What is digitizing?

Digitizing!

What is digitizing? Basically the term means to convert information shown on paper to digital form for computer processing either by scanning or manually capturing etc. In terms of machine embroidery the term means to convert artwork into a series of commands read by an embroidery machine. What is the process of digitizing and what does it all involve. There are many softwares for digitizing machine embroidery designs. Some are auto digitizers where others are semi auto/manual. I use Embird Digitizing Studio for all my digitizing work. Below is an example of what all is involved in creating a design.

Creating a Design-start to finish

IDEA!! Any digitizer has to have an idea or plan of what to create. I usually plan a year in advance as to what design collections I will create. This is very important as I need to let my testers, know well in the beginning of the year, what they should be expecting to see from me. (Yes they are people and I cannot just on demand ask them to test therefore I have a schedule) IDEA: Christmas 2003 village
PLAN: How many drawings to create? What size would these drawings be? And, before even the drawings can be made, what items would these designs be stitched on for samples and for the web page. And last but not least, is this a feasible idea? Answer: Maximum number of drawings, 8 Size of drawings: 5x7 hoop, although I do make a mental note that I would like to re-size for 4x4 so make adjustments to the digitizing process while I'm making each drawing. Items to stitch upon: Ofcourse, time for a new tree skirt, and new stockings. Feasible idea or not? I leave this one blank as I never know.
Day I
DRAWING #1: Carollers	This is a rough drawing and by no means the final one. There might be several changes, that I know already. What I need is some sort of shapes to work with. I draw freehand using my line tool, have several hundred drawings sitting around that are like this. There is no telling what they might be used for. 11.00 am: I usually start work around this time (wake up call is at 10.00 am as I don't get to bed until 3.00 am) Drawing is to some satisfaction by 1.00 p.m. Save file and get up to eat something. In the meanwhile, answer emails, telephone calls, house hold chores (ugh). Lunch is usually eaten in front of the computer, answering emails. The tea kettle whistles a lot in my house.
	6.00 p.m. I'm feeling very good as I have the lamp post already digitized. There are going to be some changes, definitely I can see that already. When I say that an object is digitized, I mean that I have attached the way I want the look of the stitches to be. That does not mean that I have yet taken care of the jumps, or stitched it out to see if it sews well. Time for dinner and a bit of family life keeps me away from the computer for two hours.
	2.00 am: Whew, one of the ladies is almost done, although I'm not happy with some aspects of the drawing. Time for a snack and perhaps answering some emails. I am groaning inside as I know there will be tons of jumps to fix once the digitizing is complete. Also I'm not feeling very good about using too many colors but yet I do not want the design to look simple. Decisions, decisions... I call it a day and go to bed. Another day will see the design finished but not today. Although I'm tempted yet I know that is when I will make mistakes.
Day II
	I start my day (at around 11 am) by answering emails and sending out orders. The urge to return to work to finish the design is strong but I know that it needs time when I won't be disturbed. 3.00 p.m I have found an answer on how I would like the ladies to look in my drawing. I try not to get too excited and take a break for lunch.
	6.00 p.m. I am very undecided about colors now. So all I get done is the gentleman's trousers and a bit of shading on them. I know when I'm tired that I may mistakes so I leave work till after dinner.
	1.00 am: I have finished the gentleman's wardrobe and feel better about my colors. Time for snack and answering emails. (Now you all know why you get emails from me sent at such a strange time, LOL)
Day III
	4.00 p.m. From 11.00 till now I've worked on the design, answered emails, telephone calls and am feeling good as I have the other lady also completed. However, in the back of my mind I'm cringing a bit as already I've used 17 colors, ouch.
	2.00 a.m: Very concerned about the number of stitches and colors, I decide its time for a bit of change of scenery and save my work and have a snack and answer emails. The design however is coming along fine but I'm still too far away from even test stitching it.
Day IV
	1.00 pm: The design is almost completed and I go for a cup of tea to reward my self. I can't wait to finish the details so I can get to cleaning it up. By cleaning, I mean taking each color apart to see where there might be jumps, doing a test stitch to finally see if my settings, fills and specialty stitches were worth all the trouble.
	3.00 am. The first test run is done and I see problems. Some of the stitches will have to be taken into an editing program to clean up as they tend to show up under the open specialty stitches. I go to bed excited but ready to do work in the morning.
Day V
	4.00 p.m: The design is all done. I've spent a good portion of the day editing as you can see there are no stitches showing under the specialty stitches. The colors have been utilised well and number brought down. The jumps are only in the very necessary areas (facial expressions and final shading to the ladies' white fur). I email the design to the testers and leave my final stitching till after dinner and splurge on spending some time in front of the Television watching reruns of Golden Girls and Designing Women. The design may be finished but it is still not final until I hear back from the testers which might take another week. In the meanwhile I work on other designs.

This is just one design and I have seven more to go. Well, at this rate it will take me a month, YIKES, LOL.

Digitizing is not an easy task. It takes a lot of time to plan, create and in the end, if one is satisfied then it is a done design. All my designs are carefully planned and created. Each design is created furthermore in such a manner that when it is sold, whether individually or as a collection, the name of the purchaser and the date is implanted in the design itself therefore it makes it very unique. All CDS are also created in such a manner and given numbers instead of name of purchaser therefore allowing me at a glance to be able to see who purchased what and be able to verify the true purchase of the design. As I speak, read and write several different languages, therefore I am able to implant in several different ways. It is my work and I protect it just like I would protect my own children. Please appreciate the digitizers and realise that it is hard work and not to be shared or sold without some feelings that you are doing someone a very wrong thing.

Sharing my designs or designs of other digitizers is wrong. It is your choice to share but my right to protect and pursue if your named designs are found on the internet or anywhere...all it takes is for me to open the file and I will know who bought the design/collection. Please do not partake of this illegal activity. It is wrong. I give you quality designs as samples throughout the year and they are just as good or better than any of my collections. Please appreciate my work. Thank you. Sadia