Hi Pat,

Thanks for reaching out with your question. Tool Shed will work on MAC computers if you use the free MAC translator by DIME as well. Here is a link to the free download. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions and have a great day! www.inspiredbydime.com/MAC/

Leah W.
[email protected]

Hi Nellie,

Sometimes machines or software use place holder colors when displaying a design. Sometimes the colors that the software chooses look awful, but just remember that they are place holders. As long as you use the right thread (as instructed in the color stop pdf or instructions that you should have received with the design), then the design will stitch out just fine. You can learn more about this phenomenon here.

If this answer didn't really address the root of your question, then it might be a problem that DIME (the manufacturer) is best equipped to help you with. They have a dedicated Software support team that you can reach by calling 1-855-663-3353. I would recommend trying this if you still need assistance. Have a great day!

Leah W.
[email protected]

Hi Dayna, I checked with Dime Inspirations on this, and they suggested this:

Do you have the "Convert to Outline" checked?
If it is not checked please check it and try again.

Hi Jill, can you provide a screenshot of your objects pane? I think possibly you have four objects, and if you combine them down to two objects, you'll be able to get just two color stops. To do that in Tool Shed, I think you'll probably need to start over.

Very nice, how aboit pink ones!!

Hi I have tried to resize an item and my tool shed software stopped regenerating stitches even though the box is selected. It always used to do this but now the function doesn't work. I recently updated my software could this be the issue?

Hi Sara, while one wouldn't expect an update to cause issues, it is indeed a possibility. If you haven't fully restarted your computer since the update, I suggest you try that first, then contact Inspirations support if it doesn't help:
https://inspiredbydime.com/pages/help-center
1-855-663-3353

Hi Faith, no. While we can change the grid color in the General Options window in the Tools Menu, there's no way to change the background color.

****Edited**** Yes, actually you can change the background color. Look in the lower right hand corner of the window. There's an icon that looks like a TV. If you click that, you can change the workspace background color.

Hi Kirsten, do you know why my background color is black? Whenever I see tutorials, the background is always white.

Hi Faith; perhaps you have Dark mode enabled in Windows?

It's just the work area. It starts out grey, but as soon as I start a project, or move a design onto the work area, the background turns black.

Faith -- I was able to get help with this, and here it is: When you have a design opened in Tool Shed, look in the lower right corner, and there is a TV icon. THAT is where you set your background color!

Thank you so much.

Faith, you're sure welcome. Have a great week.

Hi Denise.

Here's a tutorial on printing from Tool Shed.

https://www.embroidery.com/faq-printing-templates-tool-shed

1. Open your design in Embroidery Tool Shed Software.
2. In the File Menu, select "print"
3. In Print Preview, you can select "Settings" and mark the checkboxes next to: realistic, crosshairs, actual size, stitches.
4. Choose the print button when you're ready.

Change

When you merge designs in Embrilliance Essentials and save as a stitch file, you are telling the software to make two designs i

Thank you for replying.

My issue is when I go to print preview my design is not there, just a blank frame although I can view it and mirror image on the program, Thank you.

Hi Denise,

In the Print pop-up box, double check your settings. Make sure you have "actual size" and "stitches" selected.

Hi Denise,

Thanks for clarifying. That's unusual. I've been trying to get what you're describing to happen for me. Nothing I do seems to replicate what you've stated.

Let me repeat what you are seeing. You open your design in Tool Shed, then you go to the upper menu in the upper left corner and choose file, and then from the dropdown list that appears, you choose Print Preview, and what you see is nothing. If you print anyway, it prints small and not to scale?

Are you using the steps in my previous message, exactly? Or do you have another way of reaching the print preview window? Which embroidery format is the design that you are printing? I wonder if you've got two tabs open, and one is blank and you're accidentally switching to the blank tab before printing? Perhaps you have sized the design before printing?

My only concrete suggestion at the moment is to uninstall and reinstall Tool Shed and try it again.

Hi Roselyn,

When you merge designs in Embrilliance Essentials and save as a stitch file, you are telling the software to make two designs into one. That's why you can't move them around after merging and saving.

Merge is not for organzing or for bringing designs into the program -- the designs can stay in the folders you have them saved. In order to open your files in the software, you do use the Open or Merge features, but these are for use when you want to manipulate or alter your designs. Embrilliance Essentials is not a design organization software.

For design storage and easy access, I suggest you organize your design folders.

Here are a couple of videos guidance on how to organize your designs:

Here's a similar system from Sue at OML:

I hope these are helpful to you.

Hello Lu, To switch between your programs:

Look on lower right hand corner you’ll see a shopping basket (for purchasing) & file/program. Click on file & find the program you want (should have green check mark for all you have purchased/available). Click on the three dots to the right & click on ‘default’. You have to do this every time you change programs.

Hello Peggy,

Thanks for the question. Tool Shed does not have a knockdown. The only way to use a similar thing in Tool Shed without buying more software would be to get some pre-digitized shapes that you could copy your other designs on top of. There are some folks offering pre-digitized "knockdown" shapes. You could search for knockdown pile-down or nap-down or similar terms.

The real, original knockdown feature was created by Embrilliance and it is in the Embrilliance Enthusiast software, which isn't a Tool Shed product, but would open in a separate window if you got it.

Hello Paula,

I have a few ideas for you to look at:

If the format in My Quilt Embellisher is not PES, most likely that's why your Babylock Spirit isn't seeing it. So check that it is saved on your flash drive in an embroidery format.

Second, check the size of the embroidery design. If the design is larger than your Spirit's sewing field, it won't be read by the machine.

