I have dedicated a lot of time and effort to my embroidery skills. Having successfully completed multiple projects, I’ve encountered and overcome various challenges, and now I am capable of handling any complex design, from jacket backs to other complex patterns. I am eager to take on new projects and establish this as a long-term business. However, my main challenge is finding clients who can provide me with designs on a daily or weekly basis. I’m uncertain about where to find such clients and need guidance on how to expand my digitizing skills into a thriving business.
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Hello. You seem to be confused as to the purpose of the Seamly software.
It isn’t for embroidery designs, and doesn’t interface with embroidery machines, nor create files for them.
It’s purely for pattern drafting of apparel/garments, so unless that’s what you actually want to do, then it’s not going to be of any use to you.
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Hello & welcome to the Seamly forum, @ameliazoe1990
Congratulations on mastering machine embroidery. I’m also quite an enthusiast when I have the time and do enjoy embroidering pattern pieces (that I make with Seamly) before stitching up the garment, so I can see exactly how the 2 fit in together.
You can try the Inkscape embroidery extension - Ink/Stitch - to convert your OFM file into an embroidery file, normally PES. Other than that, you’ll need expensive software like Wilcom, Hatch or Bernina to do your digitizing, some of which will scan an image & digitize it for you.
As for finding someone to provide you with daily/weekly designs, that’s a tough one. Perhaps there is someone on the forum who can provide this service. Good luck.
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Actually I can see some additions to Seamly2D that would aid in laying out embroidery designs on pattern pieces. We did a job a couple years ago for a designer for 18th century coats, waist coats, and knickers, where he did embroidery on the pattern pieces. I had to hand grade the patterns, and then figure out the placement of embroidery so I could send the designer the paper pattern pieces. He did the embroidery and sent everything back where we then put the costumes the together. I WISH I had the patterns in Seamly, and was able to import embroidery images to figure out the placement. BTW… of all the patterns I had, this particular pattern is one the only one I have a copy of (at home) that didn’t get lost in the fire.
Also along the same lines would be making markers for stud, nailhead, and rhinestone work on pattern pieces. Again it would be handy to be able to import and locate designs that automatically adjust to the pattern size. For ex…I’ve done a fair amount of nailheads on Elvis jumpsuits - having had to adjust the design location based on size - usually height.
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Informative Reply!
I have a query in my mind for learning purposes (curious) maybe your experience will give some insights.
I haven’t used Inkscape so far. I have searched terms like PES file converter, OFM file converter, etc. I have seen almost all websites and none of them are giving any service or free way to convert the OFM file. I just now found a converter Image2emb and they convert any design into any embroidery file format. But they are manual digitizers and they said that it’s not possible to convert any design or logo instantly into embroidery files. I mean is there any way I just upload my logo in SVG or EPS form and it will convert the files into PES file. There are a lot of things AI is taking and I thought there is some technology that will do this. But those digitizers from Image2emb said it can’t be possible in this world. Because it requires understanding fabric surface, stitches types, density, complexity, placement, and so many other factors so it’s not possible so far.
What are your insights? Will there in future be any technology that converts logos into embroidery files without digitizers like me?
Thanks in advance
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Yes, exactly these and more.
Give Inkscape’s InkStitch a try - they’re free and opensource. Inkscape is a vector program which will open your SVG/EPS. From there, you will need to choose the areas and lines to convert them to stitches and fills. This is why I suggested it, even though I only glanced at the software a few years ago and it has been refined a bit over the years.
Other than that, I think both Brother & Bernina sell a scanner that one can scan in a logo image and push out an embroidery pattern in PES/ART. I know that businesses selling work-wear/ uniforms/ protective clothing use something that seems to work very well for placing logos on overalls & tee-shirts, but I don’t know what software they use.
I’d say, start off with Inkscape, see how it works for you & grow your business from there until you can get something more automatic.
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Impressive, I will research it. Nice idea. Thank you so much once again for your response. @Grace 
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My partner was the one into the embroidery stuff, but I recall we had a plugin for CorelDraw he used to turn graphics into one of the embroidery files… which I think outputted the format for the Tajima machine we had. Had to use another app to convert that output to the format the Juki tacker machine we had that could do small 3"x5" embroidery.
Alas… all buried ashes now. 
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I’m still crying. 
I think I looked at the CoralDraw plugin, but it was quite expensive, so I never tested it. Perhaps that’s what the protective clothing people use.
I can only imagine that the concept is pretty similar to Inkscape.
It couldn’t have been that expensive, or my partner would not have paid for it. 
Actually we do have a couple Gemfix rhinestone machines that we had to move out that were of a another part the building so they survived, although one was lost in the fire. If you’ve never seen one of those machines running - they’re a trip. They’re interesting, but you can make transfers by hand a lot quicker which you then set with a heat press. We had a plugin for Coreldraw that also would take graphics and turn it into a rhinstone design. If fact we made a lot of rhinstone masks to stay in business during covid.
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