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Thank you for choosing Compucon for your software needs

We are dedicated to making your embroidery business

a success.

Please be sure to check our website at www.embhq.com

We offer designs, fonts, and much more on line

If you are calling for technical support, please have

your key serial number handy

Your key serial is written on your key

The Compaion CD that shipped with your software contains an electronic copy of this guide as well as training

videos, a virtual program , font browser and much more

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Quick Start Guide This guide is intended to give you an overview of the function of the program. You should consult the Help Menu and Training CD

for more thorough understanding of all of the functions of the program.

Installation Instructions Important: Do not plug-in the security key (dongle or card) until instructed by the CD-ROM

1. Place program CD in the drive 2. Click “Installation” The Installation wizard will start. Follow

along closely and answer the question as they relate to your computer.

3. When prompted by the installer, Place USB Smart Card (Key) in a USB port on the BACK of the computer

4. Select “Full Installation” and follow the default settings. 5. At the end of the installation, a message box will open. It

states, “The installation of the database is optional. Would you like to install it?”

Note: Database Installation is optional, typically only Pro users will find it useful. Choose your option & proceed.

6. When the installation is complete, click “Finish” then restart your computer.

7. Once the computer has restarted you will find a shortcut icon yon your desktop. Double left mouse click on the icon to start the program.

8. The program will open to a window entitled Product Key. 9. Replace program CD with the Companion CD. 10. In the Product Key window, left mouse click the “Browse”

button 11. Select the CD Rom drive from the “Look In” box at the top of

the window. 12. In the larger box you should see a file starting with 1234… the

same serial number as your key. Click on this file, then click “Open”, this will fill the boxes on the Product Key window with numbers and characters

13. Click “OK”, the software will open and a Tip of the Day window will open. You completed the installation.

Please save both you program CD and the Installation Code CD in a safe place (the EOS box?) for later use

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The Companion CD The Companion CD contains training material, videos, interactive program and information to help you learn your program. Please review it as it will answer virtually any question that you may have about the operation of the program. We also maintain an extensive on line video library available from our support center at http://www.embhq.com Additionally, you can call us Monday – Friday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM EST for technical support and sales information. Please have your key serial number ready when you call. 336-294-0604

How to Change the screen from Metric to Inch

1. Click on the “Tools” menu and select “System Parameters”. 2. Click on the BASIC 3. Choose Metric or English under the Unites section 4. Click OK

Help My Circles are not round There are many different monitors available for computers. In order for the system to display your designs at actual size, the software must be informed of your monitor size.

1. Click on the “Tools” menu and select “System Parameters”. 2. Click on the Miscelaneous 3. Click the Custom setting. Measure the width and height in

inches of the viewable area of your monitor 4. Enter these values in the Custom settings boxes as shown 5. Click OK 6.

Working with Files How to Open an Embroidery Design

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Note: You can open all popular machine (stitch) files or .ERF files if design was made in EOS or TES software.

1. Click the “File” menu 2. Click “Open design” 3. Select the folder that contains your designs, it should appear in

the “Look In” section at the top. . 4. On the line “ File of Type”, from the list of formats select “ All

Embroidery Files” Note: If you know the format type (for example: .FDR, .DST, .XXX, .PES, etc.) you can select the exact machine format

5. In the big white box where the file names appear, click once on the file name to preview. If correct, click “OK”

How to Paste Designs together

1. Open the first design using the instructions given in the previous section.

2. Click on the “Edit” menu and choose “ Paste Design”. A new “ Open design File box appears.

3. Find your second design as explained in the previous steps. 4. When you open this design, it will appear in a “ghost” image on

the screen, you can move, resize, rotate etc.. the design to the desired position.

5. Right click and choose “Apply:”

When an item or items are selected, the frame will contain handles to help you manipulate the selection; these are indicated in the image below. The default handles are Stretch/Resize. Click the Center of the select frame, to change from the resize handles to the rotate/skew handles

How to Change the Size of a Design

1. Open the design if not already opened

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2. Click on the “Modify” pulldown Menu 3. Select “Change Size” 4. “X” is the width and “Y” is the height of your

design. You can change either value or check the box for “ %” and change the percentage, the other value will change automatically to retain proportion.

