FAQ and common issues
Short answers to the questions people ask most, each with the fix first and a link to the full page. For saving, signing in, importing, or a design that doesn't fit the hoop, the pages under More go further.
An older Boldbobbin says my design is corrupt
It probably isn't. Boldbobbin 1.2 and later save .vemb designs in a form that
1.1.x and earlier can't open, and those older versions report that in a way that
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-center on my Brother machine
If you exported the PES or PEC from Boldbobbin before v1.2.6, that was a Boldbobbin bug, not your placement or your hoop setting.
Export it again from v1.2.6 or later and it is correct. No other format was affected. See Placement.
My VP3 file sews a faint line through a fill
If you exported the VP3 before v1.3.2, its stitches could sit up to 0.1 mm off where they were drawn, which shows as a line on a dense fill. Export it again from v1.3.2 or later. No other format was affected. See Export formats.
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.
An older design looks or counts differently in v1.3.2
Some v1.3.2 defaults apply to any setting a design never set itself, so a design saved earlier can sew a little differently when you reopen it:
- A satin column with no underlay ticked now gets underlay chosen by its width (more stitches). To sew it bare again, set its Underlay to Manual with every toggle off.
- The tatami underlay is far more open (Underlay row spacing now defaults to 2.5 mm), so a fill uses fewer underlay stitches.
- Pull compensation now grows only the row ends of a tatami, not every side. Use Expand to grow a fill all round.
- A fill under a pattern motif is sewn on a quiet random background.
Anything you set yourself keeps its value. See Stitch parameters.
Why did my wide inner satin turn into tatami?
As of v1.4.0, any part of an inner satin wider than 10 mm is sewn as tatami among the satin parts, because satin stitches that long snag and sag. This also changes the stitches of a design saved earlier, where a shape is that wide somewhere. Narrow the shape, or use a tatami fill for the wide area. See Wide inner satin.
My right-click no longer finishes a satin
That changed in v1.3.3: in the pen and the satin column tool, a right-click now places a curve point. Finish a column with Enter or the ✓ on the draft bar. The Individual stitch tool still finishes on a right-click. See Pen and satin column.
My keys for Edit shape and the fill angle aren't N and A
They are N and A in the Inkscape preset. In the default Illustrator preset (and in Affinity Designer), N stays Freehand, so Edit shape is A and Draw the angle is Shift+A. Hover the button to see the key your preset uses, or change it in Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts. See Shapes and fills.
My Option shortcut stopped working on my Mac
If you set your own shortcut on Option plus a letter before v1.3.3, set it again in Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts. Boldbobbin now reads those keys by the key you press rather than the character Option types, so the old one no longer matches.
Where did "No pattern" go?
In a tatami's Pattern choices, the No pattern tile is called Default as of v1.3.3. It does the same thing: a plain fill with no pattern. See Add a pattern to a fill.
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 that measures thread coverage and needle penetrations across your design. 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 eight languages besides English are complete for everything up to v1.3.3. A few things new in v1.4.0 fall back to English where a translation isn't in yet: the Chat panel, the four newest How-tos, and the Text dialog's arc controls. A visible English string beats a blank control. See Languages.
Why does Bobby's panel stay in English?
Bobby's Chat panel is new in v1.4.0, and its buttons, cards and labels aren't translated yet, so they show in English in every language. The rest of the app keeps your language, and you can still write to Bobby in yours. See Design with Bobby.
How do I stop Boldbobbin sending usage data?
Open Settings → Privacy, untick Share anonymous usage data, and click Save. From then on no usage data is sent from that device. It never included your designs, your file names, or anything you type. New in v1.3.3. See Privacy.
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 Plans and credits.
Why does exporting ask me to sign in?
From v1.3.1, exporting a machine file needs an account. A free one is enough, and nothing about the design changes. Signed out, Next on the export wizard's format step opens the sign-in dialog; once you are in, the wizard comes back on its last step with the formats you had picked. See Export an embroidery file.
