learn to digitize soft ware

are you keyboarding it or actually hand punching each letter? If keyboarding then that is probably the largest mistake. Learning to hand punch first is a much better learning method as then when you DO keyboard you can easily see which letters the system screwed up.. and fix those... if you don't know how to hand punch then you won't know how to fix the keyboard problems.

Learning how to hand punch lettering is not as difficult as it may seem.. you only need to practice THREE fonts... a standard block without serifs like Ariel ... a serif font like Times, and a script like Brushed Script.

Each font you digitize left to right and then again right to left.... both upper and lowercase letters. so 12 designs in total and you are done!

We would use the paper that children use in elementary school.. when learning how to write.. the solid lines with a dotted line in the middle? so the uppercase go from solid line to solid line and the lowercase go to the middle dotted line? All you need is someone to advise which letters dont go to the two solid lines due to push and pull compensation.. like the uppercase I in Ariel... it would not touch either line, whereas the uppercase O would touch both lines. The uppercase L would touch the bottom line but not the top.

Once you learn the rules then it really is pretty easy. you digitize like you would write each letter... To start pull designs that you like the lettering in and watch it sew on screen.. see where they cut back and where they dont... what overlaps and what doesnt.
go to ISS show in your area.. or the NNEP one which is usually held in Nashville each year I think... find a local digitizer to spend time with if you can.

Or just give up and find a quality digitizer to pay for your designs.... when they provide something you like then tear it apart and learn that way.

I am using Melco design shop pro + for 13 years.

If you use Micro Block try this.

size 0.18
Stitch length 13pt
Column 140
Density 5pt.
Turn off short stitches

Also hopping with backing paper (2 tear away) and solvy.

Use 65/9 needle.

No worries. You are keyboarding as you are using the computer software to create the lettering for you.. you just type in the letters on your keyboard, adjust your settings and are HOPING they sew out well.

hand punching means you are actually using digitizing software and placing each section of each letter by hand. Just like you would if you were digtiizing the FORD logo or something. My theory is you HAVE to learn this way first before you can expect keyboarding to work as you don't know what you don't know about lettering yet... the only way to know is to practice practice practice and learning to hand punch them really shortens the time needed to understand what is needed.

Steve Wilson and John Deer did a collection of DVDs a few years back on general digitizing training... one DVD would be on letters, one on shapes, blending, fur effects.. etc. We would use them for training new digitizers. look it up and see what you think? they are pretty software neutral since the rules are the same nomatter which software you use.

Why not digitize the text instead of using the autotext function? You have much more control when you digitize the text manually. I have been digitizing since 1995 and I think in the long run you have much better quality manually digitizing the lettering. There is pushing and pulling that happens when the letters sew out and you can adjust that much better by hand punching than just typing it out and hoping the computer adjusts it for you. Just my 2 cents.