Digitizing

[Steve I]

Just out of curiosity, I viewed the thread on people searching for digitizers and was wondering how many of you purchased Design Shop Pro or Pro+ and still don't do your own digitizing? I could be way off here but it seems to me if you would spend thousands of extra dollars to purchase the highest level of software you would also invest the time to learn to use it.

Don't get me wrong, digitizing companies (most of them) do a great job for the money. I have learned a great deal from watching designs sew that others have digitized.

Please chime in here, I am interested in knowing how may of us actually digitize our own designs.

Steve I.
Trinity Embroidery

[GF]

I have Design Shop Pro Plus and do not do my own digitizing. I am seeking to learn though. I purchased it last year and am still new in digitizing. I would love to learn more about tweaking my designs. In fact, I posted a question twice without reply. Question was, what settings do I use for a small monogram going on linen fabric? Column density? Stitch length? Do you know? I also inquired about sources for learning and I did receive some classroom information from Melco. What I have learned is that most digitizers prefer using Wilcom or Embird over other software packages. Floriani just came out with a program that supposedly blows all others away (don't know if that's true, but that's the rumor). All upgrades are free with the purchase. Would love to learn more tips on our software. Perhaps Melco could send out a "Tip of the Day" for their software and we who own the program could maximize our potential by learning one thing each day. Great comment... looking forward to the other responses.

GF

[Dorothy Compton]

For myself, I didn't have DS for a long time knowing that it takes years to learn to digitize well. With starting a new business and raising 4 kids, I knew I didn't have the time to learn digitizing as well. I'm now dabbling but still don't know if I'll have the patience. My husband will probably learn how before me. I do however edit and greatly appreciate all the bells and whistles.

Dorothy Compton, Owner
Bee Embroiderd
www.BeeEmbroidered.com
(916) 635-7467

[Steve]

I have the basic version of DesignShop and do most of my own digitizing. Complex logos or logos I know will take a while to do I send out which only amounts to about 5%-10% being done by someone else.

[Kip Biddle]

For me it came down to "Time is Money". I have Design Shop to do some quick editing and adding lettering to stock designs and so forth, but when it comes down to digitizing a design for $75.00 or running production of, oh say 50 sweatshirts during the same time frame and making $300.00+, well it's a no brainer. Send out the design and let the Amayas make the bigger bucks!

[Meier Custom Emb.]

I have DS Pro+, I started embroidering in September. Being so new to the industry, I have never sent away to have anything digitized, I have done all on my own, and haven't taken the advanced digitizing class yet, but definatly plan to, bacause it will pay for itself pretty quickly. I have had everything come out great, yes i have had to tweek things here and there, and I haven't had anything real ornate or detailed. Most company logo's are pretty simple. Just play around with it and you can get the basics, easily, then go from there, because you nor I didn't spend the extra thousands for nothing, and as we all know a faster turn around is very impressive to our customers. I could go on for days on that subject but I won't
Have a GREAT Day
Richard

[Maggie21]

Hi Steve I,

I also do my own digitizing, I went to Melco classes with Cinthia Tisby in Los Angeles, and learned a lot. I paid a digitizir while I was learning and practicing. I have DS Pro+ and love it. I don't know about another software but so far I'm very pleased with what I have. One advise, even if you go to classes you need to practice, practice, practice like any other skill.

Maggie

[Debbie Garifi]

I also have Design Shop Pro+ and have taken the 3 day digitizing class. I still can't get it to work right for me, even to just try and do an edit seems to take hours only for me to mess it up more. I ultimately have to send it back to be edited by the digitizer. I do get an ofm file because the digitizer uses Design Pro+.
I really like that "tip of the day" idea. Too much trial & error, which I find very time consuming.
Debbie
Design Wizard Embroidery

[susan]

I have Design Shop Pro Plus. So far I have done all my own digitizing but I haven't gotten anything really intricate--like say a realistic looking animal.

I would love to take an advanced digitizing class covering both digitizing and the extra things Design Shop Pro can do--I think Rod needs to organize a class!! I love Design Shop Pro Plus but I know that there are many more features and things I can do with it that I don't know about yet.

