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The Mesh Fill is a specialized fill type characterized by its very low density. Unlike a standard "Satin" or "Tatami" fill, which is designed to provide solid coverage of a shape, a mesh fill is intentionally "loose" to allow the base fabric to remain visible between the stitches. Mesh is ideal for stippling, Free Standing Lace (FSL) and other decorative, low-density fills.
This chapter provides a comprehensive guide to the parameters for Mesh objects within Embird Studio NEXT. It details how to control the appearance of low-density mesh fills, which are suitable for stippling and ornamental designs. The following sections explain various configurations, including mesh fill types such as Stippling and Tiles, common settings like layer control and stitch length, artistic effects, and geometric transformations. Furthermore, this guide discusses the Single Layer setting, its impact on the stitching process, and the potential for converting mesh paths into outline objects.
These parameters apply exclusively to Mesh objects.
A Mesh object consists of one outer edge. Node (A) represents the starting node of the edge, while (B) indicates the end of the outer edge, accompanied by an angle direction line. The angle in this context refers to the transformation angle. The central symbol indicates the focus point (C) used for special effects. Holes within the mesh fill are created separately using the Opening tool. It is also possible too add decorative paths to the mesh fill using the separate Carving tool.
Specific mesh types allow for the configuration of the fill Span.
The Span defines the extent of the fill relative to the object contours. The available values are Overflow, Cropped, and Interior.
When utilizing the Overflow fill, it may be necessary to exclude object contours from the mesh. This adjustment is located in the Common Settings tab.
Depending on the fill type, Overflow and Interior spans may use an origin point as the starting position. If an origin point is undefined, positioned outside the object contour, or located within a hole, the fill may fail to generate. In such instances, place the origin point inside the object boundaries.
For Overflow and Interior spans, the fill may not generate if the gap between mesh paths or the cell size is too large to fit the path elements within the object. To resolve this, decrease the gap value (or cell size) or increase the size of the object.
The Span setting is ignored if the Single Layer switch is enabled.
Overflow
Cropped
Interior
Mesh objects can be populated with stitches using the following methods:
Stippling - Necklace
Stippling - Maze
Tiles - Blackwork
Tiles - Tessellation
Plants - Plain Mode
Plants - Curly Mode
Glyphs
Net from elements
Net from shape
Net - fractal
Celtic Knots
Crosses
The settings in this tab apply to all mesh modes.
Include Outer Contours and Include Inner Contours: When enabled, the object contours are treated as part of the mesh fill, meaning they are stitched in the same style as the fill itself. When using Crosses or Celtic Knots fills that extend beyond the object boundaries, it is typically recommended to disable these contours. These settings are ignored for single-layer fills and only apply to multi-layer fills.
Layers (for multi-layer fills only): Each path within a multi-layer mesh fill is stitched at least twice: once forward and once backward. The Layers control allows the user to duplicate these passes to create thicker stitch paths. This setting is not applicable to single-layer fills.
Min. Stitch: Specifies the shortest allowable stitch length within the mesh fill. Stitches are generated to ensure their length remains between the defined minimum and maximum limits.
Max. Stitch: Specifies the longest allowable stitch length within the mesh fill. Stitches are generated to ensure their length remains between the defined minimum and maximum limits.
Mesh fills may be enhanced with additional effects such as Fish Eye, Black Hole, Swirl, Ripple, and Saw. Most effects utilize the object Focus Point as an origin. The position of the Focus Point can be adjusted in node editing mode.
The Kind control allows for the selection of a specific effect or the removal of effects by selecting 'None'.
None
Fish Eye
Black Hole
Swirl
Ripple
Saw
Varying Ripple
Random Ripple
Varying Saw
Intensity regulates the strength of the Fish Eye, Black Hole, and Swirl effects.
Distance, Count, and Angle control the parameters for Ripple and Saw effects.
Even basic mesh fills, such as simple straight lines, can produce intricate textures when an effect is applied.
Ripple applied to a simple blackwork sample (horizontal lines)
Please note that the fundamental element of any embroidery design is the stitch - a short, straight line. While effects offer a broad range of adjustments, applying extreme parameter values may result in a distorted fill. This occurs when geometric operations reach a scale that interferes with the physical dimensions of individual stitches.
The controls within this tab enable the user to move, skew, rotate, or apply perspective projections to the mesh fill. These operations can be combined with Effect settings. Unlike effects, which warp the fill's geometry, transformations preserve the internal appearance of the fill while repositioning or reorienting it.
Offset facilitates the movement of the fill.
Skew allows for the shearing of the fill pattern.
Perspective adds a three-dimensional appearance to the fill.
Angle enables the rotation of the fill pattern.
Mesh fill
Mesh fill rotated 45 degrees
In node editing mode, the transformation angle of the mesh is indicated on the object contour by a direction line (B).
Skewing, rotation, and perspective projection utilize the Focus Point as a pivot. The user can modify the Focus Point location while in node editing mode.
The parameters on this tab facilitate an object-level control, overriding global tie-up settings. This capability allows for the individual adjustment of securing tie-up stitches for the specific object.
This tab expands functionality beyond simple global defaults by providing:
Single Layer is an available option for certain mesh fill types. When enabled, the interior of the mesh fill is stitched with a single thread run. Connections between fill elements are directed along the edges of the object. If edge-based connection is not feasible, a jump stitch (trim) is inserted. Some general settings, such as Layers Count and Include Contours, are not compatible with the Single Layer mode. Although the interior fill is single-layered, connections along the edges may overlap. These edge connections are typically intended to be covered by adjacent objects or removed after stitching.
Single-layer mesh fills can be utilized in their basic form or converted to outlines. Once converted, any outline style - such as satin stitch or triple bean stitch - can be applied. To perform this action, use the Convert command in the main menu.
Single-layer Blackwork mesh
Converted outlines, satin mode
If the Single Layer setting is disabled, the mesh fill is stitched with an even number of layers (typically 2, 4, or more).