{"id":3297,"date":"2026-01-23T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/?post_type=knowledge-base&#038;p=3297"},"modified":"2026-01-16T14:55:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:55:23","slug":"how-to-import-bitmaps-and-auto-digitizetrace-to-create-embroidery-designs","status":"publish","type":"knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/knowledge-base\/how-to-import-bitmaps-and-auto-digitizetrace-to-create-embroidery-designs\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Import Bitmaps and Auto-Digitize(Trace) to Create Embroidery Designs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This guide explains how to import a bitmap image (such as a JPEG or PNG) into eXPerience 8 and convert it into an embroidery design using the <strong>Auto-Digitize \/ Trace to Outline<\/strong> feature. This tool allows you to automatically create vector shapes and stitch data from a raster image.<\/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_15714\"  width=\"1290\" height=\"725\"  data-origwidth=\"1290\" data-origheight=\"725\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8FPec6BJEiA?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\/8FPec6BJEiA\/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 the Image<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click the <strong>Open<\/strong> icon in the main toolbar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Browse your computer to locate the Bitmap image you wish to use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the file and click <strong>Open<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Adjust Selection and Resolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the file opens, a dialog box will appear displaying a preview of the image. Before tracing, you can adjust which parts of the image to import and its quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Crop the Image:<\/strong> Click and drag your mouse over the preview area to select a specific portion of the image. You can resize this selection box or use the <strong>Reset<\/strong> (circle icon) to revert to the full image.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Adjust Resolution:<\/strong> In the lower part of the dialog, you can edit the <strong>Width<\/strong>, <strong>Height<\/strong>, or <strong>DPI<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Note:<\/em> Changing one value will automatically adjust the others proportionally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/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 Limit:<\/strong> The default &#8220;backdrop size limit&#8221; is <strong>29.5cm (11.6 inches)<\/strong>. If your imported image dimensions exceed this, the software will automatically downscale the resolution values to fit within this limit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Configure Trace Settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After confirming your selection, the <strong>Trace Dialog<\/strong> will appear. This tool converts the dots of your bitmap image into vector lines. You can customize the following settings to get the best result:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Scaling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a specific hoop size in mind (e.g., a 140&#215;140 hoop), use the Scale option to resize the image design before tracing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Accuracy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This determines how much detail from the original artwork is preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Default Value:<\/strong> 5<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Range:<\/strong> 1 (Lowest) to 8 (Highest)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Useful Tip:<\/strong> Higher accuracy is not always better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>High-Quality Images:<\/strong> You can increase accuracy (6-8) to capture fine details.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low-Quality\/Pixelated Images:<\/strong> Using high accuracy may create too many unnecessary nodes and a &#8220;messy&#8221; shape. For these images, stick to the default (5) or lower to keep the artwork clean.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Color Limit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This setting controls how many distinct colors the software recognizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If your image has many shades of a single color (e.g., light blue, medium blue, dark blue), reducing the Color Limit will combine these shades into one basic color.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Benefit:<\/strong> Reducing colors generally leads to fewer object segments and cleaner shapes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Background Removal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Check the <strong>Background<\/strong> option and select the background color of your image (usually white). This ensures the background is removed and not converted into stitches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: View and Output Options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before finalizing, you can use the Tools section to inspect your settings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Zoom:<\/strong> Use the mouse wheel or the dropdown percentage menu to zoom in on specific details.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Preview Toggles:<\/strong> You can toggle the view of the <strong>Traced Nodes\/Outlines<\/strong> or the <strong>Original Image<\/strong> to see how they blend and compare.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Convert to Artwork Only<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is an option to convert the image into <strong>Artwork objects<\/strong> without immediately applying embroidery stitch types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>When to use this:<\/strong> Select this if you want to manually decide the Fill and Outline types later. It creates the shapes but leaves the stitch definition up to you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Finalize and Edit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Trace<\/strong> to perform the conversion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The software will generate the design.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can now edit the design exactly as if you had created it from scratch. This includes changing stitch angles, adding piping, changing underlay settings, or reshaping nodes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Summary Checklist for Best Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Crop out unnecessary background elements before tracing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Match the resolution to your hoop size limitations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adjust accuracy based on the <em>quality<\/em> of your source image, not just the detail desired.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduce the color count to merge gradients into solid fill areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guide explains how to import a bitmap image (such as a JPEG or PNG) into eXPerience 8 and convert it into an embroidery design using the Auto-Digitize \/ Trace to Outline feature. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3298,"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-3297","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\/how-to-import-bitmaps-and-use-au-1024x576.jpg",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\/3297","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\/3298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"categories-kb","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wingsxp.com\/embroidery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories-kb?post=3297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}