I hope that one of those is the issue, and that you're able to resolve it soon. Best wishes!

Can you tell me what files can be opened by Tool Shed? I'm wanting to open an .ai file (created by MS Illustrator) and then save it as a .pes file..

hi! Thanks for the question. Tool Shed is only able to open embroidery files. In fact there are not many programs that attempt to convert images to embroidery in an automatic digitizing manner.

It's most effective to have a person do the digitizing with digitizing software like StitchArtist or Hatch or Perfect Embroidery Pro.

am I able to add outline to pre digitized designs

Hi Jacquelyn,

Thanks for the question. With Tool Shed, no, you cannot. If you get Tool Shed you can make other modifications like mirror, rotate, change colors and size, and merge, and you can print a production sheet. If you had two designs to combine that would effectively create an outline for the first design, then yes you can do that with Tool Shed, but only if both designs are pre digitized.

If you want to create your own design elements, you would need a different software such as Perfect Embroidery Pro, or Patch & Applique maker, depending on the kind of outline you are trying to make.

Hi Laura,
You'll need a card writer to make this software work with your Ese2; If you don't have one, I suggest you look second-hand (ebay, etsy, etc) or check out the Vikant Ultimate Box. It has a box that can write cards for Ese2.

With this Embroidery Tool Shed software, you can use its built in designs, or other designs from the Internet (sites such as Embroidery.com), make edits, print production sheets, save the edited designs to your format, then use your card writer box (it plugs into your computer) to write that design to your card. Then you'll be able to take the card to your Esante Ese2, insert it, read it, and use the design.

Thank you, Kirsten, for responding to my question. I do have Amazing Designs Little Max conversion box which I am attempting to learn. I will try to us this to transfer the designs that I downloaded from the workshop.

Oh, good! This should work well then.

Here's a video that should help with Little Max:

Unfortunately, it's not clear enough to read the words on the buttons onscreen, but it should help you since you can see the placement of the buttons.

When you use Tool Shed, I suggest you save to the .pes format in Tool Shed. There are many PES format versions. Don't let that stop you! The lowest numbered version will work; some of the higher ones may as well. Each of the versions have more color capabilities than the last, but they all will deliver a stitchable design.

Thank you, again, Kristen. I will watch the video and try my hand at saving and downloading to the card reader.

Have a great day!

Best of luck, Laura! You have a good day, too.

Hi Leslie, I hope this helps: I remembered that a few weeks ago Ashley and Joanne showed us how to use the cutting tools in Patch/Applique Maker, and Ashley put a whole bunch of little pieces on a page. Here's the link to the video starting at that point:

I think doing multiples of each shape is the only way to use more of the paper for each shape; but I may be (I hope) mistaken.
Here area few other places to ask this question, where you might find more experienced users of Patch & Applique Software:
Dime Software Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/dimesoftware
Inspirations Software support email: heretohelp.inspirationsupport.co

Thank you for the kind reply. I have seen that demonstrated, but I don’t need multiples of the pieces. I will try working thru Adobe.

You're welcome Leslie. I'll keep my ear to the ground on this feature, and update you if I learn anything more useful. I think your Adobe idea is a good work-around.

Hi Carolyn, Here's what Inspirations Software suppor told me about Tool Shed:

"The default stitch length in the PEP is 3.0 mm. Using the "SHAPE" icon you can change the begining and end by adjusting the green and red dots on the section of the design."

Hi Carolyn,

I agree a tackdown & cut would be really helpful. I suppose when manufacturers realize that we're using embroidery machines for quilting, they *might* decide to add that feature.

I don't know the answers to your TS questions. I think that if you go to the properties box, you can see the stitch length. I will check with the software company to find out. I don't believe there's a way to change the starting stitch with TS -- for that you'd likely need Perfect Embroidery Pro (within the same brand of software). I'll get back to you with any answers I find.

Hi Mary,
If you have a design on your computer and want to open it in ETS, here is one way:
Open ETS

Then choose "open a design" from the menu:

Then you will get a dialogue box, where you can find the location of your embroidery design on your computer. In this example, I'm navigating to "downloads" because that is where I have my design:

Then find the design and select and click "open"

Your design opens.

Click on a color in the color sequence, then click on the color chip on the bottom, and you'll be prompted to change the color.
Then, to save it to your USB, first insert a USB, then just go to the save icon at the top, and click it:

You'll be prompted to save your file. In the top of the save window, navigate to your USB:

Then type a name for your file if you wish, and choose "save". The design will be saved to your USB.

Hi Kirsten. I have my designs in Tool Shed. I don't have a usb on my brother machine so I have to connect from pc to sewing machine. I can't seem to do it. Help thank you.

Hi Lillian,

Thanks for your question, Let's see what we can do here.
What's your brother machine model?
Since it doesn't have USB , does it have some other storage media like an embroidery card? Or is there a cable that you generally use to connect the machine to your computer?

Hi Mary,

First student open embroidery tool shed, then use the file open option to navigate to the design you want open once you have it opened in your software you can make any changes you like and then save it out in your embroidery format onto a USB stick.

This looks correct to me.

Thank you. I thought I read where Embroidery Too Shed needed to be checked. So, I wasn't sure if I loaded correctly.

I do see in their videos that Tool Shed is usually checked. Are you able to use the features of Tool Shed when you open the software?

Here's a video on integrating your environment into Tool Shed when you already have Perfect Embroidery Pro. I hope it helps.

You can also call:

(855) 663-3353

Hi Charlene,

yes, I'd be glad to help you. First, where is the process getting stuck for you? You can reply here or to [email protected]