How to Digitize Portrait with Sfumato Stitch

Studio contains a special tool to digitize embroidery design from photos. It is called Sfumato Stitch .

Sfumato generates stitches from picture (photo) imported into background of the work area. User draws boundaries of areas that will be turned into stitches and assigns proper parameters to each area (object).

Adjustable parameters of sfumato objects are described in Parameters-Sfumato chapter.

1. Import Photo

Use main menu > Image > Import command to import photo into the Work Area .

Resolution of the raster picture determines size of the finished design. The ratio between picture units (pixels) and design size is 100 pixels/ 1 centimeter, which is 254 pixels/ 1 inch. This means that design with 10 centimeters (3.94 inches) height should have 1000 pixels. Each time the sfumato stitches are generated, the underlying picture is used. Therefore, sfumato object cannot be resized without resizing also the underlying raster picture.

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - photo to be digitized

Imported photo must have correct resolution 100 pixels per centimer (or 254 pixels per inch) of required size of design.

2. Digitize Face

Use the Sfumato Tool to draw the area you want to fill with stitches. Each area can have up to 5 shades of the 'basic color'. In this example, draw the face area as a first object. Make the face object so that there is an overlay into hair. Face will be filled with shades of 'skin color'.

Sfumato tool

Vector outline of face digitized on top of raster photo.

We want to make mouth in other color. Therefore, use the Opening Tool to cut off the mouth area.

Hole tool

Please note : besides Openings, Sfumato objects can also have Carvings. Sfumato Stitch - carving tool icon Carvings are lines or curves that are drawn immediately after the Sfumato object. They can be used to emphasize some hardly visible edges in the Sfumato object.

Carving tool

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - Face vector Sfumato object with a hole

Face vector Sfumato object with a hole. Stitches are not generated yet.

3. Adjust Parameters

Select the face object in Work Area or in Object Inspector and invoke the pop-up menu. Choose 'Edit' command from the pop-up menu. Face object switches to node editing and Sfumato parameters are displayed in the main control panel.

Mode combo box at the top of Sfumato parameters panel allows to switch between these working modes:

Parameters Mode
Pick Color from Image - click work area to pick color from picture in its background. Use pop-up menu to choose where do you want to use picekd color (basic thread color, mask color, etc).
Shades Layout Preview - this preview mode renders Sfumato object in the work area as color map to let you see layout of shades within the object. Change respective threshold parameters or mask range to accuratelly adjust the color layout.

Select Pick Color from Image (eye dropper) tool from combo box in Parameters panel and pick 'skin' color from the photo as so called 'basic color' of the object. Program automatically generates 5 shades of this color.

Please note : The same combo box allows to switch to shades layout preview to see the influence of adjusted parameters on the Sfumato object in Work Area.

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - 5 shades of basic color and their parameters

Color tab on Parameters panel contains 5 shades of basic color and their parameters.

Shade parameters are:

Shade Switch . Allows to switch ON or OFF respective shade.

Shade Color . These colors are derived automatically from the Basic Color of object, but you can define your own, custom shades. Click the color box to access the Color Mixer.

Additional Density . Increase or decrease stitch density of individual shade, if necesarry.

Shade Threshold . Sfumato automatically splits whole range of color tones within object into 5 thread shades. User can adjust the shade thresholds with these parameters.

Decrease the contrast of shades with use of the Contrast control.

Click Generate Stitches button or use the same command from pop-up menu. This will finish the editing of face object.

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - First Sfumato object filled with 5 shades

First Sfumato object filled with 5 shades derived from basic color.

4. Digitize Mouth

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - Mouth object in the Parets Inspector list

Select the mouth opening in the Parts Inspector window and use the main menu > Convert > Fill & Sfumato > Create Fill from Opening command to create filled mouth object.

Adjust parameters of the mouth object. Because it is a very small object, it is not necessary to use 5 color shades for it. Disable1 or 2 shades by clicking on respective check marks (A).

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - Mouth object with 4 shades of pink color

Mouth Sfumato object with 4 shades of pink color.

5. Digitize Hair

Create the last area, hair, in the same way as face and pick appropriate color for its fill with use of the Parameters window . Switch to shade preview mode and adjust Shades Threshold (D) to give the hair better shade balance.

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - hair object in vector form

6. Save Design

Generate stitches for all three objects. The portrait is finished. Save design into Studio *.EOF file. Use the main menu > Design > Compile and Put into Embird Editor command to place design into Editor for saving in desired embroidery format. If you are not registered user of Sfumato Stitch, this command is disabled.

Sfumato Stitch Portrait - Complete portrait

7. Other Examples of Sfumato Designs

Multicolored Design

Multicolored design (6 basic colors, 22 thread shades), height 16.8cm (6.6 inches).

Design contains 6 vector objects. Each object has number of shades chosen according to its size and complexity. For example, the "mouth" is a small object and required low number of shades.