Tips & Techniques

Beginning Programming Letters & Designs on the Designer 1

Facts: When you touch "Program", it automatically brings up the 240 X150 size hoop. If you have the "grid" turned on in the "Set menu," the grids are 20mm squares. The template that came with your hoops have 10 mm squares. So, 1 square grid on the display screen represents 2 square grids on the template.

EXERCISE 1: Programming a name to put above a pocket.

Insert Clarendon disk: Touch "Prog" and "Menu" and the "disk" icon and choose the 20mm.

Program in "PUFF" and touch "OK". This is now considered a "design" and you will see an outline around it and the design is centered on the display screen both vertically and horizontally.

The center of "PUFF" is at the center of the design area where the 6th line and the 4th line intersect. Look at the coordinates on the right side of the screen. It should say <0.0> and 0.0. This reading designates the center vertical and horizontal of the design area. If you move the design up or to the right, you will have positive numbers. If you move below the line or to the left, you will have negative numbers.

Because we chose the 20mm size, the letters will take up 1 full grid because each grid square is 20mm. Touch the "up arrow" to move those letters so the bottom of the letters land right on the center horizontal line & the top of the letter will be on the top line of that square because the grid and the font are both 20mm. If we had chosen 30mm, the lettering would take up 1 /12 squares. If you chose 10mm, it would only take up half of the square.

At the top right side, you will see the # of stitches and the width and height of the design.

Now, of course, you can see that you don't need that big hoop. So touch the "hoop icon." The 40 X 40 hoop size is grayed out because the "design" is too big. Choose the next size available.

If you used your template to make placement markings on your garment, you would make sure to place the center horizontal line exactly where you want the bottom of the letters to be placed. Make sure that you center the vertical line at the center of the pocket so the name will be balanced above the pocket.

If you just want to stitch the design and not save it, then just touch "Rep." A message will pop up asking if you want to "Save" and you press "No."

BUT, if you wanted to save that design so you could stitch it again some other time, insert a floppy disk that you reserve just for designs created on the machine. Touch "Save" and a pop-up screen will appear and you will see "D1" appear on a pop up. If the memory is red, then it is already used and you need to touch the up arrow to find a green bar showing a clear memory. Touch "OK." Touch "Rep" if you want to sew the design right now. But that design is also saved on the disk to be used at a later time.

EXERCISE 2: Add a Design.

Touch "Prog." The large hoop will appear again. Insert the 100 Sampler disk with designs on it. Touch "Menu" and touch "Menu 4" and choose the cat design. The design will be highlighted. Touch the up or down arrows to move the design where you think it will look good.

You will probably want to move the name too, so touch "Sel" until the outline is around the name. Touch "Sel" again if you want to "select" the cat.

I placed my name so the top of the letters was 2 squares down. I placed the cat so the bottom of that design was 2 squares up from the bottom and this looked nice and balanced.

But, you can easily see that the design can be fitted in a smaller hoop. Touch the "hoop icon" and choose the smallest size available which is probably the 100 X 170. (I hope you have this hoop size. If not, you will have to use the larger one.) But, at least you know how to reduce the hoop to fit the size of the design. Touch "Save" if you want to save the design on that same disk you used before and find another free memory under the D1. If you don't want to save it, just touch "Rep" and say "No" to saving it.

Touch "Rep" and look at the size of the design in height and width and the number of stitches in the design. If you want to change the placement of the letters or the design, just touch "prog" and you still have the opportunity to move the designs again.

When you are happy with how everything looks, then pay attention to the perimeters of the design on top, bottom and sides so you can have an idea of where to place your design on your garment using the plastic template.

Because I put the letters on the screen first, it will stitch those out first. Notice: You will see a spool of thread and 1: 1 blue. This means that it was the first design and the first color to stitch.

When it reaches the cat design, you will see the spool and 2: 1 white, then 2: 2 gray, 3:3 lt. gray, etc. As it stitches, it is showing each color in that design as it is needed.

EXERCISE 3: 30MM Letters and a Design - "Charlie."

Insert the Clarendon disk and touch "Prog." Touch "Menu" and "disk icon" and choose 30mm.

Touch large C. Touch the "a.." to bring up the small letters and touch the rest of the letters in Charlie. Touch "OK" and the word is so large that the machine knows it will only fit vertically. Move the word to the right side by using the side arrow until you see the <56> reading.

Insert the 100 sampler disk and touch "Menu" and "Menu4" and choose design 7 (mouse). Touch "Adjust" and touch the "E" one time to rotate the design and touch "OK." Move the design with the sideway arrow to where you think it looks best. Touch the "hoop icon" to see that the smaller hoops are grayed out and you must use the D1 large hoop. Touch "Rep" if you want to just sew it or touch "Save" if you want to save it to that same disk.

USING THE SAVED DISK OF DESIGNS. Insert the disk, touch "Prog" and touch "Load" and find the memory for the design you want. Touch "Rep" to sew it out. If the wrong design came up, touch "Load" again and try another one.