Ink/Stitch: What It Is and How to Start
- Guide type
- How-to
- Last reviewed
- Sources
- 11 cited
- Tested by us
- No. How we research
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Ink/Stitch is a free, open-source extension for Inkscape, the free vector drawing program, that turns drawings into machine embroidery files.1,2 You install Inkscape first (version 1.0.2 or later), then Ink/Stitch; it runs on Windows 64-bit, macOS 12 or later and Linux.3,4,5 You draw or import vector shapes, set stitch types, and save a file your machine reads, such as PES, JEF, DST, EXP, VP3 or XXX.6,7
What Ink/Stitch is
Its GitHub repository describes it in one line: “Ink/Stitch: an Inkscape extension for machine embroidery design”.1 Its home page states the aim: to be “a full-fledged, cross-platform embroidery digitizing platform based entirely on free, open-source software”, “approachable for hobbyists while also providing the power needed by professional digitizers.”8
Because it is an extension, Ink/Stitch lives inside Inkscape. You get Inkscape’s drawing tools plus an Extensions > Ink/Stitch menu.4
How to install it
| System | Requirements and steps |
|---|---|
| Windows | 64-bit. Install Inkscape 1.0.2 or later first, then Ink/Stitch. The documentation warns that the Windows App Store version of Inkscape “might cause problems”.3 |
| macOS | Monterey (12) or later, with Apple Silicon and Intel builds. Install and run Inkscape before Ink/Stitch, “Otherwise the installation will fail.” Arm Macs may need Rosetta. Homebrew users can run brew install inkstitch.4 |
| Linux | Packages for x86_64, i386 and arm64 (tar.xz, sh, rpm, deb).5 |
The latest release listed on GitHub was v3.3.0.1
The basic workflow
- Start from vector shapes. “The design needs to be in vector format (SVG) so it can be edited in Inkscape and prepared for use with Ink StItch.”6 Draw them in Inkscape, or import an SVG.
- Trace a bitmap only as a start. Inkscape’s Path > Trace Bitmap can help, but auto tracing “often creates tiny or fragmented objects that do not work well for embroidery.”6
- Set stitch types and parameters from the Ink/Stitch menu; lettering comes with “a long list of fonts ready to use”.8
- Save in your machine’s format.7
Ink/Stitch’s own FAQ adds a fair warning: “not every design can be taken and embroirered out as is.”10 (The typo is theirs.)
File formats
| Format | Machines |
|---|---|
| PES, PEC | Brother, Baby Lock |
| JEF | Janome |
| VP3 | Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff |
| XXX | SINGER |
| DST, EXP, TBF, U01 | Commercial machines (Tajima, Melco and others)9 |
One limit to know if you use PES: “The brother file formats pec and pes are not able to save files with more than 255 color changes”.10
Ink/Stitch at a glance
Ink/Stitch
- Licence
- GNU GPL 3.0 or later
- Systems
- Windows 64-bit, macOS 12+, Linux
- Needs
- Inkscape 1.0.2 or later
- Writes
- DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, TBF, U01, VP3, XXX
- Free for everyone, per its licence
- Windows, macOS and Linux
- Lettering with many ready-made fonts, per Ink/Stitch
- Two programs to learn: Inkscape and Ink/Stitch
- Traced images need cleanup
Good fit: you want to digitize for free and are willing to learn Inkscape.
Skip it if: you want one-click photo conversion or a single self-contained program.
How does it compare with paid tools? Embrilliance’s StitchArtist, for example, also digitizes by hand and also skips automatic photo conversion on purpose.11 See our embroidery software guide for programs by task.
Questions
Is Ink/Stitch really free?
Yes. It is "Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3.0 or later. This means it will always be free for everyone to use, share and contribute."2
Is Ink/Stitch open source embroidery digitizing software?
Yes. Its home page calls it "An open-source machine embroidery design platform based on Inkscape", and its code is public on GitHub.1,8
Can Ink/Stitch turn a photo into embroidery automatically?
Not by itself. Its workflow page points to Inkscape's own tracing (Path > Trace Bitmap), and warns: "Auto tracing often creates tiny or fragmented objects that do not work well for embroidery."6 Plan on cleaning up traced shapes.
Does Ink/Stitch work with my Brother, Janome or Husqvarna Viking machine?
If it writes your machine's format, yes: Ink/Stitch writes PES and PEC (Brother, Baby Lock), JEF (Janome), VP3 (Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff), XXX (SINGER), DST and EXP.7,9 It reads more formats than it writes: it opens HUS and SEW files but does not save them.7
Where can I get help with Ink/Stitch?
The project lists a forum, a chat, GitHub and Facebook user groups on its home page.8
Bottom line
Ink/Stitch is free and complete enough to digitize your own designs. Expect to learn Inkscape as well, and to draw or clean up your shapes rather than convert photos in one click. If you'd rather not, compare a paid program's trial in our embroidery software guide.
Related guidesWhat we checked, and what we didn't
- Licence, systems, install steps, workflow and file formats in the Ink/Stitch documentation and GitHub repository
- How Ink/Stitch designs stitch out on your machine: we have not tested it
- Tablet or Chromebook support: the Ink/Stitch pages we read list none
Sources
- inkstitch/inkstitch repository and releases · Ink/Stitch on GitHub
- Features · Ink/Stitch
- Install Ink/Stitch on Windows · Ink/Stitch
- Install Ink/Stitch on macOS · Ink/Stitch
- Install Ink/Stitch on Linux · Ink/Stitch
- Workflow · Ink/Stitch
- File Formats · Ink/Stitch
- Ink/Stitch · Ink/Stitch
- What file formats does Hatch Embroidery read and write? · Hatch Embroidery help
- Help / FAQ · Ink/Stitch
- StitchArtist · Embrilliance
Revision history
| 2026-11-10 | First version. |