{"id":3282,"date":"2026-01-09T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/?post_type=knowledge-base&#038;p=3282"},"modified":"2026-01-09T14:08:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T14:08:45","slug":"how-to-convert-images-into-paintstitch-embroidery","status":"publish","type":"knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/knowledge-base\/how-to-convert-images-into-paintstitch-embroidery\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Convert Images into Photo-Realistic PaintStitch Embroidery Designs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <strong>PaintStitch<\/strong> feature in eXPerience 8 allows you to convert bitmap images (photos) into photo-realistic embroidery designs using advanced algorithms. This guide will walk you through importing an image, adjusting the resolution, and customizing the stitch properties for the best results.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_35668\"  width=\"1290\" height=\"725\"  data-origwidth=\"1290\" data-origheight=\"725\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GuaV3ix5ddo?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"YouTube player\"  src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/GuaV3ix5ddo\/maxresdefault.jpg\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Import Your Image<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click the <strong>Open<\/strong> icon on the main toolbar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Locate the bitmap image (JPEG, PNG, BMP, etc.) you wish to convert.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the dialog box that appears, select the <strong>Open as PaintStitch<\/strong> option.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Select and Resize the Image<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the design is generated, an import dialog allows you to refine the image area and resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Crop the Image:<\/strong> Click and drag your cursor over the preview image to select a specific portion to import. You can resize this selection using the handles or move it to frame your subject.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reset Selection:<\/strong> If you are not satisfied with the crop, click the <strong>Circle icon<\/strong> to reset the dialog.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Adjust Resolution:<\/strong> In the lower part of the dialog, you can manually edit the <strong>Width<\/strong>, <strong>Height<\/strong>, or <strong>DPI<\/strong> values. Press <strong>Enter<\/strong> after changing a number to apply the change proportionally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Important Note on Size Limits:<\/strong> The software has a default &#8220;backdrop size limit&#8221; of <strong>29.5cm (11.6 inches)<\/strong>. If your imported image exceeds this width or height, the software will automatically adjust the resolution values to fit within this limit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Define the Subject with Stitch Flow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the image is imported, the software automatically converts it. However, you can tell the software which part of the image is the &#8220;subject&#8221; (e.g., a face in a portrait) so it renders that area with higher accuracy than the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select the <strong>Stitch Flow<\/strong> tool.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Click and drag<\/strong> on the design to draw a circle around your subject.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The design will automatically recalculate. The area inside the circle will be rendered with higher detail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Adjust the Guide:<\/strong> Drag the handles on the circle to increase or decrease the size of the focus area.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To remove the guide, click the <strong>X<\/strong> at the center of the circle.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Customize PaintStitch Properties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the design selected, use the <strong>Properties toolbar<\/strong> to fine-tune the embroidery look. Any change you make here is applied immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Color and Thread Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Thread Palette:<\/strong> Use the drop-down menu to select the specific thread brand\/palette you intend to use. The colors will map automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Number of Colors:<\/strong> Specify how many distinct thread colors to use.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Tip:<\/em> More colors result in a more detailed, realistic image.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Limit:<\/em> The maximum number of colors is <strong>99<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Density and Stitch Length<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Density:<\/strong> Adjusts the spacing between stitches.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Higher values:<\/strong> Reduce the total number of stitches and lower the detail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lower values:<\/strong> Increase stitch count and detail.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Length:<\/strong> Sets the length of the individual stitches.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Higher values:<\/strong> Produce a fuzzier, more artistic result.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lower values:<\/strong> Produce a sharper, more detailed result.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smoothing and Blending<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Smoothing:<\/strong> Check this option to reduce the randomness of stitch placement, making the surface look cleaner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Blending:<\/strong> Controls how much the thread colors overlap to create gradients.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>None:<\/strong> No blending; edges between colors are sharp with no overlap.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low:<\/strong> Minimal overlapping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Medium:<\/strong> (Default) Standard photo-realistic blending.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High\/Full:<\/strong> Maximum overlapping between colors and shapes for a very smooth transition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Image Adjustments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can adjust the visual properties of the source image directly within the software without needing external photo editing tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Brightness:<\/strong> Adjust from <strong>-240 to +240<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contrast:<\/strong> Adjust from <strong>-240 to +240<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udca1 Useful Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Real-time Updates:<\/strong> You do not need to press a &#8220;generate&#8221; button after every change. Every time you adjust a property (like density or palette), the PaintStitch is recalculated instantly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Changing Fill Types:<\/strong> If you have imported an image as a PaintStitch design but change your mind, you can convert it to other bitmap fill types (such as <strong>Cross-stitch<\/strong>, <strong>Photostitch<\/strong>, or <strong>Sketch<\/strong>) using the fill type options in the properties panel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus on the Subject:<\/strong> Always use the <strong>Stitch Flow<\/strong> tool for portraits. It forces the software to prioritize the facial features over the background details.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The PaintStitch feature in eXPerience 8 allows you to convert bitmap images (photos) into photo-realistic embroidery designs using advanced algorithms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3283,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":""},"categories-kb":[333,337],"class_list":["post-3282","knowledge-base","type-knowledge-base","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-kb-how-to-training","categories-kb-how-to-training-advanced"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"categories-kb":[{"value":333,"label":"How to Training"},{"value":337,"label":"How to Training - Advanced"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/maxresdefault1-1024x576.webp",1024,576,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"eXPerience embroidery software","author_link":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/author\/experience-embroidery-software\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base\/3282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/knowledge-base"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"categories-kb","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories-kb?post=3282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}