Embroidery digitizing software
Embroidery files are made in dedicated digitizing software. These are the names beginners hear the most, and what to expect from each.
Wilcom EmbroideryStudio
The program most used by professional digitizers. Besides creating the file stitch by stitch, it has tools such as the alphabet creator, which turns a computer font into an embroidery alphabet.
Hatch
A Wilcom line made for home and small studio embroiderers, with fewer features than EmbroideryStudio.
Embird
A modular program: the editor opens and converts formats, and real digitizing is in the Embird Studio module.
Only to open and convert
Wilcom TrueSizer, in its web version, is free and lets you view, convert and resize embroidery files. It does not create a file from an image.
The software is the easy part
What makes a good file is knowing density, underlay, pull compensation and stitch order for each fabric. That takes practice. If you want to embroider and sell rather than digitize, outsourcing usually costs less than the time to learn.