaps under 3 mm, jumps up to 10 mm, trims beyond), Always sew, Always jump, or Always trim |
For example, pick Always trim when you don't want to clip jump threads between letters by hand after sewing; keep Automatic for most lettering.
The stitch sections below it are grouped by what the lettering actually contains (so many columns, regions, or paths) and can be folded away. Text has no Entry/Exit fields: a single pair of points across a whole word wouldn't mean anything. A word always sews from its first letter to its last (see Entry and exit).
The Rungs panel is gone
A Rungs panel used to sit in the satin section with a Regenerate button. It was removed in v1.2.2: the button never changed your stitches. Nothing you could do in it is lost. You still edit rungs directly in node-edit.
Setting satin defaults for new columns
When the Satin column tool is active and nothing is selected, the Properties panel shows Satin tool defaults: these seed new satin columns and don't change ones you've already drawn.
For example, to start every new column with Round corners, pick it here once.