[TinaK]

I do my own digitizing however not with DS I use Embird now and love it...very easy to learn and use and way better then what I was using before. I am still playing with shading and fur but can definitely do simple logos and simple designs at this point.

Hey Aaron!

Getting any ideas for the cruise class on digitizing yet?

[KGM]

I do not have Design Shop Pro but we digitize all our own designs with another program. We digitize for 3-4 other companies now - cut way bk on the outside digitizing as I just don't have the time and do not accept new customers.

I think it really depends on how you 'take' to digitizing whether you end up doing it on a regular basis or not. It takes a lot of patience and time - practice sewouts, classes or learning it with hands on.. Sometimes you will find it is not worth it if as another poster said he could do 300+ sewing and could not see the time it wld take digitize a company logo.

I do think you really need to have a dependable digitizer that does what they say, sews well on your machine and you can trust. That takes a little time to build that relationship and sometimes some shopping around.

I don't believe we -as a group- should hire foreign digitizers if we can help it. This is my experience:

I've known several people that 'bought' chinese digitizing -
> for a while. Out of 4 that I know - 2 had "identity stolen' crisis
> shortly after they began buying from the China digitizers. Was that
> coincidence? I don't know.

Here is some info abt China overall that I found interesting in light of the flood of digitizers advertising from there:

The Threat Behind Chinese Imports
>
> by Bridget Geegan Blanton
>
> The market place is awash in cheap Chinese goods in spite of massive
> recalls on tainted toothpaste, dangerous tires, poisonous toys and
> deadly dog food. Congress has paved the road for the ritual dumping
> of substandard, Chinese manufactured products into our market. The
> stark reality is that while America consumes cheap goods, China
> funnels billions of our trade dollars into their military machine.
Another quote from this article:
> Meanwhile, in mainland China tyranny, misery and oppression abound.
> Communist China is a police state that subjects female citizens to
> coercive abortions and sterilizations. The abortifacient drug RU-486
> manufactured in China, recently reported to be tainted, is the
> foundation of China's efforts at population control; a policy
> endorsed by the world's elites. Land grabs for the purpose of
> development are the norm and millions have already been forced to
> relocate. Dissenters of any kind are executed quietly by lethal
> injection inside "Mobile death vans" all over China. (source: BBC)

If you want to read the rest - it is Msg 408 in the Yahoo Group - AmayaEmb.

No I do think we should use Chinese digitizers.

Jill

[Aaron]

I have been using Melco software since EDSII and have upgraded ever since and currently use DSPro+. Iused to do about 80%+ of my digitizing but now its the opposite. I do about 25% of my digitizing. Its just a matter of time. Do I spend an hour on 1 design digitizing or do I keep 5 or 6 of my machines running during that hour and make at least twice as much and pay $50 to my digitizer in which the cost goes to the custoemr anyways.

I use http://www.clearsky24.com for almost all of my digitizing. They are not Design Shop digitizers so my files come dst but they always sew great and I actually have less thread breaks most the time if I use their files as opposed to my own. I do take pride in the fact that they are in Texas, USA and I beleive in keeping our money here when we can. I already give enough to china, vietnam, korea, and every other place that manufactures the clothing and hats I sell becuase the quality and price just doesn't compate to made in the US items but if I can keep more money here than why not.

[Theresa S.]

I've reached a point where I do a lot of the simple things..but for the projects that are high profile, or very artsy, or unusual fabrics..I use Crossings Design Group up in Seattle. They digitize with Wilcom, and I get the designs in *.dst...they sew out without a hitch. I open, save in OFM. If I need to tweak it, I just do "convert to wireframe" in my DSPro+. I agree with Aaron, you have to look at your best time usage for the $$ and I prefer to keep my $$ in the US.

[Maggie21]

AMEN to Jill comments. "God bless America"

Maggie

[Steve I]

Great responses to the question posted. Always good to get more thoughts and opinions on a subject.

Thanks,

Steve
Trinity Embroidery