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Watch the video: Creating Custom Color Charts for Embird Software by Thread Treasures
If you’ve ever spent too long hunting for the exact thread you own—or guessed and got a near-miss color—this tutorial is the fix. The video walks through lifting Floriani thread entries from a text chart, personalizing them, and confirming they appear in Embird’s digitizing module. It’s simple, repeatable, and saves real time when you’re designing.
What you’ll learn
- Why a custom chart mirrors your personal stash and speeds color selection
- How to safely work from a copy of a manufacturer chart
- A step-by-step workflow to search, paste, and personalize thread entries
- Quick checks to ensure your new colors load in Embird’s catalog
Understanding Custom Thread Charts in Embird Custom thread charts are exactly what they sound like—catalogs that reflect the colors you actually own. In the video, the presenter shows a Marathon chart that combines rayon and polyester lines into one personal catalog. The goal is clarity: when you pick colors for a design, the on-screen list should precisely match your drawer.
Why customize your thread catalog? When your digital chart mirrors your physical stash, your workflow gets faster and more accurate. You spend less time cross-referencing and more time stitching. The presenter’s approach is straightforward: copy a manufacturer’s entries and edit them so they’re easy to identify later.
Overview of existing charts (Marathon example) The existing Marathon chart in the demo is a personalized mix of rayon and polyester. The important part is the consistency of naming and structure—so the chart reads the same way for every brand you add over time. magnetic embroidery hoop
Preparing Your Floriani Thread Data To add Floriani colors into a custom chart, the presenter opens the Floriani chart in a text editor and works from a safe copy. That way, if an edit goes wrong, the original stays intact. The process is manual: search the source chart for a thread number, copy the entire line (brand, number, name, RGB), then paste into the custom file.
Locating Floriani color charts In the video, the Floriani list is already available as a text file and opened in Notepad. The presenter notes that some numbers on paper didn’t appear in the digital chart—hinting the file might be outdated. That’s a helpful heads-up as you begin your own build.
Safeguarding original files: Working with copies Before any edits, a copy of the Floriani list is saved to another location. It’s a simple insurance policy: you won’t accidentally damage your manufacturer chart. If you need to reset, the original is still there, unchanged. embroidery machine hoops
Step-by-Step: Adding Floriani Threads to Your Custom Chart Here’s the exact workflow shown: open the Floriani chart in Notepad, search for a target number, and select the full line once you find it. Then paste into the custom chart file and personalize the entry so it clearly reads as your catalog entry.
Searching for specific thread numbers in Notepad The presenter tries several numbers. Some searches come up empty—first with “083” and later “703.” Those misses suggest the file may not include every code or that the chart version is older. Eventually, “137” returns a hit, confirming the search process works once the number exists in the file. mighty hoops
Copying and pasting thread entries Once a valid line is located, the entire row is highlighted and copied. The key is grabbing the complete data set at once: brand (Floriani), the color code (e.g., PF137), the color name (Fandango), and the RGB values. Pasting that into the custom chart preserves accuracy—no fragmenting or manual retyping.
Personalizing thread names and details After pasting into the custom chart, the presenter adds personalization at the start (such as an owner label), keeps the manufacturer field, specifies fiber (Polyester), and maintains the original color name and RGB. The sequence is consistent across entries so the catalog remains uniform and easy to scan.
Pro tip Settle on a naming pattern early—Owner, Brand, Fiber, Color Name, RGB—and use it for every single line. This uniformity pays off when your list grows and you’re scrolling quickly for a match. magnetic hoops for embroidery machines
Watch out If “Find” returns no results for a thread number, re-check spelling and prefixes (such as removing “PF”). If it’s still missing, the chart may be older than your spools. Either verify the number on a current manufacturer chart or keep a note to add that color later if you have confirmed RGB values.
Example: PF199 (“Chocolate”) The presenter searches for PF199, finds “Chocolate,” and pastes it into the custom chart. The same personalization is applied. Notably, the presenter mentions it reads more red than the name implies. Keep the official name anyway—it’s what your digitizing software will display.
