Photo Click Instantly

The Photo Click process was developed because embroiderers want to create embroidery from photographs.

What you'll learn 
The Photo Click process was developed because embroiderers want to create embroidery from photographs. Standard autodigitizing processes don't work well with photographs because there are too many colors in the graphic to reduce to the few thread changes needed for embroidery.
The Photo Click process reduces any color graphic to a single color and digitizes it using a special process called Photo Stitch. Lines of special satin stitches called Photo Satin Fill are created across the graphic in varying thicknesses; the thicker the line, the more coverage over the area, and the darker the area will look.
This lesson will use the Teddy Bear bitmap from the Embroidery Album as the graphic. A color photograph is treated the same way as any color image in the Photo Click process. 

Not all photographs make good embroidery. The more distinct contrast between colors on an image, the more sharp and crisp the embroidery will look. For example, a ginger colored dog on a light rug will not provide enough contrast between the dog and the rug to have the dog to show up as distinctive against the rug. Instead, put the ginger colored dog on a dark rug.
Another way to increase contrast in a photograph is to modify the photo using photo graphics software. Remove backgrounds or change background colors to make the object of the photograph to stand out. 

Change to the ST Hoop 
1. Click the down arrow in the Hoop Selection window to get a menu of hoop choices. 
2. Click Hoop ST. The hoop choice will change and show on the design screen. 


Insert the Graphic
1. To bring the Teddy Bear bitmap to the screen:
2. Click Image, Insert Image...


3. The Open dialog box will appear. The Embroidery Album folder should appear in the "Look in" window. If not, click the down arrow in the "Look in" window to see a map of your computer. Double click on C: to list in the dialog all the folders on the hard drive.
4. The Embroidery Album is one of these folders.
5. Click Teddy Bear bitmap once to see it in the Preview window.
6. Click Open to place the image on the design screen.


Note:If you do not see the image, click the Display Images icon on the View toolbar to toggle the image to display.


Note:If the image is not selected (eight black boxes are not showing around the image), click on the image to select it. Once the image is selected, the Photo Click icon will turn on.
7. Enlarge the graphic to make it easier to see.
8. Slide your cursor over the upper right black handle, one of the eight surrounding the Teddy Bear. It will become a double arrow. Click and drag up and out until the graphic touches the red perimeter box. 


9. Slide your cursor over the lower left black handle.
10. Click and drag down and out until the graphic touches the red perimeter box. 


Prepare the Image and Autodigitize
1. Click the Photo Click Instantly icon. It is on the Digitize toolbar to the right of the screen, bottom of the left column. 


Note:If you do not see the Photo Click Instantly icon, the Photo Click Advanced icon will be in its place. To change the icon, click the black arrow in the lower left corner of the icon. You will see a flyout toolbar with two Photo Click icons on it. Click the Instant icon. It is the one with the magic wand on it.


2. Notice that the Photo Click Instantly process is just that - instant! Once the graphic is on the screen, clicking the icon to activate it prepares the graphic to be digitized, and then does the digitizing process.
3. Click the Visualizer icon to turn on the realistic view.


4. Click the Display Images icon to stop viewing the Photo_Click_Image bitmap. You don't need to see it anymore since the graphic served it purpose as a pattern for the embroidery. 



5. The photograph digitized in red thread because red is the first color on the thread Color Chart.
6. While you can see the embroidery clearly, it would be even more distinct if you change the thread color to a dark color, such as black or navy blue.
7. Notice that the entire design is selected - there are eight boxes around it. That makes changing the thread color a snap.
Note:If the Color Chart is not already on the screen, click the Thread icon to make it appear.



8. Click Navy Blue on the Color Chart.


9. The entire embroidery will change to the darker thread color. 


10. The darker thread color is a good choice when sewing on a light fabric. If you plan to sew on a dark fabric, choose a lighter thread color.