I exported a gradient and Boldbobbin asked for Pro
Tatami gradients are free to design with and preview, but exporting or publishing a design that uses one needs Pro, like fill patterns. Turn the gradient off on that shape and the design exports on any plan. Freezing it with Convert to → Stitch block does not lift the gate.
I picked a stipple (or hand stitch) and export wants Pro
Stipple, Spiral, Maze, and Radial fills, Sculpture run, Hand stitch, and the tatami needle-hole textures are decorative stitches, new in v1.3.2: free to design with, Pro to export or publish. So are the ones new in v1.3.3: Motif run, the Motif fill, the Motif satin (the Motif column), Flexi Split, and Appliqué. Backstitch, Stemstitch, Triple run, the Offset fill, and every other satin style are free. Switch the option back, or see What needs 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 Plans and credits.
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. If the dialog says bug reporting needs cloud config, this copy of Boldbobbin has no cloud connection: see Cloud is not configured.
What are credits, and why isn't Pro enough?
Credits pay for the three advanced auto-digitize methods and for chatting with Bobby once its free allowance is used, all of which run on Boldbobbin's servers rather than on your computer. They are a separate purchase from a plan: Pro does not make them free, and Lifetime includes none. Buy credits in the Advanced chooser opens boldbobbin.com/dashboard/credits.
Everything under the plain Auto-digitize entry (Photostitch, Cross-stitch, Auto-Trace), and the Magic wand, run on your own computer and cost no credits.
Where is the survey, and why can't I see it?
From v1.3.1, the home screen can show a card, Help shape Boldbobbin, with six quick questions and a credit bonus for answering. It never pops up and never appears in the editor. It is offered only when:
- you are signed in, and this is not the very first launch (the one that runs setup);
- you have exported a design through the getting-started steps, or your account is older than the survey and has a saved design;
- and the survey is currently being offered to your account. The card says how many credits you get.
Not now hides it for two weeks. Don't ask again hides it for good.
The questions are one per page: how you heard about Boldbobbin, what describes you, your digitizing experience, which embroidery software you have used (pick all that apply), what matters most (pick up to two), and an optional free-text question. Your answers are stored with your account and used only to improve Boldbobbin. The credits land on your balance as soon as you send them. If the survey asks you to confirm your email address first, do that, then send again.
A digitizing job failed. Was I charged?
No. A job that fails or is cancelled is refunded automatically, and the panel says so when it happens. If the picture never finished uploading, no job was created and nothing was charged at all.
My advanced digitizing result is taking minutes
Check which state the panel is showing. Waiting for a machine means your job is ready and waiting for a machine to run it. The first run in a while has to warm one up, which can take a few minutes. Closing the panel does not cancel it: the job finishes while you are away and waits for you in Previous digitizations.
I edited my digitized pixel art and now export wants Pro
That is the rule from v1.3.1. A Pixel art result exports free, in any stitch method, while its pixels are the ones you paid for. Painting or erasing cells, or resizing the grid, makes it a sprite you edited, which is gated like hand-painted pixel art. Undo the edit, or export without it. Recoloring a thread, changing the cell size, or switching the stitch method does not count. See Turn a picture into pixel art.
Can I resize a line-art design and have it redone at the new size?
Yes, as of v1.3.3. A Line art & Redwork result now comes in as a line drawing, and its thread route is planned again every time you resize or edit it, so you can resize it straight on the canvas. Resizing doesn't make it Pro to export; editing its lines in the line-art editor does. A result placed before v1.3.3 is not a line drawing: resizing it scales its lines without planning the route again. For a new size, open the job again from Previous digitizations, which goes straight to the review at no further charge. See Turn a picture into line art.
My teammate's design won't open, or says it's read-only
If the team's plan has ended, its library is read-only: you can still open designs and browse their history, but nothing saves there. If you are looking at an older version, the banner says so, and you can restore it or step back to the current one. See Work in a team library.
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. A design saved in a
team library lives with the team, not with you, and
keeps a version history. 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.