Exact shapes in, exact colours out
A PNG or JPG is a grid of dots, so a converter has to guess where each edge is. An SVG stores the edges as exact curves, and Embify reads them as they are. VP3 then keeps the colour of every thread exactly, so a VP3 from an SVG is about as close to the artwork as embroidery gets.
A real SVG to VP3 conversion
Getting the SVG ready
Most SVGs work as they are. These four things catch people out:
- Turn text into outlines before you save, so the letters keep their font.
- Expand strokes into shapes, so a line's thickness is part of the drawing and can't change.
- Crop the artboard to the logo. A small logo on a big page can confuse the size.
- Check it's really vector. Zoom right in: if the edges go fuzzy, a picture is hiding inside the SVG, and it will behave like a PNG.
More on this in how to convert an SVG to an embroidery file.
Which Pfaff, Viking and Singer machines read what
Every Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking machine whose guide we read loads VP3, so it is the safe file for the family. Beyond that, they differ:
- VP3 only: the DESIGNER JADE 35 and the creative ambition 640, and Singer's SE9150, SE9155, SE9180 and SE9185, which come from the same group.
- VP3 and much more: the creative icon 2, creative 4.5, DESIGNER EPIC 3, RUBY 90 and TOPAZ 40 also read the family's other formats (HUS, VIP, PCS, SHV) and other brands' files, such as PES and DST.
Older Singer machines, such as the Legacy SE300 and SE340, read XXX and DST instead: see SVG to XXX. One £5 download gives you every format, so you're covered either way.
SVG to VP3. FAQs
Can I convert an SVG to VP3?
Yes. Upload the SVG to Embify, check the sew-out preview, choose VP3 and download. Because an SVG is already exact shapes, nothing has to be traced.
Do Singer machines read VP3?
The Singer SE9150, SE9155, SE9180 and SE9185 load only VP3, so download VP3 for those. Older Singer machines such as the Legacy SE300 and SE340 read XXX and DST instead.
Is the SVG to VP3 converter free?
The preview is free: digitizing your artwork and seeing the sew-out needs no card. Downloading the finished file is £5 as a one-off, or a monthly plan if you convert regularly.