Brother Pe Design 6 Manual

							Advanced OpreationDesign Center
73
Design Center
Stage 2 (Line Image Stage)
Continuing to Stage 2 (Line Image Stage)
After opening the image, continue to stage 2 (Line Image stage), where the color(s) that will be used to create 
the line image (outline of the image) will be selected. In stage 2 (Line Image stage), you can edit the image 
using the pen and eraser tools. You may also want to use these tools to create outlines that are easier to draw 
by hand, for example, free-hand writing. Use the zooming tools available to display the image enlarged or 
reduced.
Toolbar button: 
1.Click  , or click Stage, then To Line 
Image.
→The Cut out to Line Image dialog box ap-
pears.
→If you were in stage 3 (Figure Handle 
stage), you are returned to stage 2, un-
less you have modified the image in stage 
3. In that case, a message will appear, 
asking you to confirm that you want to 
abandon the changes made in stage 3.
bMemo:
To display the image enlarged (or reduced), 
move the ZOOM slider up (or down). When 
the image is enlarged, you can scroll through 
it to display different parts.
2.Click the outline color(s) that you want to 
convert into black outlines.
→When the pointer is moved over the im-
age, the shape of the pointer changes to 
.→The selected color appears in the top box 
under Pick Colors, and   appears in 
the check box to show that the color is se-
lected.
bMemo:
 You can repeat step 2. to select up to five 
colors. If more than five colors are 
selected, only the last five colors selected 
remain in the list.
 To deselect a color, clear the 
corresponding check box.
 To adjust the color tone and reduce image 
noise (distortions), click 
Image Tune. (For 
more details, refer to “Image tuning” on 
page 74.)
3.Click Preview to preview the line image in the 
Design Page.
bMemo:
If necessary, the settings can be changed. 
After changing the settings, click 
Preview to 
preview the outline with the new settings 
applied.
4.Click OK.
→All of the selected colors are converted to 
a black outline (line image), which is dis-
played in the Design Page of stage 2 (Line 
Image stage).
aNote:
If you started with stage 3 (Figure Handle 
stage) by opening a stage 3 file, you cannot 
go to stage 2.
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Design CenterStage 2 (Line Image Stage)
bMemo:
 To quit the operation and go back to stage 
1 (Original Image stage), click Cancel.
 It is recommended to select just as many 
colors as necessary to create a clear 
outline of the image. In the above 
example, only a single color was selected.
 If you do not like the result, select the 
menu command 
Stage – To Original 
Image to go back to stage 1 (Original 
Image stage), and then create the line 
image again.
Image tuning
Clicking the Image Tune button in the Cut out to 
Line Image dialog box displays an Image Tune 
dialog box similar to the one shown below.
From this dialog box, you can reduce the colors of 
the image data (posterize) or reduce image noise 
(distortions). By applying an even gradation to make 
the image smoother, you can select colors more 
easily, even from image data that was taken from a 
scanner or other device and does not have clear 
outlines.
1) The image window displays the image 
resulting from the current settings.
2) Move the Tone slider to set the amount of 
color reduction (posterization). Set to High to 
show the original image. Set towards Low to 
increase the color reduction.
3) If the Noise Reduction check box is 
selected, the smaller areas of noise are 
removed.
4)
Click OK to show the corrected image in the 
image window on the 
Cut out to Line Image 
dialog box and to close the dialog box.
bMemo:
 To close the dialog box without applying 
the changes to the settings, click Cancel.
 Clicking 
OK resets the Pick Colors list on 
the Cut out to Line Image dialog box.
Creating a new Design Page 
in stage 2 (Line Image stage)
Toolbar button: 
1.Click  , or click File, then New Line 
Image.
→If the current Design Page has already 
been saved or has not been edited, a new 
Design Page immediately appears in 
stage 2 (Line Image stage).
→If the current Design Page has not been 
saved, you will be asked whether you 
want to save the changes.
bMemo:
In stage 2 (Line Image stage), the file will be 
saved as a .pel file.
c“Importing image data from a TWAIN 
device” on page 72, “Saving” on 
page 104, and “Creating a new Design 
Page in stage 3 (Figure Handle stage)” on 
page 78
Drawing and erasing outlines
Drawing outlines
1.On the Tool Box, click the button for the pen 
with the desired thickness.
→The shape of the pointer changes to 
.
2.To add a dot, click once. To draw a line, drag 
the pointer.
Image window
aNote:
The image adjustments selected in the 
Image Tune dialog box apply only to the 
image displayed in the Cut out to Line 
Image dialog box; the image that results 
from these adjustments cannot be saved.