Example: PF6502 (“Light Khaki”) Repeating the same steps, PF6502 is located and added with the same naming structure. The repetition is the point: this becomes a reproducible process you can work through in batches, drawer by drawer. snap hoop monster
Quick check After each addition session, scan your new lines for trailing spaces, misplaced commas, or typos in numbers. Small format errors can keep entries from appearing in Embird. A quick proofread saves troubleshooting later.
Troubleshooting Common Issues During Chart Creation Handling missing thread numbers When a number doesn’t appear in “Find,” it may be a mismatch between your paper list and the digital file. In the video, some numbers aren’t found, which suggests the chart’s version is older. If you can’t verify a number, skip it for now and keep moving—momentum matters.
Ensuring consistent data formatting Stick to one exact pattern. Even tiny differences—like an extra space before a comma—can cause downstream issues. Consistency also helps you sort or filter the file later if you decide to process the data programmatically. magnetic embroidery frames
Integrating Your Custom Chart into Embird Software Saving your customized thread file Once you’ve added a batch of colors, save your custom text file in Notepad. This locks in your changes and makes them available for Embird to read. The presenter saves before switching to Embird, ensuring the newest entries will load.
Loading and verifying new colors in Embird’s digitizing module The next step is opening Embird, entering the digitizing module, and drawing a simple shape. Then, open the color catalog dialog, choose the custom catalog, and scroll to confirm that the new entries appear—such as Bermuda Pink, Chocolate, and Dark Orange shown in the demo. This confirmation step ensures your edits are recognized by the software.
From the comments One viewer asked whether these charts are available for sale. The creator replied that they weren’t sure about availability and asked which chart was wanted, emphasizing they’re not hard to make. Translation: the DIY approach shown here is both feasible and flexible for your own collection.
Results you should see
- Your custom catalog selectable in Embird’s color dialog
- The newly added Floriani colors listed with your personalized naming
- Colors ready to apply to shapes in the workspace for design planning
Expanding Your Thread Catalog: Tips and Best Practices Adding other brands (e.g., Metro EMB) The presenter mentions plans to add more Floriani colors and Metro EMB threads next. The same workflow applies: open the brand’s chart, locate lines by number, paste into your custom file, and personalize the naming. Batch work makes this manageable—add 10–20 at a time and verify inside Embird after each batch. embroidery hoops for sale near me
Maintaining an up-to-date thread inventory
- Keep a simple running list of what you own and the date you added each color.
- If you purchase new thread lines, add them immediately while the spools are still on your desk.
- If a manufacturer updates names or numbers, note the change in a comment line so you can search both old and new references.
Pro tip Add a short owner tag (like your name or studio shorthand) at the start of every entry. That tag becomes an anchor when you filter or sort. If you collaborate with others, agree on a shared tag and format to avoid cross-catalog confusion. embroidery hoop shop near me
Watch out Do not overwrite original manufacturer files. Always keep a pristine copy stored safely. In the demo, the presenter specifically works from a duplicate so nothing critical is lost during edits.
Quick check Before each Embird verification pass, confirm that:
- All entries follow the same Owner, Brand, Fiber, Color Name, RGB order.
- Numbers and RGB values have no stray characters.
- Your file is saved in the correct location where Embird expects to find it.
Frequently asked questions Q: Why should I create a custom thread color chart in Embird? A: A custom chart mirrors what you actually own. That saves time choosing colors, reduces guesswork, and helps you stitch more confidently.
Q: What information do I need to add a thread? A: Brand/manufacturer, the thread’s specific number (e.g., PF137), the color name (e.g., Fandango), and RGB values.
Q: What should I do if a thread number isn’t found in the original chart? A: It could indicate an outdated chart or typos. Verify with a current manufacturer chart if possible, or add the entry later once you have confirmed values.
From the workspace When you see your custom entries—like Bermuda Pink or Chocolate—inside Embird, you know the process worked. The catalog becomes more powerful with every addition, so keep refining and expanding over time. magnetic embroidery hoop