Cross Stitch Software

[Former_Member]

Good Morning Everyone!

I am looking to get some cross stitch software as I am tired of colored pencils and graph paper. Does anyone use software and if so, which ones? At this point I don't intend to publish patterns but am sure that will probably change later on.

Thanks in advance for your info.
Kathy

BTW, Susan (needlenosy) you crack me up.

[Former_Member]

I use KG Chart LE (Lite Edition). It has a bit of a learning curve, but I really like it.

http://www.iktsoft.net/kgchart-en/kgchart/download

[Former_Member]

I use PCStitch. I haven't tried anything else as of yet.

[Former_Member]

I've used (and loved) KG-Chart, and paid for PCstitch which I had a few problems with (where you hide, shape tool?) Now I'm on MacStitch (which has a WinStitch sister) and adore it. It has the simplicity of KG-Chart, the clean look and result of PCStitch, and exports a much lower file sized pdf than either :)

[Former_Member]

Thanks everyone. I will check them out.

[saraa7x]

I just use a website called myphotostitch.com

[Former_Member]

Hi I'm new to the team :)

I know this is an old thread, but wondered if anyone had any more thoughts on this? I've tried KG and like it, but find it limited and the colour representations weren't great.

Now you've been using them for a while, do you still like the software you've mentioned here?

I've been designing cross-stitch for about 23 years now and thought it was about time I did something with all my desgns :)

~Kaz x

[KittyCrackernuts]

For plotting one square at a time by hand, I use CorelDRAW, because I bought it in college and that's what I learned to use for basically everything. (And it's already paid for....big deciding factor there.) I made my own templates for blank charts, picked symbols out of Windings, and I can basically design a 5" x 7" pattern from scratch in a day, from concept to PDF file.

For converting photos to charts I've tried CStitch, which felt a bit clunky and inflexible, and Ryijy Stitch Designer, which was easier for manipulating color range, but still didn't blow me away. TBH I don't convert a lot of photos anyway, but if I need a third piece of software to test, I might try Haftix next. I stumbled across it while following a link to the world's biggest cross stitch:

http://www.my-cross-stitch-software.com/battle_of_grunwald/

I see several people liked KG, then and now, so I might take a look at that too, but I'm so comfy with Corel that it would have to be pretty awesome to make me switch entirely. :)

[HighDesertMedley]

I use the KG chart one as well. I find it isn't perfect but it gets the job done. I only use the free version though so I don't know hoe good the upgraded version is.

[Former_Member]

I use photoshop and just set the resolution to whatever size the fabric is. For me, that's usually 14dpi

[Former_Member]

Awesome ideas thanks ladies!

*facepalm* I spend so much time on Fireworks...why didn't I think to set the dpi to the hpi? lol

I actually have a software from 1998 that from the features I've compared to the others is still pretty funky. It's the Professional Cross Stitch Pattern Publisher. The only problem is the shade card would be outdated~ wonder if I can update it?

Kitty, I pondered making grids the way you mention~ did it take ages?

Thanks again xx

[bythelindentree]

I just use Excel!

[KittyCrackernuts]

I think I spent a solid week building grids and instruction pages, adding, deleting and tweaking until I got them looking just right and fitting on the page, and in the case of larger charts, figuring out how to split them across 2 - 4 pages. Now I have templates for 5" square up to 11" x 14" on 14 count. :) I even made a little spreadsheet in Quattro Pro where I can plug in the number of stitches, height and width, and it'll spit out the finished size in inches for 12 thru 24 count, and tell me how much room there will be around the edges if I put it into various picture frames. It was SO much work, but it allowed me to crank out about two dozen patterns in three weeks.

...and now I'm stitching them all... *shakes out her needle arm to get the feeling back in her hand*

[HotRodMagnets]

I have used Pattern Maker for years now. It works for what I need it to do.