Main Menu - Text

The Text Menu is accessible only in selection/transform mode.

The following commands switch Studio into lettering mode. There are two primary methods for creating lettering in Studio: 1. Alphabets and 2. Font Engine text. While both methods utilize a similar user interface, they rely on different lettering sources.

Text inserts lettering from Embird Alphabets. Alphabets are Embird's pre-digitized embroidery fonts. Click anywhere within the Work Area to define the starting point for the text. Clicking on existing text will activate editing mode; otherwise, a new text creation session begins. The program opens panels for selecting the alphabet and configuring parameters and layout settings. Once finalized, the lettering is placed into the Work Area as resizable vector objects.

Font Engine Text inserts text using the Embird Font Engine, which automatically converts TrueType and OpenType fonts into embroidery designs. Click anywhere in the work area to set the starting point. Clicking existing text initiates editing, while clicking an empty space starts a new text object. The resulting lettering is placed into the Work Area as resizable vectors.

The core difference between Font Engine and Alphabets is that Alphabets are fonts manually digitized by experts, whereas Font Engine automates the conversion of any TrueType or OpenType font. While Font Engine employs advanced auto-column techniques to fill letters with satin stitches, the results may occasionally differ from a human digitizer's manual approach.

The commands above allow you to create multi-line text by entering characters that are automatically converted into outlines and stitches. If you are digitizing a specific logo for which no matching alphabet or font exists, you may need to digitize the lettering manually using individual columns and connections.

Text with Selected Object as Baseline functions similarly to the Text command but utilizes a selected object in the work area as a custom baseline. This allows you to use an existing object (such as a fill, column, or outline) as the path for your lettering. This command is particularly useful for following a freehand-drawn baseline or placing text parallel to the edge of an existing design element.

Font Engine Text with Selected Object as Baseline performs the same function as the Font Engine Text command but applies the text to a selected object used as a custom baseline.

Edit Text allows for the modification of existing text. Select any part of the text (an individual letter or the object group) in the Work Area or Object Inspector and execute this command. Studio will switch to lettering mode and open the corresponding text for editing. When finished, the original text is replaced by the updated version. Please note: if you previously modified the text objects at a node-by-node level, those manual changes will be lost upon re-editing in lettering mode.

Convert Text to Regular Objects: Objects such as fills, columns, and connections that belong to a text label are linked to that label and identified as "Alphabets Text" or "Font Engine Text" in the Object Inspector. Use this command if you no longer need to edit the text at the lettering level. The link to the text label is removed, allowing for manual node-by-node editing of the individual components.

The Import Baseline command enables the import of baselines in the "Embird Text Baseline *.etb" file format. This command is intended for legacy baseline files created in older versions of Studio. The current font system stores font sessions (including the baseline) within the main design file or separate font files, allowing for transfer via copy and paste. Consequently, this command is maintained for backward compatibility only.