Short answer: use stitch fonts (lettering already digitized for thread) whenever you can. They have planned stitch angles, underlay and density, so they sew far cleaner than traced type. Keep them within about ±25 % of the size they were digitized at, add a little extra spacing on small text, and use an arc for badges or an envelope (bridge, wave or pennant) for team and varsity lettering.
Lettering is the most common thing anyone embroiders, and it's where viewers notice quality first. A logo with a slightly soft icon still looks fine. A name with lumpy letters doesn't.
Stitch fonts vs system fonts
There are two ways to make lettering:
- Stitch fonts are typefaces digitized letter by letter for embroidery, with centrelines, stitch angles, underlay and density planned for thread. They're sewn needle for needle as designed.
- System fonts (the TrueType fonts on your computer) are outlines. The software has to work out stitches for each letter, the same way it auto-digitizes artwork.
Stitch fonts win on quality, especially under about 10 mm. System fonts give you any typeface, and EasyDigitizer converts them to satin or fill by stroke width.
EasyDigitizer includes six stitch fonts, each digitized at 4, 6, 8, 11, 15 and 20 mm cap height:
| Font | Style |
|---|---|
| Collegiate | Block / athletic |
| Slab Heavy | Block / athletic slab |
| Clean Sans | Sans serif |
| Classic Serif | Serif |
| Casual Script | Script |
| Brush Script | Brush script |
Placing lettering
Pick Text (T) and click where the middle of the text should go. In the lettering dialog:
- Type the text. Multiple lines are fine; they're centred, 1.6 × the letter height apart.
- Choose a font and a letter height (cap height).
- Pick the layout: straight, arc or envelope.
Any characters missing from the font are listed, so nothing disappears silently.
Size and scaling
A stitch font is digitized at specific sizes, and its stitches only scale well a little either way. EasyDigitizer keeps each font within ±25 % of the nearest size it was digitized at. If you ask for a size outside that range, it clamps and tells you, and warns again if you later scale lettering too far. That's what keeps small letters clean: a 5 mm letter comes from the 4 or 6 mm master, not from a shrunk 20 mm one.
For system fonts, under 6 mm you'll get a reminder to use a bold sans serif: 5–6 mm is the practical minimum.
Spacing and kerning
- Letter spacing adds or removes space between all letters (−5 to +20 mm). Small text under 6 mm gets +0.3 mm by default, because letters spread slightly as they sew.
- Kerning (on by default) applies the typeface's own pair spacing, so pairs like AV, To and LT don't look gappy.
- Reset spacing returns to the font's default.
Arcs
For round badges, club patches and emblems:
- Arc over the top curves text over a circle.
- Arc along the bottom runs it underneath, reading left to right.
- Arc radius (8–300 mm) sets how tight the curve is. The click point is the middle of the text.
Design tip: for a full circular badge, set the top and bottom arcs on the same radius, with the bottom text slightly smaller.
Envelopes
Envelopes bend the whole line of text into a shape:
- Bridge: curved top and/or bottom edges, the classic varsity arch.
- Wave: a flowing wave along the top and bottom (0.5 to 6 waves).
- Pennant / slant: letters grow or shrink from one end to the other, like a pennant flag.
- Custom envelope: drag the handles, or type the heights at four points along each edge.
You can change the envelope later in Properties, including back to Straight. Letters are never squeezed below 15 % of their height, so the text stays readable.
Lettering in puff
3D puff lettering needs bold block letters, at least about 4 mm stroke width and usually 25 mm (1″) tall or more. In EasyDigitizer, puff lettering is made from a system font in System font mode, with every piece forced to satin and capped. See How to digitize 3D puff embroidery.
Frequently asked questions
What is a stitch font?
A font digitized specifically for embroidery: each letter is already a set of satin columns and runs with planned angles, underlay and density.
Why does my lettering look bad when I make it smaller?
Most fonts only scale well within about ±25 % of their digitized size. Pick the size you need from a font digitized near it.
How do I put embroidery text in a circle?
Use Arc over the top for the upper text and Arc along the bottom for the lower text, both at the same radius.
What is envelope lettering?
Lettering bent into a shape such as a bridge, wave or pennant, so the line of text follows a curve rather than a straight baseline.