Mastering PaintStitch in Janome Artistic Digitizer V1.5: Turn Photos into Thread Art

Primer: What PaintStitch Does—and When to Use It

PaintStitch converts an image (JPEG photos, drawings, or paintings) into a dense, tonal stitch rendering—think “thread art.” It’s ideal for portraits, pets, flowers, and artwork with shading and texture. The output looks like layered pencil strokes in thread, with visible texture that reads beautifully on fabric.

You’ll see it shine on projects like a fold-over purse panel with multiple floral images stitched onto cotton, or even a university mascot rendered as textured thread art. These examples demonstrate that PaintStitch isn’t limited to portraits; it works for artwork, mascots, and more.

If you love detail, you’ll love the close-up texture—PaintStitch captures fine transitions and adds tactile depth, even in small sections.

Pro tip

• Think of PaintStitch as “photorealistic shading in thread.” It excels when the original image has clear midtones and highlights.

Watch out

• Overly bright or blown-out images tend to convert flat. You’ll fix this later with contrast.

Quick check

• Before you import, confirm your image is saved where you can find it quickly (e.g., a favorite images folder).

Prep: Files, Fabric, and a Clean Workspace

Before you begin, open Janome Artistic Digitizer V1.5, and gather your image files. You can use JPEGs of photographs, drawings, or paintings. Keep them in an accessible folder so you can quickly browse to them in the software.

Materials (examples shown)

• Fabric: cotton works beautifully for PaintStitch samples and panels

• Thread: standard embroidery thread collection (software renders up to 15 colors for this feature)

• Optional: pleather purse body for a stitched panel project

Environment

• Software: Janome Artistic Digitizer V1.5

• Files: JPEG images ready to load

• Workspace: clear screen area for the Properties panel—you’ll use it to finesse the look

Decision point

• If your image contains unneeded borders or dark edges, pre-crop the file before import. This can prevent distracting areas in the final stitch rendering.

Quick check

• Verify the image is well lit and sharp enough to show clear edges and midtones. This improves PaintStitch results.

Prep checklist

• Image(s) saved to an easy-to-find folder

• Janome Artistic Digitizer V1.5 open

• Plan your hoop size targets (e.g., SQ14 or 5x7) so you know your space

• Optional: pre-crop artwork to eliminate unwanted areas

hooping for embroidery machine

Setup: Hoops, Palettes, and the Properties Panel

From the main screen, use Browse/Open to locate your file. When you click an image, the Artwork Image Load window appears—this is where you choose how to open the file. Select Open as PaintStitch to convert immediately.

Hoops and size

• Check the width/height fields in the load window; images clipped from elsewhere can be surprisingly large.

- After conversion, you can switch hoop sizes if the design is too big for your current hoop (for example, switching from SQ14 to a 5x7 hoop).

The Properties panel (your control center)

• Palette: choose a thread palette; the design renders into 15 colors.

• Density and Length: control how tightly and how long stitches run (used as-is in examples).

• Smoothing: tames roughness for a more continuous look.

• Blending: Low, Normal, or Full alters how color fields mix and the intensity of shading.

- Brightness and Contrast: fine-tune overall visibility and pop.

Pro tip

• Start with Blending = Normal. Then preview Low and Full to see if you gain shadow or color depth that suits your image.

Quick check - If colors look washed out on Low blending, return to Normal. Full may add richness but can also increase intensity—preview before committing.

Setup checklist

• Load image as PaintStitch

• Confirm hoop accommodates the design

• Open Properties panel

• Choose a palette and preview Blending modes

magnetic embroidery hoops

Operation: Step-by-Step PaintStitch Workflow

Below, you’ll find three representative workflows—drawing, painting, and photo—mirroring real-world use cases.

A. Convert a drawing and optimize the look

1) Browse to your drawing and select it. In the Artwork Image Load window, choose Open as PaintStitch. 2) If the default hoop is too small, change to a larger hoop (e.g., from SQ14 to 5x7) so you can see the whole design. 3) Select the design to activate the Properties panel. 4) Choose your palette; the software will render up to 15 colors for the PaintStitch object. 5) Test Blending at Low, Normal, and Full. Expect Low to reduce intensity; Full to enrich it. Normal often balances best. 6) Increase contrast slightly (e.g., +20%) to sharpen edges and improve color separation. If brightness dulls the image, undo and try contrast alone. 7) Confirm the stitch count (e.g., the flower sample shows approximately 94,000 stitches) so you can estimate stitch time.

Expected result - A crisp PaintStitch object where edges, shadows, and midtones feel balanced, and color reads clearly at a glance.

Pro tip

• If a brightness tweak washes out detail, undo and try smaller increments—contrast generally lifts definition more predictably.

Watch out

• Large images may exceed your current hoop; switch hoops early so your on-screen view reflects the real stitching area.

B. Convert a painting and refine the composition

1) Browse to your painting and open it as PaintStitch.