5. By default the system is set to resize proportionally, If you want to resize X and Y independent of one another, click the Lock icon to release the proportional lock.

Note: This procedure can be used on any file type; best results are achieved using outline files. Stitch files such as dst, fdr, and exp can also be resized. However, when resizing a stitch file, make sure to not exceed the range of 51% to 199%. The system will add or subtract stitches to maintain density as long as these requirements are met and the “active stitch processor” box is checked. How to Change the Density of a Stitched Design The Stitch Processor can also be used to increase or decrease the density in a stitch file.

1. Open the design if not already opened 2. Click on the “Edit” menu and choose “Select All” 3. Click on the “Modify” menu then from the list choose “Change

” From the drop down list choose “Density” 4. Select Increase or Decrease. Increase will add stitches,

Decrease will remove stitches, leave the percentage alone for now, it is rare to change it from the default.

5. Click the “OK” button How to Center a Design Most embroidery designs are created with a start and end point in the center. If you remove or add to a design, this start point will likely no longer be centered. The system can re-center any design.

1. Click on the “Design” menu 2. Select “Center Design” the default of the system is set to

move start/end point to the center. 3. Click “Ok”

How to Save an Embroidery Design

Save any design you want to edit later in the ERF format. The ERF format saves the outline data for blocks and text you create. If the

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design is not saved in (ERF) the outline data and formatting for the lettering data is lost.

For example, if you were to type a letter in a word processing program and print it out on a piece of paper, unless you saved that document to the computer in its original format, you would not be able to go back and make changes to the document. In much the same way, if you save the design to a machine disk or stitch only format like DST, you cannot read the design back into the computer and make changes to it as if it were the original document. Only specific formats such as XXX, or ERF will contain the color data. If you want to save the actual colors (red, blue, green etc..) of a design, you must save in the erf format. Designs saved in a stitch only format will be re-opened in the default system colors

1. Click the File Menu 2. Select Save As 3. Select the location where you want to save the design from the

Look In selection at the top of the window. 4. Type in the name, and select the file type from the drop down 5. Click Save

Note: When your system is installed we create a sample designs folder located at C:/DES/ this folder contains several sample designs to help you get started. You can use this folder to save future designs, or create your own save to location. You can create folders within folders to help you organize your designs. It is better to have a unified location for all your embroidery designs, this makes transferring to another computer, or back up much easier.

How to Display your design in a Hoop

1. Click on the “Tools” menu. Then click on “Select Hoop” 2. From the list of hoops, select the hoop you would like to

use. IF you have a design on screen it will preview in the hoop to aid your selection

3. Click OK 4. Click on the ”View” menu. Then click on “Show / Hide

Hoop” to hide or view the on screen hoop Working with Text How to Create Lettering with EOS/TES Fonts

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1. From the left toolbar, Click on the (Text) icon. 2. In the Text Box that appears in the work area, type a word.

Then click on the “OK” button 3. The Text will appear on the screen in an outline form , we call

this “wireframe” 4. At the top of the screen you will see text controls similar to any

word processor. Select the font style you would like from the Select Font drop down list.

5. The next control to the right sets the letter height Select Frame allows you to select the orientation of your text (arch, straight etc), Depending on your level you may have up to 30 pre-defined lettering frames

6. Once you get the text the way you want it to look, Right click and select Stitch It to fill the wireframe with stitches

Note: Each time you choose a new font, a pop-up box appears with a height & density range for the selected font. The Program also contains an extensive Help system that explains all of the different controls available. From within the program,

1. Click Help 2. Select Index Help at the top of the menu 3. Click on the line item Create Embroidery 4. From the drop down select Lettering

For more detailed explanations of the lettering, check the Companion CD or the On Line support center. There are several videos available that will guide you on the use of the different frames etc..

Using Font Profiles

Font profiles are used to save specific properties with a font style for quick recall.

Suppose you use a specific font at a certain height and embroidery settings. You can save this as a Font Profile. Then the next time you need to utilize those same settings, you can simply select that font profile instead of having to remember all the different settings associated with that job.