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							Advanced OpreationDesign Center
75
Design CenterStage 2 (Line Image Stage)
bMemo:
To draw vertical or horizontal lines, hold 
down the   key while moving the 
pointer.
Erasing outlines
1.On the Tool Box, click the button for the eraser 
with the desired thickness.
2.Move the pointer over the line that you want to 
erase, and then hold down the right mouse 
button.
→The shape of the pointer changes to 
.
3.Drag the pointer to erase the line. 
Shift
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							76
Design Center
Stage 3 (Figure Handle Stage)
Continuing to Stage 3 (Figure Handle 
Stage)
After creating the outline, which is simply a collection of dots (or pixels) in stage 2 (Line Image stage), continue 
to stage 3 (Figure Handle stage), where the dots are automatically connected to create lines that can be 
edited. In stage 3 (Figure Handle stage), you can use the Point Edit tool to move, delete and insert points, or 
you can use the Line tool to draw lines.
Toolbar button: 
1.Click  , or click Stage, then To Figure 
Handle.
→If you were in stage 2 (Line Image stage), 
the Figure Object Conversion Setting 
dialog box appears.
2.Select a setting under Resolution.
This setting determines how detailed the 
generated figure handle image will be. 
Basically, the line image is converted into 
pieces of broken lines. To create more details, 
more points are needed on the broken lines, 
which also increases the size of the file.
In general, Normal provides a sufficient 
resolution without making the file too large.
If selecting Coarse gives a satisfactory result 
for a particular image, select this setting in 
order to keep the file as small as possible.
Select Fine only if the image contains many 
small details, and the Normal setting does not 
give a satisfactory result.
3.To replace the black outlines with figure 
handle lines along the center of the outlines, 
select the Thinning Process check box, and 
then use the slider to select the degree of 
detail.
bMemo:
When the slider is set to Much, even very 
thick black lines will be replaced with a line 
along the center.
To replace the black lines with figure handle 
lines following the border of the outlines, clear 
the Thinning Process check box.
4.Use the SIZE slider to set the size.
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							Advanced OpreationDesign Center
77
Design CenterStage 3 (Figure Handle Stage)
5.To select a specific part of the image, click 
Pick Area, drag the pointer ( ) across the 
image in the Design Page to select the desired 
area.
bMemo:
The Figure Object Conversion Setting 
dialog box appears again when the mouse 
button is released.
6.Click OK.
→The figure handle image is displayed in 
the Design Page of stage 3 (Figure Han-
dle stage).
bMemo:
To close the dialog box without applying the 
changes to the settings, click Cancel.
c“Creating a new Design Page in stage 2 
(Line Image stage)” on page 74, 
“Continuing to Stage 4 (Sew Setting 
Stage)” on page 83, “Changing the grid 
settings” on page 105, and “Specifying 
the Design Page size” on this page
Specifying the Design Page size
In stage 3 (Figure Handle stage), you can select a 
Design Page size according to the size of hoop that 
you will be using with your sewing machine, or you 
can customize the size to fit even very large 
embroidery patterns.
1.Click Option, then Design Page Property.
→The Design Page Property dialog box 
appears. 
2.Select the Design Page size. 
To adjust the Design Page size according to 
the hoop size, select Hoop Size, and then 
select the desired hoop size from the selector.
To specify a custom Design Page size, select 
Custom Size, and then type or select the 
desired width and height for the Design Page. 
(The setting range is 100 to 1000 mm (3.9 to 
39.4 inches).)
bMemo:
 The preview area shows the setting 
changes that you make.
 When 
Hoop Size is selected, the sewing 
machine image shows the orientation of 
the Design Page (hoop) in relation to the 
machine.
3.Click OK.
bMemo:
 To return to the default settings (100 × 100 
mm (4 × 4) of Hoop Size), click Default.
 To close the dialog box without applying 
the changes to the settings, click 
Cancel.
aNote:
You will not be able to enlarge the image 
beyond the limits of the Design Page area. If 
necessary, click 
Design Page Property, 
and then change the Design Page size in the 
dialog box that appeared.
aNote:
If the outline data cannot be created from the 
image when moving from stage 2 (Line Image 
stage) to stage 3 (Figure Handle stage), even 
after various outline conversion settings are 
specified, return to stage 2, and correct the 
outlines in the line image or apply corrections 
from the image.aNote:
 When Hoop Size is selected, do not 
select a size larger than the maximum 
embroidering area for your machine.
