What is the easiest software to use? I am just taking a wild guess and assuming that the more exspensive software offer more features? Or is this completely wrong? What software do you find easy to use?

I love my Wilcom ES software - layout is a lot like CorelDraw. It gives me lots of options for purchasing only the functionality I'll use, isn't the most expensive line of commercial embroidery software, has great support,... and the stitch quality is excellent. Outputs to all the major formats, and has a machine connection interface too (though I haven't used that feature - I run an old Melco machine for sampling my designs, and it's not compatible).

Welcome to the board StitchinJean,

Seems as if you are really happy with Wilcom ES.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

__________________
...My recomendations


[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] is really recomended for digitizing jobs. Hahaha. $1.50 for the quality as the $3.5 companies!!
Saves me lot of time for minimum cost. I'm proud to be one of its 1900+ customers.

I think that is an oxymoron. Digitizing and the software are not easy. You have to learn both. It can take years. The easiest software to use is the one you learn on first in my opinion - so pick a good one because they are not inexpensive either. Wilcom gets my vote too.

I agree with digidoctor it depends on your experience with sofware programs. I have used corel scince version 3 and adobe illistrator shortly after that. when I started to learn digitizing I learned on capital automation SEDS then I worked in wilcom. I also used to sit next to my digitizer (think 1980's , floppy disk were just coming out, paper tapes were still widely used) and watch him use his 60,000 dollar program to produce my designs. I had a hard time believing that I had to create a bmp out of the vector that I just spent an hour producing in corel so that I could then recreate the vectors in the digitizing software. when drawings came out I bought it , I then upgraded to modular digitizing. after that I bought Wings xp ( the company that partnered with corel to make drawings) now I have all the tools I need to be efficient and productive. I find I can do more work in less time and the quality is great. Wilcom is a great program, but for me the Wings software is the best.

okay...everyone favoures software he uses,but for may oppinion when we talk about digitizing softwares,first we must draw line between so called punching and drawing packages.From my expirience i take PULSE DG/ML and Wilcom best softwares by far.They are drawing packages and they alow to digitizer to simplify work with better outcome.For example when i digitize i dont use common tools,i use always pen tool(drawing tool)and after finnishing object i just open properties dialog and convert this object into shape,fill,underlay etc which i desire most.
It's also matter of way how you learned to digitize,but bottom line is that any common commercial software can produce excelllent designs,it's just matter of how skilled digitizer is.

Bob you left out Wings xp software. developed in Greece and has been around longer than wilcom. In my opinion the best profesional digitizing software on the market. at least competition to pulse , wilcom. Wings xp is new version of the wings commander software that used to be distributed by Gunold. before the developers had a falling out with the north america distributor it was the dominate software in north america. it still has a major following. I discovered the software after learning on Seds CAI and wilcom. the bigest advantage is the time savings what took 1hr to do in wilcom only takes 30min in wings and with corel drawings intigrated some designs take less than 5min, all with proffesional quality. This is no cheap program , the full version runs around 15K. as you mentioned there is a difference between these profesional software and the less expensive ones. the stitch engine is different, this is the code that makes the stitches that you apply to the vectors you have created with your pen tool. you can do the same design in say pantograms , pe designs, sierra(programs that i have seen people do good work in) and then do it in wilcom, pulse, wingsxp,comucon, Cai and you will notice a difference in the quaility of the generated stitches, upon close inspection they just produce better stiches. and no disrespect to stichenjean when I was in wilcom I was frustrated by how different everything was compared to corel. nothing was intuitive to me , however the wings software is very much like corel , right click functions work the same in both programs and many of the hot keys are for the same function. In the end though easy is hard to define unless you know what programs you are comfortable in. If you are just learning and have no experience digitizing, or with graphics, You should look for a program that comes with support and training. and an inexpensive one to begin with is not a bad idea then when you discover you like digitizing you can always invest in a more profesional level. However if you are familiar with Adobe illistrator , corel draw or some other vector graphic program, drawings with the xp(modular)digitizing modual is the way to go this is a complete Profesional digitizing and editing software that is expandable and the investment can start at @2000. dollars. not a lot to invest in a program that will grow with you. I was lucky, I learned on some one elses dime. they invested 11,000dollars on Cai seds, a good digitizing program but no comparison to Wings. The wilcom program was better but difficult to learn all the functions. of course this is just my humble opinion and it is based on my experiences and preferences. You can build a house with hand tools but the newer power tools make it much easier and with less experienced carpenters the quality can compete with a craftsman.

__________________
DR

My excellent is excellent.

Firstly, Wilcom has been around longer than Wings. Wilcom released their first software in 1980 long before Wings even existed. Wings own website said they were founded in 1985.

Wilcom is more corel looking than any other product on the market... wilcom also has the best stitch quality and the patent stitch processor. I don't agree with your comments based on the sewouts and quality i've seen zebaj :O) I found wilcom support excellent and their free online classes are great.

Don't be sucked in by the promise of one click digitizing... and don't get me started on the Drawings software.... it defines bad quality digitizing. It is not a professional digitizing software and only a sales person would quote it as one.

All I can say is do your homework, trial the software, and look at the support and training.

oops... sorry I meant "my wilcom is excellent..."

I did not say wilcom was not good . but i have been using corel since ver 3 and the last version of wilcom was no way at all like corel. Have you tried the wings xp software?

__________________
DR