FAQ and common issues
An older Boldbobbin says my design is corrupt
It probably isn't. Boldbobbin 1.2 saves designs in a newer .vemb format that
1.1.x and earlier refuse to open, and those older versions report it as a parse
failure rather than a version problem, so the message reads like a damaged file.
Open it in Boldbobbin 1.2 or newer. If you're sharing designs with someone on an older version, you'll both need to update. See File formats.
My design stitched out off-centre on my Brother machine
If you exported the PES or PEC from Boldbobbin before v1.2.6, that was a bug, not your placement or your hoop setting. Brother home machines re-center a design on its own bounding box as they load it, and Boldbobbin was centering it too, so the machine shifted an already-shifted design.
Export it again from v1.2.6 or later and it is correct. No other format was affected. See Placement.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC" when I run the installer
The installer is code-signed (publisher: Boldbobbin GmbH), but SmartScreen builds trust per release, so a brand-new version can still be flagged until enough people have downloaded it. This isn't a sign the file is unsafe or corrupted: click More info, then Run anyway. See Install Boldbobbin.
"N shapes are now too small to stitch at this size"
You shrank something past the point where it produces any stitches, so it won't appear in the stitched output even though you can still see its outline. Boldbobbin warns you when you resize with the canvas handles, or when you type a width or height with several objects selected. The resize still goes through: undo it, scale back up, or accept that those shapes won't sew. Analysis lists the same objects, under Objects, as "generates no stitches."
My stitches look like plain outlines, not a real fill
Switch to Stitch render mode (Shift+S to cycle; the switch is in the top-right of the canvas), then select the object and pick Satin or Tatami rather than Running on the bar at the top of the canvas. See Stitch types.
I can't pick Realistic mode
Realistic mode needs WebGPU. See Realistic mode is unavailable.
My stitch count went up and I didn't change anything
Lock stitches (ties) became part of the design in v1.2.3. They were always going into the machine file; they just weren't counted or drawn before. Your design stitches out exactly the same: the number on screen finally matches what the machine was already running. See Ties.
Snapping doesn't seem to be on
It isn't, unless you turned it on. Snapping is off by default as of v1.2.2. Turn it on with Shift+Y, or in Settings → Parameters. There is no longer a magnet button on the canvas. See Grid and snapping.
Where did the Analyze button go?
The old experimental Analyze panel was switched off in v1.2.2 and removed: it reported problems without offering to fix any of them. What replaced it is Analysis in the header, a density report built on the stitch engine's own measurements. It is a Pro feature. See Analyze your design.
Where did the Colors panel / the tools / the render-mode buttons go?
The editor was rearranged in v1.2.2. Tools are in a rail down the left, colors are a strip on the bottom bar, the render-mode switch is in the top-right of the canvas, and the settings for whatever you have selected are in a bar across the top of the canvas. See The workspace.
Part of the app is still in English
Expected, not a bug. The six non-English languages are complete for everything that shipped up to v1.2.3; the newest screens fall back to English where a translation isn't in yet. A visible English string beats a blank control. See Languages.
My export has a "Boldbobbin" watermark
That's the Free-plan watermark on PNG and SVG image exports. Machine files (DST, PES, etc.) are never watermarked. See Free vs. Pro.
How do I upgrade to Pro?
When a Pro feature prompts you, click See Pro plans to open the pricing page (boldbobbin.com/pricing), where you pick a plan and pay. See Free vs. Pro.
How do I report a bug?
Click the bug icon in the header, or Help → Report a bug… (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+B). Describe what happened, and optionally what you expected and the steps to reproduce it. The report includes your app version, platform, OS, browser, and theme, plus your last ~20 actions (with names and titles stripped), so the team can reproduce it. Tick It's OK to email me about this report and add your email if you'd like a reply. Bug reporting needs cloud configuration.
Where are my designs stored?
In your account (cloud) if you Save on cloud, and/or as .vemb files on your
computer if you Save to this computer. Boldbobbin also keeps autosave drafts you
can recover from the home screen. See
Save and open cloud designs.
How do I update the desktop app?
When a new version is out, an update pill appears on the home screen. Click it and Boldbobbin installs the update itself. The in-app updater first shipped in v1.2.5, so if you're on something older, download the installer once from boldbobbin.com/download and every update after that is one click. See Install Boldbobbin.