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							78
Design CenterStage 3 (Figure Handle Stage)
Creating a new Design Page in 
stage 3 (Figure Handle stage)
An empty Design Page can be created in order to 
draw a figure handle image or to create patterns 
from outlines taken from a previously saved .pem 
file.
1.Click File, then New Figure Data.
→If the current Design Page has already 
been saved or has not been edited, a new 
Design Page immediately appears in 
stage 3 (Figure Handle stage).
bMemo:
 The size of the Design Page is the 
currently selected size.
 To retrieve data from a saved .pem file, 
use the menu command 
File – Import 
Figure
.
→If the current Design Page has not been 
saved, you will be asked whether you 
want to save the changes.
bMemo:
In stage 3 (Figure Handle stage), the file will 
be saved as a .pem file.
c“Importing image data from a TWAIN 
device” on page 72, “Saving” on 
page 104, and “Creating a new Design 
Page in stage 2 (Line Image stage)” on 
page 74
Editing Outlines
Selecting outlines
1.Click   on the Tool Box.
→The shape of the pointer changes to 
.
2.Click the outline that you want to select. 
→When the pointer is moved over the out-
line, the shape of the pointer changes to 
.
bMemo:
 When the outline is selected, handles 
appear and the outline appears in blue. The outline will not be selected if an empty 
part of it is selected.
 To deselect the outline, select a different 
outline, or click in a blank area of the 
Design Page.
3.To select an additional outline, hold down the 
 key and click the other outline.
bMemo:
You can also select outlines by dragging the 
pointer across the outline that you want to 
select. As you drag the pointer, a selection 
frame is drawn. All outlines that are 
completely contained in that selection frame 
are selected when the mouse button is 
released.
Moving outlines
1.Select the outline that you want to move. 
→When the pointer is moved over the out-
line, the shape of the pointer changes to 
.
2.Drag the outline to the desired location.
aNote:
 Custom Design Page sizes cannot be 
saved for version 5 and earlier.
 The selected size will be applied to every 
new Design Page, until the settings are 
changed.
Handles
 Ctrl
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							Advanced OpreationDesign Center
79
Design CenterStage 3 (Figure Handle Stage)
bMemo:
 To move the outline horizontally or 
vertically, hold down the   key while 
dragging it.
 Pressing the arrow keys moves the 
selected outline 0.5 mm (about 0.02 inch) 
in the direction of the arrow on the key.
Scaling outlines
■Scaling manually
1.
Select the outline that you want to resize.
2.Move the pointer over one of the handles of a 
selected outline or group of outlines.
→The shape of the pointer changes to 
, ,  or , depending 
on the handle that the pointer is over.
bMemo:
  is for scaling the width.
  is for scaling the height.
  and   are for scaling both 
dimensions at the same time. 
3.Drag the handle to adjust the selected 
outline(s) to the desired size.
■Scaling numerically
1.
Select the outline that you want to resize.
2.Click Edit, then Numerical Setting, then Size.
→The Size dialog box appears.
3.To change the width and height proportionally, 
select the aspect check box.
4.Select the whether the width and height will be 
set as a percentage (%) or a dimension 
(millimeters or inches).
5.Type or select the desired width and height.
bMemo:
 Select 100% to leave the outline 
unchanged.
 If the 
aspect check box is selected, 
changing one dimension automatically 
changes the other so that the proportion of 
the width and height remains unchanged.
6.Click OK.
bMemo:
 To preview the outline at the new size in 
the Design Page, click Preview.
 To close the dialog box without applying 
the changes to the settings, click 
Cancel.
c“Changing the measurement units” on 
page 105
Flipping outlines 
horizontally or vertically
1.Select the outline that you want to flip 
horizontally (up/down) or vertically (left/right).
2.To flip the outline horizontally, click Edit, then 
Mirror, then Horizontal, or click   on the 
Toolbar.
To flip the outline vertically, click Edit, then 
Mirror, then Vertical, or click   on the 
Toolbar.
Rotating outlines
■Rotating manually
1.
Select the outline that you want to rotate.
2.Click Edit, then Rotate, or click   on the 
Toolbar.
→The handles around the selected outline 
are replaced by small squares at the four 
corners of the selected outline.
Shift
aNote:
 You cannot enter a size that will cause the 
outline to exceed the size of the Design 
Page.
 The minimum value is 1 mm (0.04 inch).
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							80
Design CenterStage 3 (Figure Handle Stage)
3.Move the pointer over one of the four rotation 
handles. 
→When the pointer is moved over a rotation 
handle, the shape of the pointer changes 
to .