Creating a Font Profile

1. Create a normal text file in the size, frame, letter space and recipe of your choosing

2. Set the embroidery settings for density, stitch type etc.. for optimal results

3. Click the Font Profile icon

4. In the Font Profile window, give your new profile a descriptive name

5. Click Save

The profile will then be saved to your system. You can then re-select at any time by either selecting the Font Profile icon again and clicking Load, or selecting the saved font profile from the Font List. Font Profiles can be a huge time saver. The profile “remembers” virtually everything about that job including the frame, letter height, letter spacing, and all the embroidery settings.

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Monogramming Virtually any font can be used for monogramming, but there are some fonts that are built specifically for this purpose. On these fonts, such as 3 Letter Diamond, Circle Monogram Script etc… There are 3 distinct characters, left, right and center. Since standard keyboards only allow 2 different characters to be applied to a key, these fonts use an alternate key for the right side letters. For instance, if you wanted to create this set of letters, you would need to type the characters <aC3>, where the 3 is reserved to create the right side letters, and the < and > keys are used to create the points. Each font has an image file to help you with unique characteristics of that font. To view this image file, select “Font List” from the top of the fonts drop down. This opens a catalog of all the installed fonts on the system. Click on the font you want to use. Click the Preview button at the bottom right corner. The preview for that font as shown below, will open to the right of the Font List. This image displays the characters in the font and lists the different keys that will be used for monogramming. Not all monogram fonts require this extra set of keystrokes. On fonts that have identical left and right characters such as Monogram Script and Fishtail. We can use only the upper and lower case letters. For your convenience, we have listed the keystrokes for some of the more common monogram fonts at the end of this booklet.

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How to Edit Text Text, once built can be returned to the wireframe for editing. As long as the file containing the text is saved as an erf file, the text can be returned to wireframe at any time. This is especially useful for correcting spelling mistakes, changing names etc…

1. Left Click the “Block Edit” tool icon from the left toolbar 2. Click Any character in the string of text you want to return to

wireframe 3. Click the Green A icon from the top horizontal toolbar

The text will be returned to the wireframe.

Note: When the text is returned to the wireframe, it will be returned to the exact configuration as when it was first built. Any editing you may have performed after the stitches were built such as resize, rotate or move will be lost. It is better therefore to perform all these tasks before clicking Stitch It.

Trimming between Letters

The system can be automatically set to trim between letters, line etc.. This is accomplished through the Connection Policy. However, when just starting out, most users find the “ Advanced Character Eidt” function easier to use

1. While text is in wireframe, click the last icon in the toolbar as shown above

2. Select the “Machine Codes” Tab 3. To insert a code, click the location

where you want to apply the code and choose which code you want to insert.

4. To Remove a code, click the code you want to remove and click the Delete icon.

Apply to all will apply the code (or Delete) to all letters.

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Working with Designs Using the Object List The object list is a graphic representation listing every block in your design, this is normally displayed across the bottom of the screen. This is a useful tool for changing the way blocks are connected, selecting colors or sequencing a design. The Left side of each block displays small graphics showing how this block is connected to the previous block. Selecting Blocks to edit Blocks in the Object list are manipulated through the Select mode.

1. Select objects by click (and hold down ) the left mouse button and drag a box.

2. Or, you can select the first block, then hold down the Shift key and select the last block, the system will select all blocks between these 2.

3. Or, you can also randomly select any group of blocks by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on blocks regardless of sequence.

Once blocks are selected, you can manipulate them in a number of ways. Trimming between blocks You can choose to trim or not to trim between any block or blocks in the Object list.

1. Select the blocks(s) you want using one of the methods above. 2. Right mouse click on any of the selected items 3. Choose Edit Connection 4. Select you trimming preference from the bottom section

Click OK 5.

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Reordering Blocks (Changing stitching Sequence)

1. Select the blocks(s) you want using one of the methods above. 2. Right mouse click on any of the selected items 3. Choose Reorder 4. Choose to Reorder to start , end or to a specific block number.

If the “Preserve Original Color” is checked, the block will remain its original color regardless of where in the design it is reordered to. If you want to block to assimilate to the color of the blocks you are reordering it to, uncheck this option. Click OK

Adding /Removing a Color Change You can add a color change anywhere in the design by selecting which block (s ) you want to change, and then clicking the appropriate color you want from the bottom needles bar. The system will automatically insert the correct codes to ensure those select blocks will all be stitched in the same color. To remove a color change, Right mouse click any block that has a stop or needle associated with it, and select “Remove Stop/Needle”

Note: The object list is covered in detail on the Training CD on the Companion Disk. Open the Interactive Program from the Main Menu, and click on the Object list for detailed information on all its functions.

