Digitization is the process of converting your design into a stitch file that our embroidery machines can read. Every new embroidery design must be digitized before it can be embroidered. For best results, we highly recommend reviewing and following our embroidery guidelines.
For information about digitization and adjustment fees, see: What are digitization and adjustment fees for embroidery?
How does design digitization work?
Digitization turns a standard image file, such as PNG or JPEG, into a stitch file that includes:
- stitch types and stitch density
- thread paths
- thread color mapping based on available embroidery thread colors
Digitization is required for each new embroidery design. Depending on the embroidery type, product type, or placement, the same design may need to be digitized separately. Once your design is digitized, it can be reused for future orders when the same digitized version applies.
What are the supported thread colors?
Embroidery machines use a fixed set of thread colors, and each design can include up to 6 thread colors. Because of this, we don’t recommend designs with gradients or more than 6 colors.
Because of this, some colors in the final embroidered product may look slightly different from the original design. To get the most accurate result, choose colors that match the available embroidery thread colors before submitting your design.
In the Design Maker, you can choose the embroidery thread color for each color in your original design. To update them, select the design layer, click Color & details, and assign the closest matching thread color to each original color
What happens during digitization?
After you submit an order with a first-time embroidery design, it goes through digitization before production starts. During this process, one of the following may happen:
Your design is digitized successfully
If your design meets embroidery requirements, it’s digitized successfully and moves forward to fulfillment. After that, the digitization is linked to the design file used, and can be reused for future orders or different products.
Your design needs adjustments
If your design doesn’t fully meet embroidery guidelines, we may recommend changes to improve the final result. For example, we may need to:
- thicken thin lines
- simplify small details
- resize certain elements
- adjust colors to supported thread options
If adjustments are needed, you’ll be asked to review and approve the updated version before production continues.
Your design can’t be digitized
If the design doesn’t meet embroidery requirements and can’t be adjusted for production, digitization may fail. If that happens, you’ll need to update your artwork and resubmit it.
What happens if my design needs adjustments?
If adjustments are needed, your order will be put on hold with an embroidery approval sheet, the approval sheet will show the suggested adjustments. You can review the approval sheet by going to Printful Dashboard → Orders → Click on the order → Holds and order history.
You’ll be able to:
- compare your original design with the updated version
- review the suggested changes
- approve the adjusted design
- request minor changes to the digitization.
Once you approve the changes, production can continue. If you request changes, our Support team will reach out to you by email for final approval. If no action is taken, the order will remain on hold until it is automatically canceled and refunded after 30 days.
What happens if digitization fails?
If digitization fails, it usually means the design doesn’t meet embroidery requirements and can’t be prepared for production as submitted.
In that case, you’ll need to do one of the following:
- upload a new design
- update the artwork and resubmit it
- remove or replace the embroidered item
How do design changes affect digitization?
Any meaningful change to your embroidery design may require digitization again. This includes changes such as:
- resizing
- repositioning
- rotating
- changing proportions
- replacing or editing design elements
Even small visual changes can affect how a design stitches out, so an updated file will be needed. If you redesign the artwork, it will need to be digitized again.
How do I reuse existing digitizations?
You can reuse an existing digitization by selecting the same design file in your File library. To find it:
- Go to Printful Dashboard → File library
- Find the design file marked Digitization paid for
- Use that same file in your product or order
If you use a file with the Digitization paid for mark, we’ll reuse the existing digitization whenever the design is eligible for reuse. If you upload the design again as a new file, it will be treated as a new design, and digitization, including fees, will be required again.
FAQs
Will similar designs always digitize the same way?
Similar designs can digitize slightly differently, which may affect the final stitch result. Since embroidery also has technical limitations, the finished product may look a bit different from the mockup. We recommend ordering a sample before selling it.
Will the digitization look like the mockup?
The mockup preview in the Design Maker is created by applying an embroidery effect to your design, while the actual digitization is created manually. Because of this, the final embroidered result may look different from the mockup. To make the mockup as close as possible to the final result, we recommend following our embroidery guidelines closely when preparing your design.
Can I upload my own digitized stitch file?
No, we don’t accept stitch files like DST, PES, or EXP, since digitized files need to match our machines and thread settings—please upload a standard image file, and we’ll digitize it for embroidery.
Why did I get charged twice for digitization?
You may be charged again if you uploaded the same design as a new file instead of reusing the original file from your File library, or if you used the same file on a different product type and an adjustment fee applied; in rare cases, it may also be caused by a technical error. For assistance, please contact our Support team.