4.Drag the rotation handle clockwise or 
counterclockwise to rotate the outline in 1° 
increments.
bMemo:
To rotate the outline in 15° increments, hold 
down the   key while dragging the 
rotation handle.
■Rotating numerically
1.
Select the outline that you want to rotate.
2.Click Edit, then Numerical Setting, then 
Rotate.
→The Rotate dialog box appears.
3.Type or select the desired rotation angle.
bMemo:
 The angle can also be specified by moving 
the pointer over the red arrow inside of the 
circle, then dragging the red arrow to the 
desired angle. When the pointer is moved 
over the red arrow, its shape changes to 
.
Select 
0 degree to leave the outline 
unchanged.
4.Click OK.
bMemo:
 To preview the outline at the new angle in 
the Design Page, click Preview.
 To close the dialog box without applying 
the changes to the settings, click 
Cancel.
Deleting outlines
1.Select the outline to be deleted.
2.Press the   key, or click Edit, then 
Delete.
Shift
aNote:
The range of values that can be entered is 
between 0 and 359 degrees, in 1-degree 
increments.
Delete
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							Advanced OpreationDesign Center
81
Design CenterStage 3 (Figure Handle Stage)
Editing Points in Outlines
Moving points
1.Click   on the Tool Box. 
→The shape of the pointer changes to 
.
2.Click the outline that you want to edit.
→The outline appears in pink, and the 
points in the selected outline appear as 
small empty squares. The points at the 
ends of lines appear as larger squares. 
3.Click the point that you want to move. 
→The selected point appears as a small 
black square.
bMemo:
To select additional points, hold down the 
 key and click each point, or drag the 
pointer over the points that you want to 
select.
4.Drag the point to the new location.
→All selected points move in the same di-
rection.
bMemo:
 To move the point horizontally or vertically, 
hold down the   key while dragging 
it.
 Pressing the arrow keys moves the 
selected point 0.1 mm (about 0.01 inch) in 
the direction of the arrow on the key.
Inserting points
1.Click   on the Tool Box. 
→The shape of the pointer changes to 
.
2.Click the outline that you want to edit.
→The outline appears in pink, and the 
points in the selected outline appear as 
small empty squares. The points where 
lines overlap appear as larger squares. 
3.Click the outline at the position where you 
want to insert a new point.
→A new point, appearing as a small black 
square, is added. The new point can be 
edited.
Deleting points
1.Click   on the Tool Box. 
→The shape of the pointer changes to 
.
2.Click the outline containing the point that you 
want to edit.
→The points in the outline appear as small 
empty squares.
3.Click the point that you want to delete.
→The selected point appears as a small 
black square.
bMemo:
To select additional points, hold down the 
 key and click each point, or drag the 
pointer over the points that you want to 
select.
4.Press the   key to remove the point 
from the outline.
aNote:
If you click the line instead of a square, a 
new point is inserted.
Ctrl
Shift
aNote:
The points where lines overlap, which 
appear as red squares, cannot be deleted.
Ctrl
Delete
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							82
Design CenterStage 3 (Figure Handle Stage)
Drawing a Broken Line
The line drawing mode allows you to add broken lines to your pattern. A broken line is made of one or more 
adjacent straight lines, in other words, the end point of one straight line is the start point of the next one.
If the broken line that you draw did not create enclosed regions, it remains a simple outline, and you can only 
set sewing attributes for the line itself in stage 4 (Sew Setting stage).
If the broken line created enclosed regions, you can assign sew types and colors to both the outline and the 
regions in stage 4.
If you draw a line through an existing region, creating two separate regions, you will be able to set sewing 
attributes for both regions separately, as well as for the separating line.
1.Click   on the Tool Box.
→When the pointer is moved over the work 
area, the shape of the pointer changes to 
.
2.To draw a line, click in the Design Page to 
specify the start point.
3.Move the pointer, and then click in the Design 
Page to specify the next point.
→The two points are connected with a 
straight line.
bMemo:
 To remove the last point that was entered, 
click the right mouse button.
If necessary, use the grid to help draw the 
lines. You can set the grid so that each of 
its vertical and horizontal lines are visible. 
For details on the grid, refer to “Changing 
the grid settings” on page 105.
 To draw vertical or horizontal lines, hold 
down the   key while moving the 
pointer.
4.Repeat step 3. until you have specified all 
points except the end point.
5.Double-click in the Design Page to specify the 
end point.
Broken line with region Start pointEnd point
Broken lines with two regions Broken line without a region
Shift
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