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Assigning Colors to a Design Designs are created with Stops or Needles to indicate color changes. In practice, there is no real difference between a Stop and a Needle code, as Stops are Needle 0. The embroidery program will automatically display the next color in sequence to illustrate where the stops in a design occur. As a rule, you should try not to mix needles and stops in a design unless you want the Stop to act as a STOP function on the machine, for designs such as Applique. Mixing Stops and Needles usually results in confusion when trying to program the color sequence at the machine. To avoid this confusion, you can assign the colors on the embroidery software using the Stitch Colors

1. Click “Tools” menu 2. Select “Show / Hide Stitch Colors” 3. In the menu that appears, click the small down

arrow next to each code listed to change, or delete

4. Note: the color numbers shown are the same colors shown across the bottom of the work screen.

5. To change the actual color of an assigned color number, Click the Color block next to the code and choose a new color from the rainbow palette at the bottom

Note: You can chose from any manufacturers palette listed at the top “Current Palette” If you choose a manufacturers palette, you must click the “Colors” button to assign actual colors as you choices will be limited to those available from the manufacturer.

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Stitch Editing Stitch editing is used on design files of type DST, XXX, EXP etc.. These files do not have outlines or block information. EOS/TES will automatically divide the design into blocks at color changes and thread trim codes. The Filter Stitches options are set to work in most all cases and normally do not need to be changed. If you are unfamiliar with the Filter settings or would like to review the

function of each of the settings, you can review them in the System

Parameters >> Files section on the Training CD

To activate Stitch edit mode, Choose Stitch edit from the Edit Pull-down or Click and HOLD down the left mouse button on the Block Edit icon on the left toolbar creating a fly out menu where you can select Stitch Edit Selecting Stitches for editing When stitch files are read into the program, if the individual segments are not divided by a trim or color change, they will be imported as a single block. A line of text for example may be imported as a single block instead of individual characters if there were no trims between letters. You cannot use Block edit or Select mode to manipulate the individual letters as either of these modes will select the entire block. If you want to delete an individual letter or a group, you need to split these off from the original block.

To accomplish this, you can either use Split block mode, or Select Stitches Mode depending on which you find easier to use

Using Select Stitches Mode

1. Activate Stitch Edit by clicking the Stitch Edit icon 2. Click on the Select Stitches Mode from the top toolbar 3. Click and Drag a box around the item you want to select, Any

stitches contained completely in the rectangle will be selected, In cases where different colors overlap, you should not use this method

4. The selection will be highlighted. You can now, move, delete or resize the block

If you need to draw an irregular shape, Click the RIGHT mouse button and select Polygon select. In Polygon select you can outline shapes by clicking several points around the segment you want to define

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Splitting Blocks by Stitch

1. Activate Stitch Edit by clicking the Stitch Edit icon 2. Click any stitch in the design, preferably close to where you

want to split the block. Your mouse will pick up the stitch. 3. Click the Right Mouse to release the stitch from the mouse. 4. User the Left or Right Arrow keys on your keyboard to travel

through the design to find the exact stitch you want to split the block on.

5. Click the Split icon from the top toolbar 6. The block will be split into 2 parts , divided at the selected

stitch. The Object List will display the 2 parts. 7. Continue to split additional blocks off to achieve the desired

result.

Note: Split block can be one of the more difficult concepts for people to learn, Review the Training CD for videos on splitting blocks for detailed information.

Adding a Thread Cut/Color Change or other code to a Stitch File A common use for splitting a block is to insert a thread trim or a color change into an already digitized design where there previously was none. This process will split the block and insert the trim /lock stitches automatically to simplify your job.

1. Activate stitch edit (X) 2. Locate the stitch you want to change using the method

described above 3. Click Modify Code button from stitch edit bar to select the

desired function The Status Bar The Status Bar is located at the bottom of the screen. This area will provide you with information, and instruction depending on what you are doing at the time. In Stitch Edit Mode, this area will display the stitch code, length and number of the selected stitch In Digitizing mode it will prompt you for expected input such as Start/End points, Stitch angle etc. Learn to check the Status bar when in doubt as to what to do. The Status bar is essential for learning to use the program..

