Wilcom Hatch - My personal experience

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. I know I have been yapping away about Wilcom and Hatch a whole lot this week. I just cant get over it (in a good way).

I miss the Digitizer a lot lot! So what in Digitizer do I miss the most?

The Applique command. Do you even know how neat it makes any applique, the ability to remove overlap, and still stitch so awesomely? Well this is proof!


I love love love how it removes overlap so precisely.

This applique command is only on Digitizer, and I love creating this! I didn't create this from scratch, I merged two designs together (a number applique and a bow applique). While I am sure other software may be able to do this, but I just don't think it will be as easy as Hatch does it.

Another thing I miss, is obviously digitizing on its own. Doing manual digitizing is awesome. I really don't know how else to emphasize it. It is so easy! Maybe it needs a bit of getting used to if you are not the right click left click kindda person, but it is oh so simple! I tried doing auto digitizing with the Creator version, but it is far far away from the precision of a manual digitizing effort. The end product of the two is almost worlds apart. Maybe if the design is super simple and the image file you have is top notch vector file, then perhaps you wont see much difference but if your file is altered, distorted (because of resolution) or very complex, oh the joy of being able to manually digitize them is like getting hot chocolate on a cold snowy night alone. Ok, I dont really know what it feels like to be in the cold snowy night alone (because I am in Sunny Singapore - and the only cold experience I had was in Shanghai minus the snow), but lets imagine anyway. :p

I also miss a lot of the fonts that comes with the Digitizer. Especially the one I used for the girls' name on the romper above. I love that font. I got something else that is close enough from DME, so I guess that'll make up for it.

The Creator being at US$599 and Digitizer being at US$1099, with just 4 BUT very major difference, I tell you that $500 difference goes a long long way. The Creator would be great for those who always have a vector image file to work with I think.

Oh what are the difference between Creator and Digitizer? The four major difference are that Digitizer could do 1)manual digitizing, 2)could fill/run shapes, 3)the digitizing tools  (this is nifty! I love them!), and 4)create applique (I love love love this ability!!!)

Those 4 is definitely worth the US$500 difference, but in the currency exchange, that is over sgd$700!! That is a lot... But I know it is worth every cent.

The only reason why I didnt go to Creator right away and got myself Customizer is because, I dont think I will use a lot of Creator's additional function (the difference between the two) a lot. I just felt that I will use a lot of the Digitizer stuff that Creator cant more than the Creator programme.

Many reasons here, because 1) who in Singapore have vectored files to do anything? I have come across a lot of companies who dont have the vectorized file of their logos. What I get is a badly distorted file when enlarged. I cant be digitizing a 2x2" image, can I? Who embroids that small... Ok fine maybe there is, but with auto digitizing I feel like it will just be a blob of thread in that space. 2) I do a lot of applique more than a fully digitized image, and Creator cant do appliques. 3) I would love to have access to all the nifty tools that makes digitizing fun!

SO, I am just saving US$900 for the Digitizer upgrade from my Customizer once I have the funds. That is SGD$1305 people.. 3/5 of my salary after CPF. And here I am wondering if I can afford to downgrade further to 3days a week work. In my dreams now.. in my dreams. I need to work triple hard, get more sales off my business and try make it up to earn all the funds so I can invest in this blardy good software, by hook or by crook. I am dead fix on that. No negotiations.

Sometimes I cry because I keep getting myself into an emotional trap like this by diving right into the best product there is in any world. Well, I guess I deserve the best, in that silly way.

So, what's so great about Customizer then, you may ask. Well, I feel that Customizer are great for those who are totally up for monogramming and editting lettering, adding words, and making a standard font all unique and one in a million again. How? Well, in Customizer you can amend each lettering to be closer to each other, to have an additional node to make some have extra sharp pulls, etc. And to make them straight, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, circular.. it is all in a click of button.

Between the Basic and Customizer is just US$50 difference, so I say go for the Customizer. Unless you are really not going to change any designs you have, you just need to change colors, stitch settings, change display and just need to export the files into different formats then ya maybe you wont need Customizer.

Between this two are 5 major difference of which is definitely hands down worth way more than the US$50 difference between the two. In Customizer, you can 1) create monogram 2)add lettering 3)edit/reshape letterings 4)can use true type fonts (ttf) and this is the awesome bit! 5) you get 60 professionally digitized fonts.

And if you use the reseller code, as per my last entry here, you will get the bonuses, and if you allow me to have your email address, I can refer you and they will send you the email to use a code so we get additional fonts. Why not? We both get free stuff! Then you can refer all your friends to it and get more free stuff, hey, really.. why not? You can leave me a comment, they are all reviewed and I can choose not to publish them, so dont worry. I wont be sharing anyone's email addresses in public like that.

Speaking of fonts, I like how ESA fonts has recommended smallest size to them. Example, certain fonts, like the monogram ones, the smallest recommended size would be 50mm, any smaller it may not stitch that well. but you can go bigger. The smallest fonts I saw has a recommended smallest size of 6mm, and I think that is an awesome size for small stuff and you don't want the text to overwhelm it. And I can promise you, it stitches really well.

I mean look at these:



I feel that it stitches well. All the fonts are smaller than 12mm, some as small as 8mm (due to the length of the names). It still stitches pretty. The intensity of the the stitches doesnt get too much or too little.

