How to Convert Embroidery Files To Use On Any Machine 2

Have you ever found the perfect embroidery pattern, only to discover it’s not in the right format for your machine? Don’t worry! This step-by-step guide will show you how to convert embroidery files using a free program called Inkscape, paired with the Inkstitch extension. It’s super simple, and you’ll be stitching your favorite designs in no time!

I hope you’ll enjoy following along with me on the video, or alternately, just scroll down for written instructions.

What You’ll Need

• A computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
• An embroidery file you want to convert.
• A way to transfer your patterns from your computer to your embroidery machine e.g. USB

Step 1: Download Inkscape

Inkscape is a fantastic, free graphics tool that we’ll use as the base for our file conversion.

1. Visit inkscape.org.
2. Click “download” in the top menu.
3. Select “current stable version”.
4. Choose the “Windows Installer package” (or the Mac/Linux version if that’s your system).

The download should then start automatically.

Step 2: Download the Inkstitch Extension

To work with embroidery files, Inkscape needs a special extension called Inkstitch.

1. Go back to the “download” menu on inkscape.org.
2. Click “extensions”.
3. Scroll down to the “Inkstitch Embroidery Extension” and click it.
4. In the box on the right next to the description, click the bit that says “link” to visit the extension’s page.
5. Press “download”, then select your computer type (e.g., Windows). Scroll down, and click to download the latest version.

You should now have two installer files in your downloads folder: Inkscape and Inkstitch.

Step 3: Install Inkscape and Inkstitch

Let’s get both programs set up on your computer.

1. Install Inkscape:
   • Double-click the Inkscape installer file in your downloads folder.
   • Follow the Setup Wizard, sticking with the default settings.
   • Click “next” until the installation is complete, then click “finish”.
2. Install Inkstitch:
   • Double-click the Inkstitch installer file.
   • Click “next”, then “install”, and finally “finish” and that completes the setup.

You’re now ready to level up your embroidery fun!

Step 4: How To Convert Your Embroidery File In Inkscape

Time to convert that embroidery file to the format your machine needs!

1. Open Inkscape. You’ll see options to either start a new document or open a file.
2. Choose “open” and select the embroidery file you want to convert.
3. Click “File” in the top left, then select “Save As”.

4. Under “Save As Type”, you’ll see a dropdown with tons of options. All formats starting with “Inkstitch” are embroidery machine file types—there are 25 to choose from!
5. Select the file type your machine needs, choose where to save the file on your computer, and click “save”.

Your new file is now ready to transfer to your embroidery machine. Run off and start stitching!

Did you want the Kingfisher Embroidery File for Free?!

Did you know that the design used in this tutorial is free for you to download?

Just head over here and you can get your free kingfisher machine embroidery file too.

We hope you’re excited to try this easy file conversion method yourself! If you found this guide helpful, check out our other embroidery tutorials and resources for more tips and free patterns. Happy stitching!