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Digitizing In general there are 2 types of points that define an outline, corners and curves. Regardless of the tool, recipe or settings, curves are defined by a short left mouse click, and corners are defined by a long left mouse click. Depending on your level of software you may have no digitizing tool, 1 digitizing tool or all digitizing tools. In all cases, the method of operation is the same.

Freeform Tool

The freeform tool allows you to create open or closed shapes to generate fill areas or outlines. Most large areas in your designs and most outlines will be created with the Free Form tool. In order to use this tool you must trace around the area. These areas can be filled with any number of stitch types or recipes depending on your level of software.

1. Click on the “Freeform” Tool. icon found in the vertical tool bar on the left side of the screen.

2. From the drop down menu at the top, select your Recipe 3. Place your mouse on the screen and click once with the

left mouse button 4. Move the mouse and click again, notice the 2 points will be

connected with a line 5. Move the mouse again and continue to click several points 6. Alternate between short clicks and long clicks to get

accustomed to the tool. 7. When your outline is completed, Click the Stitch It icon

from the top menu 8. Check the status bar for input as to what is expected.

Depending on the selected recipe, you may be prompted to insert the start point of the block, end point or inclination.

Note: When defining a complete outline, you do not need to input the last point to “close” the shape.You can Close or reopen any shape automatically by clicking the Right mouse button and selecting “Opened Curve”

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Column Fill Tool

Column Fill is used to make turning stitch inclinations. Column fills are normally used to create lettering, outlines and other shapes where the stitch angle and length will change throughout the block. Column stitches are primarily Satin although Step stitches are not uncommon The Column tool shapes are defined by "Reference Lines"; A Reference Line is drawn by first defining one point, then the counter point. The system will connect these 2 points with a line. This line defines the length and the angle of the stitch that will be created. Reference Lines are drawn at different locations along the shape to define the outline; the program will fill the

areas between the outlines.

1. Click on the “Column” Tool. icon found in the vertical tool bar on the left side of the screen.

2. From the drop down menu at the top, select your Recipe, Leave it at Column Fill

3. Place your mouse on the screen and click once with the left mouse button

4. Move the mouse down and click again, notice the 2 points will be connected with a line

5. Move the mouse and create another pair of points 6. Notice that the pairs of points will be connected with lines

building a ladder of sorts. 7. When your outline is completed, Click the Stitch It icon

from the top menu Check the status bar you may be prompted to insert the start point.

8. Click you mouse where you want the stitching to originate. The Status Bar will change to prompt for the end point

9. Click where you want the stitching to end 10. The block will fill with stitches

Note: The maximum width of a Satin Stitch that an embroidery machine can sew is about ½ inch. However in because of the possibility that a wide stitch would snag or sag after cleaning, the practical width limits for a Satin stitch is from 3/64th to 3/8th of an inch or 1mm to 9.5mm.

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Geometric Shapes Tool The software can create many different basic geometric shapes to speed up and simplify the creation process. While each shape is unique, its operation is similar. In general any shape is created by selecting the desired shape and clicking, dragging, to the desired size. Each shape can utilize any of the recipes (fill, outline etc..) that are available in your program level. The function of the individual options is covered in great detail on the Training CD. Please consult it for detailed instruction.

Creating a circle/Oval

1. Select the Circle from the Geometric Shapes on the left toolbar. 2. Click and drag a circle onto the screen 3. Click the Enable Hole option from the top bar as shown 4. The width control will activate allowing you to adjust the size of

the hole. 5. Uncheck the Enable Hole to remove the hole 6. Click Stitch It to build Stitches

Creating a Square/Rectangle This tool works in the same way as the Circle tool

Creating a Star

1. Select the Star from the Geometric Shapes on the left toolbar. 2. Click and drag a Star onto the screen 3. The Vertices sets the number of points on the star 4. The Slider control sets the pointedness of the star 5. Click Stitch It to build Stitches

Note; Use the Column Recipe for Stars for best results

Creating a Polygon The Polygon works in the same manner as the Star where the vertices determine the number of sides. Since all polygons are flat sided, there is no slider control