2) If your original has unwanted dark areas (like a bottom edge), consider pre-cropping the image before conversion. 3) Raise contrast moderately to sharpen color and brighten separation in the stitched rendering.

Expected result

• Your painting translates into a stylized, textured embroidery that retains the original’s character while enhancing edges and color transitions.

Quick check

• After a contrast bump, zoom in—do shadows separate nicely without crushing midtones?

Pro tip

• Small, deliberate contrast changes often outperform broad brightness shifts when you want pop without glare.

C. Convert a photo, apply smoothing, and resize for hooping

1) Browse to your photo and open it as PaintStitch.

2) For a clear view, you can temporarily turn off the hoop display (View > toggle hoop) while assessing detail. 3) Apply Smoothing to capture texture without jaggedness; in a dog photo, smoothing preserved curls beautifully. 4) Nudge contrast (e.g., +10%) for sharper definition. Test brightness (e.g., +10%) judiciously—keep what looks better and undo the rest. 5) Resize by dragging a corner handle to maintain proportions; review the size readout (e.g., about 5.053 x 6.741 in after scaling). 6) Switch to a target hoop (e.g., 5x7), then center the design to hoop for clean placement.

Expected result

• A scaled, centered PaintStitch design that preserves texture and detail while fitting comfortably inside your chosen hoop.

Operation checklist

• Convert as PaintStitch

• Adjust Blending; test Smoothing when needed

• Fine-tune contrast (then brightness if necessary)

• Resize proportionally and center in the hoop

machine embroidery hoops

Quality Checks: Make Great Decisions, Fast

Visual clarity

• Contrast first: If edges feel muddy, add a small increment of contrast before touching brightness.

• Brightness sparingly: Use it only to rescue dark images; it can wash out midtones.

Blending and smoothing

• Blending: Low can mute; Full can deepen; Normal often “just right.”

• Smoothing: Great for textured photos (fur, petals) to keep contours graceful.

Hoop fit

• If the design touches hoop edges, reduce size slightly and re-center. A little breathing room improves stitch-out reliability.

Thread plan

• The system renders up to 15 colors for PaintStitch. Confirm your thread rack roughly matches the palette you chose.

Quick check

• Zoom in near key details (eyes, pet fur, flower centers). Do you see texture without jaggedness? If yes, you’re ready.

embroidery frame

Results & Handoff: Save, Export, and Get Ready to Stitch

Once your design looks right on-screen:

• Center to hoop and verify dimensions

• Confirm stitch count (the flower example runs about 94,000 stitches)

• Save your project file

• Transfer to your machine via USB stick or a direct machine connection—whichever you use

If you’re building a decorative panel (like the fold-over purse), stitch onto a stable cotton fabric and then assemble it into your final piece.

Pro tip

• Consider stitching a small sample at reduced scale to evaluate color grouping and texture before committing to a full-size stitch-out.

janome embroidery machine

Troubleshooting & Recovery: Quick Fixes for Common Hiccups

Symptom: Colors look flat or washed out

• Likely cause: Blending set to Low, or brightness too high

• Fix: Switch Blending to Normal; undo brightness and try a modest contrast increase instead

Symptom: The design is too large for the hoop

• Likely cause: Image was imported big or your default hoop is small

• Fix: Resize proportionally using a corner handle; or change to a larger hoop, then re-center

Symptom: Jagged contours or harsh transitions

• Likely cause: Smoothing off or insufficient contrast

• Fix: Turn on Smoothing for photos; add a small contrast bump and reassess

Symptom: Distracting dark border at the edge of the design

• Likely cause: Uncropped source image

• Fix: Crop the image before import to remove unwanted areas, then reconvert to PaintStitch

Quick tests to isolate issues

• Toggle Blending among Low/Normal/Full and compare one detail area

• Undo/redo brightness vs. contrast changes to see which yields better definition

• Temporarily hide the hoop to evaluate the image without visual clutter

magnetic hoops for embroidery machines

From the comments: Can I change a single color?

A reader asked: If a specific transferred color isn’t ideal, can you change just one and preview it?

Inline answer: Use the Properties panel to switch thread palettes. PaintStitch renders up to 15 colors; changing the palette remaps the design so you can preview a different look. This is a fast way to evaluate alternative colorways before stitching.

Pro tip

• After changing palettes, zoom into a critical detail to judge whether shadows and highlights improve.

embroidery machine for beginners

Appendix: Walkthrough Recap (by image type)

• Drawing → PaintStitch

- Open as PaintStitch, switch hoop if needed, choose palette, test Blending (Normal is a safe default), add contrast (+~20%) if edges look soft, confirm stitch count (example: ~94,000 stitches for a flower).

• Painting → PaintStitch

- Pre-crop if edges distract, open as PaintStitch, then bump contrast for sharper colors.

• Photo → PaintStitch

- Open as PaintStitch, optionally hide the hoop to focus on image, apply Smoothing, add small contrast (+~10%), test brightness (+~10%) and undo if it washes out detail, resize proportionally, select 5x7 hoop, center to hoop.

hoop master embroidery hooping station