--- title: "Digitizing Fills by Hand: Tatami, Stitch Angles and Holes" description: "How to draw tatami fills by hand, choose stitch angles that separate shapes and control pull, set density and stitch length, and cut holes so colours don't stack." url: https://easydigitizer.com/blog/manual-fill-digitizing-angles-holes published: 2026-10-14 updated: 2026-10-14 section: Hand digitizing publisher: EasyDigitizer (https://easydigitizer.com/) --- # Digitizing Fills by Hand: Tatami, Stitch Angles and Holes How to draw tatami fills by hand, choose stitch angles that separate shapes and control pull, set density and stitch length, and cut holes so colours don't stack. > **Short answer:** draw the fill's outline with corner and curve points, set its stitch angle by dragging with the Angle tool, and give neighbouring fills different angles so they read as separate shapes. Start at 0.40 mm density (same-direction rows) and 4 mm stitch length. Use edge run plus tatami underlay on anything wider than about 6 mm, and cut holes wherever another colour sits on top, so stitches don't stack. Fills cover the big shapes in a design: backgrounds of badges, the bodies of mascots, solid parts of logos. They're simple to draw but easy to get wrong. A fill with the wrong angle, density or underlay will pucker, gap or look flat. ## Drawing a fill (F) 1. Choose **Fill** (F). 2. Click corner points around the shape. Right-click (or Ctrl+click) for curve points. 3. Press **Enter** or double-click to close it. Tips: - Trace slightly *inside* the artwork edge where a satin border will cover it, and right on the edge where the fill is the visible edge. - Use as few points as you can. Curve points make smooth Bézier curves, so a circle needs four or five, not forty. - Turn on **Snap** for straight-edged geometric shapes: it rounds points to a 1 mm grid. ## Choosing the stitch angle Select the fill, pick the **Angle** tool (G) and drag a line in the direction you want the rows to run. A yellow angle line shows the current direction. You can also type an angle in Properties (default 45°). How to choose: - **Separate neighbours.** Two touching fills at the same angle blend into one shape. Turn one 30–60° away from the other and the edge between them reads clearly, even in the same colour. - **Avoid long horizontal rows on stretchy fabric.** Knits pull most across the rows, so rows running across the stretch distort the least. - **Follow the form** for an artistic look: run a leaf's fill along its length, or a banner's along its curve. - **Match the cap.** On caps, angled fills sit better over the centre seam than rows parallel to it. ### Curved rows: wave fills A straight angle isn't the only option. Select the fill, pick the **Direction** tool (D) and draw a curve across it (click points, or drag freehand). The fill's rows then follow that curve, like a wave fill: water, flags, ribbons and hair look far more natural. The underlay stays straight underneath, and you can clear the line in Properties to go back to a straight angle. Keep the curve gentle: where it turns steeply, the rows pack closer together. ## Density and stitch length - **Density** (row spacing) is measured between rows going the same direction: 0.40 mm is standard, so adjacent rows sit 0.20 mm apart. It can be set from 0.2 to 4 mm. - **Stitch length** (1–7 mm, default 4) sets how long each stitch in a row is. Shorter stitches follow curves and small shapes better. Longer ones lie flatter and use fewer stitches on big areas. - Rows are staggered by a third of a stitch from one row to the next, so needle drops don't line up into visible channels. ## Underlay under fills *Auto (by size)* picks an edge run for fills narrower than 6 mm and an edge run plus tatami for anything bigger. The tatami underlay runs at 90° to the top stitching. You can choose *Edge run + tatami*, *Tatami*, *Edge run* or *None* per object. See [underlay types explained](/blog/embroidery-underlay-types-explained). ## Cutting holes (O) When a lettering colour sits on top of a background fill, stitching the full background underneath wastes stitches. It also makes the area stiff and can cause thread breaks. Cut the shape out of the fill instead: 1. Select the fill. 2. Pick **Hole** (O). 3. Draw the hole inside the fill and press **Enter**. A hole drawn entirely inside a curved fill becomes an extra editable outline of the fill. A hole that crosses the edge cuts the shape directly. Leave the hole slightly smaller than the object on top, about 0.3–0.5 mm, so the two overlap and no gap opens when the fabric pulls. ## Satin borders on fills A fill's edge is slightly ragged by nature. *Add satin border* (in the object's actions) puts a 3 mm satin along every edge with edge run plus zigzag underlay. That gives a clean edge and hides small gaps between colours. ## Beyond tatami The *Style* menu also offers pattern fills (brick, diamond, wave, zigzag, cross-hatch), open motif fills and gradient density ramps. See [pattern, gradient and blend fills](/blog/embroidery-pattern-gradient-blend-fills). ## Frequently asked questions ### What angle should a tatami fill be? There's no single right angle. 45° is a safe default; change it so neighbouring fills differ by 30° or more, and avoid rows running straight across the stretch of a knit. ### What does fill density mean? The distance between rows of stitches. In EasyDigitizer it's measured between rows going the same direction: 0.40 mm is standard. ### Why should I cut holes in a fill? So stitches don't stack under objects of another colour. Stacking adds stitches, stiffness and thread breaks. ### Should a fill have a border? Often, yes. A satin or running border gives a crisp edge and covers small gaps from fabric pull. --- EasyDigitizer is browser-based embroidery digitizing software: auto-digitize artwork or digitize by hand, then export DST, TAP, PES, EXP, JEF or VP3. Design and preview free; pay per design or subscribe to export. App: https://app.easydigitizer.com/ · More guides: https://easydigitizer.com/blog/ · Product summary: https://easydigitizer.com/llms.txt