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Creating a Rounded Rectangle

1. Select the Rounded Rectangle from the Geometric Shapes on the left toolbar.

2. Click and drag a Rectangle onto the screen 3. The Slider control sets the radius of the corner. 4. The Preserve Roundness maintains the same radius through

the curve only when Enable Hole is activated 5. Click Stitch It to build Stitches

Importing an Image (Creator Plus & Professional Elite levels) Import Image is the main way to get images into the program system to digitize. This procedure is used whenever you want to digitize an image that you have saved to your computer, a CD, floppy disk etc

1. Click the Image Pull down menu 2. Click Import 3. Use the Windows style navigation controls to navigate to the

location of the file you want to import. 4. Select the File type of the Image from the File types selection,

or select All Graphic files if you do not know the images file type.

5. Click on the file name in the large top box, a preview icon will be generated

6. Click OK to open the image file. It will appear in the main canvas

How to Scan an image (Creator Plus & Professional Elite levels) Note: You must have a functioning scanner (hardware) connected to your computer.

1. Click on the” Image” menu.

2. Choose “Scan”. 3. The system will open your scanning program that was installed

with your scanner. This will vary with every scanner therefore further instruction is not provided.

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Font References All keyboard fonts have a recommended minimum height range. A few have a maximum size limit. A common height range can be from less than an inch to 8 inches or more.’ Additional Compucon fonts are available at ww.embmarketplace.com This is the only website where actual keyboard fonts can be purchased. Fonts sold in .dst & other stitch formats are actually a group of individual stitch file designs that must be copied & pasted together one by one to form a word. Reference Section Keystrokes for right side letters on the following monogram fonts 3 Letter Diamond Circle Block Mono Oval Monogram

A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 G=7 H=8 I=9 J=0 K=! L=” M=#

N=$ O=% P=& Q=’ R=( S=) T=* U=+ V=? W=, X=@ Y== Z=:

A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 G=7 H=8 I=9 J=0 K=! L=” M=#

N=$ O=% P=& Q=’ R=( S=) T=* U=+ V=? W=, X=@ Y== Z=:

A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 G=7 H=8 I=9 J=! K=@ L=# M=$

N=% O=& P=* Q=( R=) S=- T=+ U=, V=. W=; X=’ Y=[ Z=]

Additional Characters

Optional points to complete the diamond, these are on the < and > Keys

Additional Characters

Optional small curves to complete the circle, these are on the < and > Keys Also Large curves when creating a single letter monogram on { }

Additional Characters

Circle outline = ? Filled Circle & outline = =

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Extended Characters

Many of the fonts contain extended characters such as à,è,é and more

These characters are available through your keyboard by holding down the ALT key and then, using the number pad on the right of your keyboard, typing in the code as outlined in the chart below.

For example, to create the name José, You would type in the text box Jos (and then hold down Alt and on the number pad type 0233)

Š 0138 Œ 0140 Ž 0142 š 0154 œ 0156 ž 0158 Ÿ 0159 ¡ 0161 ¢ 0162 £ 0163 ¤ 0164 ¥ 0165 § 0167 © 0169 ® 0174 µ 0181 À 0192 Á 0193  0194 à 0195 Ä 0196 Å 0197 Æ 0198 Ç 0199 È 0200 É 0201 Ê 0202 Ë 0203 Ì 0204 Í 0205

Î 0206 Ï 0207 Ð 0208 Ñ 0209 Ò 0210 Ó 0211 Ô 0212 Õ 0213 Ö 0214 Ø 0216 Ù 0217 Ú 0218 Û 0219 Ü 0220 Ý 0221 Þ 0222 ß 0223 à 0224 á 0225 â 0226 ã 0227 ä 0228 å 0229 æ 0230 ç 0231 è 0232 é 0233 ê 0234 ë 0235 ì 0236

í 0237 î 0238 ï 0239 ð 0240 ñ 0241 ò 0242 ó 0243 ô 0244 õ 0245 ö 0246 ø 0248 ù 0249 ú 0250 û 0251 ü 0252 ý 0253 þ 0254 ÿ 0255

Not all fonts contain extended ASCII, some fonts contain NO extended characters, No fonts contain ALL extended characters on this list.

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Notes

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