Ink/Stitch

Ink/Stitch is a free, open-source embroidery design extension for Inkscape, suited to hobbyists and digitizers who want detailed stitch control in a vector workflow. Its wide stitch and export support is a strong package at no cost, but it depends on Inkscape and does not automate digitizing.

Overview

Rather than providing a separate embroidery editor, Ink/Stitch adds design tools to Inkscape and works with SVG. That is useful for people who want vector artwork and embroidery in one workflow, but it makes Inkscape version 1.0.2 or higher a prerequisite. The project aims to serve hobbyists as well as professional digitizers; its manual stitch placement gives experienced users direct control, though newcomers should expect to work within a vector editor.

Licensed under GNU GPL version 3.0 or later, Ink/Stitch is free to use, share, and contribute to. It includes stitch simulation, appliqué tools, and vector import, but not auto-digitizing. Users who want software to automatically convert artwork into embroidery should choose another tool.

Key features

Stitching and lettering

Stitch options include running, bean, ripple, satin, fill, cutwork, redwork, and tartan, as well as manual stitch placement. The breadth supports varied embroidery approaches, while manual control is particularly useful to digitizers who want to set stitches deliberately. Lettering covers typed text, pre-digitized fonts, and custom fonts created for use in Ink/Stitch.

Previews, color, and files

An animated stitch-out preview and a stitch plan preview let users inspect a design in two ways before output. Customizable PDFs can use realistic rendering or line drawings, giving users a useful design record alongside machine files. Thread palettes from more than 60 manufacturers can be installed; users can also build palettes and match design colors to them.

Ink/Stitch imports and exports a broad range of embroidery formats, including DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3, and XXX, among many others. The range is a practical advantage for users working across machine formats. One important constraint: Brother PEC and PES files cannot save more than 255 color changes, so designs above that limit need a different output format.

Pricing

Ink/Stitch: free. The plan includes free and open-source embroidery design software that runs as an Inkscape extension. There is no paid tier or trial to weigh against it; the meaningful cost is the need to use Inkscape. The project invites contributions, including bug reports, tutorials, documentation, translations, and programming.

Platforms

Ink/Stitch is an Inkscape extension for Linux, macOS, and Windows, and requires Inkscape 1.0.2 or higher. Windows downloads have free code signing provided by SignPath.io with a certificate from SignPath Foundation. That is a useful security measure for Windows users, though it does not change the Inkscape dependency.

Who it's for

Ink/Stitch is a good fit for hobbyists who want capable embroidery tools without a software fee, and for digitizers who value manual stitch placement, broad format support, and configurable previews. It is less suitable for users who want standalone embroidery software, auto-digitizing, or a workflow that does not depend on Inkscape. Its help forum, chat, GitHub bug reports, video tutorials, and Facebook user groups offer several avenues for support.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Free, open-source software with no paid tier, making its full design toolkit accessible without a subscription.
• Pro: A broad selection of stitch types, lettering tools, and manual placement supports both varied designs and deliberate digitizing.
• Pro: Animated and plan previews, configurable PDF output, and palettes from more than 60 manufacturers help with inspection and color planning.
• Con: It requires Inkscape 1.0.2 or higher, so it is not a standalone option.
• Con: There is no auto-digitizing, which rules it out for users seeking automatic artwork conversion.
• Con: PEC and PES output is capped at 255 color changes, limiting those formats for more complex designs.

Alternatives

For more embroidery options, browse Embroidery Design Software. Consider Boldbobbin for a freemium option with a free plan and support for iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. mySewnet Embroidery has a free Basic plan with 100MB Vault Storage and standard embroidery, quilting, and craft-cutting tools, while its Essential plan costs $99.99 a year.

StitchConsole offers a free plan with unlimited designs, ten designs synced at a time, ten image conversions, and ten export formats; its Pro plan is $19 a month. For a free and open-source web platform, consider TurtleStitch. Embrowser has a free plan with saved-design, custom-font, storage, and image auto-trace limits, plus a Hobby (monthly) plan at $9.99 a month.

PEmbroider is a free open-source library for macOS and Windows, rather than an Inkscape extension. ApS-Ethos is a paid Windows option with plans for organizing designs and for embroidery lettering and editing. Tajima Embroidery i2 is a paid option for macOS and Windows.

Verdict

Choose Ink/Stitch if you want a capable, free embroidery toolkit and are comfortable designing through Inkscape. Look elsewhere if you need auto-digitizing, independence from Inkscape, or PEC/PES files with more than 255 color changes.