# What schools or courses teach emb digitizing online?



## NCstartup (Nov 20, 2018)

So I’m 21 and I’m really interested in starting my own local embroidery business. My parents fully support me but I’m still really on the fence on whether I should outsource digitizing.

I would like to design my own items. We live in a tourist area famous for its art. I would like to digitze my personal designs and sell them in the art district, so where do I learn digitizing? 

I want to do this right so I’m trying to compile as much info as possible before getting any loans.

I’m planning on financing a Tajima if all goes well. 

Are there any online schools or programs that you recommend for this type of craft? 

And which software is the best to start with?


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## bwdesigns (Aug 10, 2006)

I always get emails from Embroidery Coach, don't know any details, though


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

Don't take this the wrong way... but just because you know how to design an image, that doesn't mean you will understand how to digitize designs. Embroidery digitizing software is a completely different animal... and what looks good on a screen will usually look like complete crap when stitched out. It can take YEARS to learn how to do it correctly.... I've been doing if for over 10 years and I am still a novice compared to the experts out there.... And trust me, digitizing lettering will drive you insane.

You are better off paying someone to digitize your designs to start with. Once you start making money and also have time to learn, then look into digitizing yourself. By then you will have watched a lot of designs stitch out and will start to understand how or why the digitizer did things the way they did...


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## djque (Feb 5, 2013)

the right digitizing software and the best is wilcom e4 but it also will cost you as much as or more than a used machine. without a upgrade its like $7500 tie that with a $16k tajima. learning the digitizing is not that easy but I would start learning ai or corel draw. I just got my machine this past january and it came with wilcom e3 lite which is basic and I upgraded to e4. im about $5k in upgrades cause I have the sequin attachment and thats another $1200 to added it to the software. not to scare you but this business is not cheap. I mean Im buying might hoops left and right, hat hoops, 3 different hooping stations, hooptech clamp system, and the list goes own. I might not need all of it right away but its a time saver.I also have a fulltime job and that helps me pay for the accessories. If I was 21 and had the knowledge of what I know know I would be rich. I would focus on digitizing and get a single needle machine to learn to embroider on like a brothers pe770. that way you can learn digitizing and embroidey. I jump straight in cause I have the money.you can look on youtube to learn how to digitize and get wilcom hatch for $1199.


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## NCstartup (Nov 20, 2018)

tfalk said:


> Don't take this the wrong way... but just because you know how to design an image, that doesn't mean you will understand how to digitize designs. Embroidery digitizing software is a completely different animal... and what looks good on a screen will usually look like complete crap when stitched out. It can take YEARS to learn how to do it correctly.... I've been doing if for over 10 years and I am still a novice compared to the experts out there.... And trust me, digitizing lettering will drive you insane.
> 
> You are better off paying someone to digitize your designs to start with. Once you start making money and also have time to learn, then look into digitizing yourself. By then you will have watched a lot of designs stitch out and will start to understand how or why the digitizer did things the way they did...


Look I understand you aren’t trying to be rude but I’ve done my research I know it is a hard thing to learn but there are alot of hard things to learn in this world. I asked a specific question where could I learn to digitize, this is 2018, not 2008. I don’t need someone telling me its to hard to learn. I'm in this for the long hall, alot of people my age are going to school for engineering but I would like to learn digitizing. I appreciate the advice about watching how my machine works but the preface to that was unnecessary.


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## NCstartup (Nov 20, 2018)

djque said:


> the right digitizing software and the best is wilcom e4 but it also will cost you as much as or more than a used machine. without a upgrade its like $7500 tie that with a $16k tajima. learning the digitizing is not that easy but I would start learning ai or corel draw. I just got my machine this past january and it came with wilcom e3 lite which is basic and I upgraded to e4. im about $5k in upgrades cause I have the sequin attachment and thats another $1200 to added it to the software. not to scare you but this business is not cheap. I mean Im buying might hoops left and right, hat hoops, 3 different hooping stations, hooptech clamp system, and the list goes own. I might not need all of it right away but its a time saver.I also have a fulltime job and that helps me pay for the accessories. If I was 21 and had the knowledge of what I know know I would be rich. I would focus on digitizing and get a single needle machine to learn to embroider on like a brothers pe770. that way you can learn digitizing and embroidey. I jump straight in cause I have the money.you can look on youtube to learn how to digitize and get wilcom hatch for $1199.


I understand that this business is not cheap, thats why I’m trying to gather as much info as possible before getting a loan and making a purchase. I have been gathering info for 2 months about machine types, marketing and earnings. I know that in the first year I will make little to nothing but I am trying to build a sustainable income for the long run. 

I am planning to get an single head, I have found a digitizing class (John Dear digitizing course), I already know what pre digitized products I will sell and already in talks with my local businesses about getting products in there stores. I’m trying to work smart so any advice will be appreciated.


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## pjmom60 (Mar 31, 2013)

Lee Carosolli with Balboa Threadworks has a whole series on digitizing. I believe she also has one on one personal classes via video. She sells the Wilcom software. There are several videos on the Wilcom Website and You Tube also. Melanie Coakley also has embroidery digitizing classes. She trained with Walter Floriani and does training on the Floriani software. Sometimes your local sewing store that sells embroidery machines will have digitizing training with the software they sell. It's probably going to be very basic but you can get an idea if you want to really pursue this. And if you really want to get an education, I think that the Rhode Island School of Design has a degree program for embroidery design. Here's a link that I came across when I google colleges with embroidery design classes. https://study.com/articles/Schools_with_Embroidery_Training_Programs_How_to_Choose.html

Best of luck to you. We always need good digitizers in our world!