The red fuzzy lines that is with the font name, those are ESA fonts. The ones without the red fuzzy lines are True Type Fonts. I cant count them all, but definitely over 60 to chose from on my window. 

I also love the ability to show my customers what it looked like on different color background with the nifty background command, in which you can bring in type of fabric, color and even an apparel if you like. I think it is really cool.

Look!

That is the background command, just click it!

You will get this pop up, so many options there, play with it!

Look at all the options!

I love these blanks!

Realistic visualization, dont you think?

On caps too! So cool, right?

I like the ability to pick a hoop! That's the command you need to hit if you wanna see the red rectangles you see on the prev two images, the one on the romper is a 5X7 hoop and the one of the cap is a 4X4 hoop. If you don't see your hoop size, you can always create it yourself, and it is easy! I mean it!  

These are the lettering effects you can choose and play with, just a click guys.. How much easier can it get??

Also, with Wilcom Hatch, you use a log in profile, so no dongle to care for.

And if you are ready for the free trial, get it from here!

I promise you wont regret. It gives you full access to all that it can do as if it is the real thing! 30days, no credit info required. Just an email address. And when you are ready to purchase you can let me refer you so we both get free ESA fonts from DME. Have I told you that they now have over 400 cool fonts! Wanna see them? Yes? Go embrace yourself for 54pages of all gorgeous ESA fonts here, tell me, wont you want the additional fonts by having me refer you to them? ;) Decisions, decisions....

Until the next Hatch Facts chat (see you in the group!),
Jun

Wassalam

Embroidery Software - Hatch by Wilcom & Digitizing Made Easy (Review)

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. I know and well aware that I haven't been blogging reviews for a long while.

I have been hunting for a laptop ever since I heard of this programme. Oh wait, what? Sorry.. As most would have known, I have been embroidering for awhile now, I outgrew my Brother Innov-is NV955 and bought the Innov-is NV800E in June. I have been quiet about it and laid low for many reasons, and that would be another story altogether. Back to what I intended to write today, I first heard of Wilcom when I sent my logo to be digitized so I could embroid it on whatever I want.

The guy who helped me used Wilcom Pro and I am so impressed at the fine fine details it could do, very unlike any other digitizers who used different softwares. I knew then that if I were to go down the digitizing world, this is the software I will be after. However, we all know good stuff dont come cheap. Hold your breath guys.. Wilcom Pro costs £1899 onwards. The ultimate one that I would aim for would be the e4 designing which cost £2999. They have the subscription version now at £99/month. That is still a lot. So I held my breath till I almost fainted.

Then someone briefly mentioned Hatch by Wilcom.. Which led me to add myself to many groups of this programme users, and soon found myself downloading the free 30days trial which allows you to use all 4 programmes (from Basic, Customizer, Creator and Digitizer) and enables you full access to all its functions, including saving the source file (.emb) and to export it to various formats namely .jef, .pes, etc. How cool!

I got straight down to try out digitizing, and it was such a breeze to do it! I love it! Many said wilcom is not very user friendly, but they lied! I find it so easy to use! Perhaps it has a similar workspace and methods to what I do everyday at work, thus the easy transition. I managed to do a few good ones stitched out. I wish I could afford the Digitizer, and saving money for it is definitely in place. Oh it cost US$1099.

I settled down with the customizer when my trial was almost ending which cost US$199. I guess I can survive now, but I immediately miss having the Digitizer. I like how Hatch is modular, meaning, down the line, if I decide to upgrade to a Digitizer, I dont pay $1099 no more, I just need to pay the difference between my Customizer and the Digitizer. I have to save save and save.

I purchased mine via Digitizing Made Easy (reseller). There is a code to use of which you will get DME's bonuses which consist of 10 ESA fonts, one class and a month Ultimate Stash from John Deer's Ultimate Stash Plan. Why would people turn down these bonuses?

The fonts used on hatch are ESA fonts, not the typical BX font or what not. I find their fonts stitches better than other programmes, not sure why or if I am just biased having fallen in love with this programme or whatever it is.

I keep telling myself there is just no other programme as good as anything from Wilcom when you dive right in to the best there is in the embroidery world. I get disappointed with what other softwares offer. I just had had had to save all the money I have to upgrade to the Digitizer soon..

The only downside to this programme is that it is 1)expensive (but 200% worth the money) 2) it takes awhile to load up, about 2minutes (we are just aliens who keep wanting stuff fast, don't we?)

The up-side? It is awesome awesome awesome stuff! And the help you get when you are in Wilcom Hatch Fact FB group (link here) is amazing, they jump on your question and help you. And the amount of youtube videos to help you get around is also really really really good and 100% helpful! I love Sue's voice, almost like my mom when she taught me how to sew the first time, very comforting and you can almost feel her supporting you along the way to get you moving forward. So much love for DME!

Leave me your email so I can refer you to the software and if you purchase via my "refer a friend" link we both get additional free ESA fonts! Win-Win people! They are over 200 fonts and all 200 of them are so pretty!!!!! I would need them all!!!!!

I am in need to make sales to afford the Digitizer, people!!

So ya, hit me up with your email addresses in the comments below (I wont publish them if you leave a note for it) for the links!

My next entry of this wonderful software goes through the differences of all 4 programes, you can read it here.

Until I save money for Hatch Digitizer,
Jun

Wassalam