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Embird Cross Stitch - Set Size of Image

1 - Run Embird and click "Editor" menu to switch to Editor window.

2 - Select "Insert > Cross Stitch Design" menu to open Embird Cross Stitch window.

3 - The Cross Stitch plug-in will be launched, and its "Preferences" box will appear on the screen (Picture No. 1). Specify the cross size and the size of Work Area. In this example, the cross size is 2.0 mm (i.e. there will be 5 crosses per centimeter), and the size of Work Area is 50 x 50 crosses - this means that the design we'll create will fit the 100 x 100 mm hoop size. Confirm these settings by clicking "OK" button.

Note: The auto-digitizing process will convert one pixel of image to one cross on Work Area. The size of cross can be adjusted from 1 mm to 10 mm.

Example: If the hoop area is 140 x 200 mm and cross size is 2 mm, the image (and also Work Area) should have 70 pixels height (i.e. 140/2) and 100 pixels width (i.e. 200/2) to utilize the most area of hoop and don't exceed boundaries of hoop. If the cross size is adjusted to 3 mm, the image should have 46 pixels height (i.e. 140/3) and 66 pixels width (i.e. 200/3).

1. Set size of Work Area

Set size of Work Area

4 - In Embird Cross Stitch window select "Image > Import" menu (Picture No. 2).

2. Select "Image > Import" menu

Select "Image > Import" menu

5 - A dialog box will appear on the screen allowing you to choose the background image file. Browse to the folder with image, select it (1) and click "Open" button (2 in Picture No. 2).

3. Open file containing background image

Open file containing background image

6 - If necessary, crop background image: Move mouse pointer to the left-top corner, depress left mouse button and drag mouse cursor to the right-bottom corner. Release left mouse button there. Check the crop rectangle, it is possible to move its edges to make it accurate. Then click "Crop" button. Finally, click "OK" button to continue (Picture No. 4).

4. Crop background image

Crop background image

7 - Agree to scale image to Work Area size (Picture No. 5).

5. Scale image to Work Area size

Scale image to Work Area size

8 - Image is imported to the background of Work Area in Cross Stitch window (Picture No. 6). Now it is possible to manually draw crosses on Work Area over the background image, or automatically digitize crosses from the background image.

6. Imported scaled background image

Imported scaled background image

9 - Select "Image > Autodigitize Crosses from Image" menu to convert each pixel of the resized image into the cross on Work Area (Picture No.7).

Note: The auto-digitizing is not suitable for converting multi-color photos into cross stitch design. This would lead to designs with too many jumps connecting crosses. Use it for simple images containing only several areas of solid color (cartoon-alike).

7. Autodigitize Crosses from Image

Autodigitize Crosses from Image

10 - A dialog box will appear on the screen allowing you to adjust the width and height of cross. Adjust cross size to 2 mm (Picture No. 8). Click "OK" button to continue.

8. Specify cross size

Specify cross size

11 - Another dialog box is informing you about the design size and number of crosses. Because we have already adjusted the image size in step 7 above, the design fits the hoop area 100 x 100 mm (Picture No. 9). Click "OK" button to continue.

9. Check design size

Check design size

12 - You can reduce the number of colors to lower value (Picture No.10). The lower number of colors you choose, the lower number of jumps in final cross stitch design will be created.

10. Reduce colors

Reduce colors

13 - You can choose the transparent color (color of the background that will be skipped and not converted to crosses) or ignore this selection if you want to convert every pixel of image into cross (Picture No. 11).

11. Consider some color as transparent?

Consider some color as transparent?

14 - Choose the transparent color in the dialog box which appears on the screen and confirm the selection by clicking "OK" button (Picture No. 12).

12. Choose transparent color

Choose transparent color

15 - Confirm applying of noise filter that decreases the number of isolated points and therefore reduces the number of jumps in final cross stitch design (Picture No. 13).

13. Apply noise filter?

Apply noise filter?

16 - Image is automatically converted to crosses on Work Area. Check the 3D preview of design by selecting "View > 3D Preview" command from main menu, or by clicking the "3D Preview" button on the Main Toolbar (Picture No.14).

14. Autodigitized design from background image

Auto-digitized design from background image

17 - The 3D Preview of design will be displayed on the screen (Picture No.15). Click "Close" button close this window.

15. Check 3D preview of design

Check 3D preview of design

18 - Click "File > Save As" menu to save this cross stitch project into a file on your hard disk. Specify the file name and location in the dialog box which appears on the screen.

19 - Click "File > Compile and Put into Embird Editor" menu to compile the cross stitch project into stitches and return back to Editor window.

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