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## NCstartup (Nov 20, 2018)

pjmom60 said:


> Lee Carosolli with Balboa Threadworks has a whole series on digitizing. I believe she also has one on one personal classes via video. She sells the Wilcom software. There are several videos on the Wilcom Website and You Tube also. Melanie Coakley also has embroidery digitizing classes. She trained with Walter Floriani and does training on the Floriani software. Sometimes your local sewing store that sells embroidery machines will have digitizing training with the software they sell. It's probably going to be very basic but you can get an idea if you want to really pursue this. And if you really want to get an education, I think that the Rhode Island School of Design has a degree program for embroidery design. Here's a link that I came across when I google colleges with embroidery design classes. https://study.com/articles/Schools_with_Embroidery_Training_Programs_How_to_Choose.html
> 
> Best of luck to you. We always need good digitizers in our world!


Thank you for answering my questions without being rude. This information is really going to help me. I'm definitely serious about this so a real College program would be ideal. Thank you so much for researching this. I was planning on getting the John Dear digitizing course to start then seeing if I can advance my education some time mid next year if all goes well.


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## TPrintDesigner (Sep 16, 2007)

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If you are a Wilcom e4 user then check out www.wilcomtutorials.com It's a 43 part course and endorsed by Wilcom.

There are some free sample videos on YouTube


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## ajmonka (Oct 11, 2017)

I believe Lee Carosolli with Balboa Threadworks holds classroom instructions. The bad news here is that I think she only does them in Florida. She is definitely one of the best, and she teaches it so you can use the same techniques no matter what digitizing software you use. 

If there is an ISS show near you, then they usually hold classes during the show with a few of them are digitizing oriented along with others to round out the embroidery theme.

Good Luck

Andy


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## pjmom60 (Mar 31, 2013)

Just got this email from Balboa - this seems to be a great deal.

https://learntodigitize.net/shop/complete-learning-package-prepaid/


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## Davebellevue (Jan 10, 2022)

NCstartup said:


> Look I understand you aren’t trying to be rude but I’ve done my research I know it is a hard thing to learn but there are alot of hard things to learn in this world. I asked a specific question where could I learn to digitize, this is 2018, not 2008. I don’t need someone telling me its to hard to learn. I'm in this for the long hall, alot of people my age are going to school for engineering but I would like to learn digitizing. I appreciate the advice about watching how my machine works but the preface to that was unnecessary.


I love this answer..


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## digidana (Jun 20, 2016)

its great that you're doing research before jumping in. loads of people jump in with both feet, spend a ton of $, and only use half of what they've got. my mother started doing embroidery in the 1970s and recruited me into digitizing because she was tired of terrible digitizers. it took me YEARS to figure it out. about 10 years of stitching every design that i did to check and double check. but that was in 1996....before youtube, social media, etc. if you buy wilcom software (which i highly recommend....after using a different software for years), they do offer a basic digitizing course in Atlanta. I went when i switched to wilcom, and it was pretty helpful, but it was more of a course on the actual software features, instead of now to digitize. learning the software is easy. learning to think like the machine....and learning what works and what does not, is much harder. years ago i did a post, both here and in digitsmith.com....if you search for "rules of thumb", it should come up. there are some very helpful basic rules. there are also books out there now. one by Tom Moore from Strawberry Stitch, and another by Helen Hart. I haven't read them, but i've known them both for decades and they both know what they're doing (though i'm not part of the Helen Hart fan club!) there may be more, but those are the ones that i know of. when i started, it was all trial and error, and error and error. a word of caution though, it really is a good idea to learn embroidery first, then digitizing. learning pathing, densities, stitch length, span/offset, how to digitize for caps vs. flats, then you get into the artist stuff, random stitches, motifs, curves, etc. but really, i think the most important part is learning what detail you can make work in what space. i digitize everything from large golf flags to complicated designs that fit on the end of karate belts....learning what you can make work and what you can't is super important. 

you may find that by the time you've figured out digitizing, that you're too busy with the embroidery end to have time for the digitizing. it also seems like most people either click with one or the other. personally, i hate actually doing the embroidery....i like the artistic part of digitizing. my mother attempted digitizing and hated it....she preferred the hands-on finished product of embroidery. that said, if you have digitizing questions, feel free to ask, i'd be happy to help. and, for shits and giggles, here's a pic of one of my first designs for my mother in 1996. we stitched that sucker out probably 30 times and never got it right. we still laugh about "SP".


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## EmbDigit (12 mo ago)

NCstartup said:


> So I’m 21 and I’m really interested in starting my own local embroidery business. My parents fully support me but I’m still really on the fence on whether I should outsource digitizing.
> 
> I would like to design my own items. We live in a tourist area famous for its art. I would like to digitze my personal designs and sell them in the art district, so where do I learn digitizing?
> 
> ...


I think digging into embroidery business in 2022 is easy, you just have to google it and you will find lots of information from pricing to machines. Make sure to do proper research and learn as much you can, in 2022 lots of employe has left there job and started online business.


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