Palette Club Class July 2000
by KaRon Barton
How to go from any graphic to a stitched design

Don't have a scanner? Here's how to go from any graphic on your computer to a stitched design.  For this lesson, we will be using these zip files.    The text file is the same as these instructions.

Palette Club Art Noveau drawing.zip 
Palette Club Art Noveau stitched picture.zip 
Palette Club Art Noveau pes.zip 
Palette Club July 2000 text.zip 

Open your favorite graphic program. Now, find the graphic you want to turn into a stitched design.  

Make sure you can see your entire graphic on the screen. Minimize your graphic program. 

Open Paint. Minimize Paint. Maximize your graphic program. 

Press ALT and hold down as you press PRINT SCREEN on your keyboard. 

Maximize Paint.

EDIT PASTE. It may ask you to make the bmp larger. Say yes.

Your whole work screen from your graphic program is going to show as a picture on your paint work space.  Drag a box around the part of the design you want to keep.  EDIT>CUT. This will cut the design out and put it on your clipboard (you can't see it).  EDIT>SELECT ALL>DELETE. This will give you a clean page.  EDIT>PASTE.  This will take it off your clipboard and put it back onto the clean page.  FILE>SAVE AS.   File type is a 16 color bitmap (BMP).   Name your file and put it in your data folder or a folder you have made for your own designs.  
Minimize Paint.  Maximize your graphic program.  Print a copy of the design if you choose.  Close your graphics program.  

Open Design Center.  FILE>OPEN.  Go to the folder where you put your design and retrieve it. Go to line image.  Zoom, click on the black outline.  Select OK clean up if necessary.  Go to figure edit.  Resolution normal, thinning process off if a silhouette, or leave on and thin lines to a single outline.  PICK AREA.  Draw a box just around your design.  This way, you don't bring the big white area into your design page.  Set hoop size (Design page property).  I usually make the design as big as possible here, then size it down in the next stage.  Click OK and check your design.  

If your BMP was clean enough, you should have a clean outline without breaks.  If you are pleased with the results, go on to the next stage and proceed with assigning your colors and stitch directions.  Now, save your design again.  

Open Layout and Editing.  FILE>IMPORT FROM DESIGN CENTER.  Add lettering if you desire, write to card, or save for later.