Custom Outline Borders

Border is a vector object composed of pre-digitized objects (border fragments) rather than plain stitches. A border can have an outline of a separate color. Several pre-defined border fragments are available in Studio, and users can also define their own border fragments. This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating your own border fragments and using them in your embroidery designs.

Various borders: simple border with a 1-column object, complex leaf border with columns and connections, rope border with an outline.

How to digitize a border fragment

Border fragments are small designs, just like any other designs created in Studio. Therefore, we will use Studio's main Work Area to create border fragments, not a separate editor window as is the case with fill pattern or motif creation. Border fragments do have some limitations, though, and some Studio controls are therefore disabled during the creation of a border fragment.

To start creating a new border fragment, click on main menu > Design > Border > New Border. A special template for borders will appear in the Work Area, and some Studio controls will be disabled.

Please note that a border fragment can contain only Column, Column with Pattern, Outline, and Connection objects. Tools for creating other objects are disabled.

Example 1 - Single Column Object

The first example of the border contains only one column object. The object fits into the Border Cell and begins on the left side and ends on the right side of the cell. The parallel direction of stitches at the beginning and end of the fragment ensures contiguous stitching of the border, and connections between border fragments are not needed in this case.

Template for digitizing a border fragment

Border fragment in Object Inspector - single column object

To set the name, default width, and height of the border fragment, select any object in the Work Area and then use a secondary mouse button click to access the Parameters Window. Set the Comment, Reference Width, and Reference Height parameters on the Whole Design Parameters tab.

When the creation of the border fragment is finished, use main menu > Design > Border > Save Border As to save the border to disk. The border is saved as a normal EOF file in a compact format without an image. If you want to edit the border, use main menu > Design > Border > Open Border. Do not use the common Design > Open command, because there will be no template for border drawing.

Example 2 - Column Object with Outline

This border fragment contains a column object and an outline of another color. When compiling to stitches, Studio reorders the border objects so that outlines are sewn after all columns and connections. Therefore, it is useful to draw the border fragment so that columns sew without a trim. The outlines should sew without a trim as well. Of course, there will be a trim between columns and outlines because the outlines are of a different color.

Short rope border.

Elements of rope border in Object Inspector. Colors are sorted. There is a trim before outlines.

The column object is drawn so that it exceeds the boundaries of the cell on the left and right sides. This is because the elements of the rope should overlap to prevent gaps in stitching. Because of the overlap, there must be a connection object before the column object to ensure contiguous stitching of the columns. Place the start point of the connection (1) anywhere; Studio will align it to the previous column when compiling all border fragments. The end of the connection (2) must be connected to the column object.

The rope fragment is composed of a connection, column, and outline.

Rope fragment in Object Inspector

The contour is drawn so that its beginning is aligned to the end of the previous border fragment contour, if you imagine several border fragments lined up one after another. See the picture below to understand how the contour is drawn to create two or three layers of stitches and to position the beginning and end properly.

The contour of the rope fragment allows contiguous connection. The start point is (S), and the end point is (E).

Part of the contour has 3 layers of stitches, and the rest has 2 layers.

Example 3 - Column Objects and Connection Objects

In this example, the border fragment contains columns and connections. The most important aspect is the placement of the first and last connections, because they allow contiguous stitching of the border. The first connection begins on the left side of the cell, and the last connection ends on the opposite side of the cell. The rest of the connections serve only for connection of the column objects within the fragment.

How to Utilize Border Samples

If Studio is still in the mode of tne border fragment creation, you have to save the border to disk and start a normal new design using main menu > Design > New or open any of your existing designs.

To make custom border fragments available in the Parameters window when digitizing a design, you have to assign them to the User Borders list in the Fragment Editors window.

Use the main menu > Gadgets > Fragment Editors command and select User Borders. Click to focus on any of the 5 user-defined border samples and load your own sample from the disk. Close the Fragment Editors window.

Now your border fragments are linked to the design file, and they are available in the borders list of the Outline Parameters window. You can use them for Outline objects in your design.