Alignment Process

How to create an aligned embroidery file from Inkscape and run it on the Brother sewing machine. This is done using our Inkscape extensions.

1. Generate the x-y coordinates

Generate the x-y coordinates using Inkscape (https://inkscape.org) to draw a path. If you need to do alignment with other features such as laser-cut holes in a part, the embroidery path can be placed alongside a drawing of those features. Make sure that both the drawing and the laser-cut have the same pair of alignment (registration) marks. We use two "plus" shaped symbols (+) on a horizontal line approximately 9 cm apart.  These registration marks are created using the Registration Marks inkscape extension (Extensions -> Soft Robotics -> Registration Marks...)

Registration marks in Inkscape

2. Create the laser-cut (or 3D printed, or machined) item by exporting the part from Inkscape.

Be sure to include the alignment marks so they are printed, cut or machined at the same time. The part needs to be thin enough to go into an embroidery hoop (~5mm or less) and, if it's a hard material like a printed circuit board, the sewing holes need to be large enough for the needle to go through (typically 1 mm or greater). Here are several examples of good alignment marks in different types of parts:

The thin part below was cut into a piece of water soluble Sticky Fabri-Solvy for transferring a fiber into a soft material. The alignment marks were cut at the same time as the rest of the part.

LaserCut AlignMarks

This part had two purple alignment crosses printed at the same time as the thin 3D printed mechanism. Both were printed onto a piece of Sticky Fabri-Solvy, sticky side up.

In this printed circuit board (PCB), the alignment marks are small holes at the left and right along the center line of the PCB. The alignment marks were made at the same time as the PCB’s other features.

PCB Alignment

Both the PCB and the purple 3D printed part were too thick for the sewing needle to pass through without bending, so all sewing holes needed to be greater than the needle diameter (~1mm depending on needle gauge).

These thinner beams (~ 0.125 mm thick Mylar) were okay for the needle to punch through. Alignment marks were cut into the center beam at its left and right sides when the beams were laser cut, illustrating how several parts can be aligned on one part as long as they stay in registration with each other. The beams were attached to a piece of Sticky Fabri-Solvy, and surrounded by a fabric cutout to keep the Sticky Fabri-Solvy from interfering with the hoop.

Alignment Hoop

The UltraSolvy material we will show in the following pictures is a water-soluble material that can support a fiber layer in a part, and it is thin and soft enough to be punched through with the needle. To cut it on a 40 Watt laser (Epilog Mini) we used vector cutting at 25% power and 100% speed. It needed to be supported on an acrylic slab so the laser could focus. Similar laser cutter settings worked on StickySolvy, a paper-like water soluble stabilizer with an adhesive coating and wax paper backing; no acrylic support was needed.

3. Install the part in an embroidery hoop.

The hoops come with a clear plastic template. The grid lines on the template can help get the alignment marks approximately centered to within ~ 5mm in x and y. We can reduce the alignment error to less than 0.5 mm using software. If using a laser-cut part, printed circuit board, or thin 3D printed part, stick it to a piece of Sticky Fabri-Solvy. Then, put a thin piece of water-soluble topping over it. You can use some spray adhesive to stick it to your parts if needed. The water-soluble topping will sandwich the thin parts in the hoop, prevent problems with the Sticky Fabri-Solvy sticking to the hoop, and still allow you to see through the material to the alignment marks. If your piece of soluble material is too small for the hoop, you can enlarge it by sewing on some additional pieces of fabric to cut off later.

Ready to go

Use a template to get it close to the center, but not perfect.

Another picture of Hoop

4. Install the hoop in the embroidery machine and load up one of the small built-in patterns using its LCD interface.

You will be using this dummy pattern to steer the needle around and locate the alignment marks.

Brother LCD screen

5. Locate the alignment mark positions.

Using the LCD, hit "adjust" and move the needle to the left alignment mark. The arrows on the screen of the PE-525 and PE-770 will let you move in 0.5 mm increments. Write down its x-y coordinates, which will be shown on the LCD in centimeters. You can use the wheel on the far right of the machine to lower the needle down to the fabric and make sure you have the best estimate for the location; if it looks like the center of the alignment mark is halfway between two increments, you can calculate the difference for an even better result.

Needle Alignment

You can lower the needle with the wheel at the right of the machine. However, be sure to raise the needle again because if you don’t, the machine won’t let you move the x-y stage.

Embroidery Machine Wheel

Do the same for the right alignment mark and write down the coordinates. Then, you can hit the back arrow to discard the dummy pattern.

 

7. Use the Inkscape plugin to generate an aligned pattern

Back in Inkscape enter the coordinates you measured and export a .pes embroidery file. The plugin uses the drawn and measured alignment mark coordinates to rotate and translate the embroidery pattern so it will line up with your part. 

Inkscape Registration

8. Move the .pes file to a USB stick (for PE-770) or use the USB interface cable (PE-525) to upload the file to your machine.

It's best to have a folder with only your new file inside, and no others, because the files can look very similar-- especially if you are making several parts and each .pes file is the same pattern with slightly different alignment.

9. Check that your fiber is ready to embroider.

A functional fiber usually works best as bobbin thread, but some fibers such as thin fishing line or conductive thread can be run through the needle. If you forgot to load the right bobbin, you can remove the embroidery hoop, replace the bobbin and snap it back on without having to redo the alignment procedure.

10. Lower the needle and press the start button above the needle.

No need to adjust or align the pattern. If the thread breaks or something goes wrong, you can press the stop button and use the LCD interface to back up a few stitches.

Sewing

Sewing

We highly recommend some practice on hooped paper printouts of your parts before trying it on the real thing!