Four short steps. Take your time — nothing here can break anything.
Step 1 — Sign your name on paper
- Use plain white paper. Paper with no lines on it, if you have some.
- Sign with a black felt-tip, marker, or gel pen. A thick, dark line works
best. A ballpoint pen usually makes a line that is too thin and too light for us to trace.
- Sign larger than you normally would — about as wide as your hand.
Bigger is easier to trace.
- Press firmly, so the line is solid and does not break up.
Step 2 — Take a good photo
- Put the paper on a flat surface — a table, not your lap.
- Find bright, even light. Near a window in the daytime is best.
- Do not let your shadow fall on the paper. Stand to the side of the
light, not between the light and the paper.
- Hold the camera straight above the paper, not tilted at an angle.
- Move in close, so the signature fills most of the picture.
- Take the photo, then look at it. The line should be dark and sharp, and
the paper plain and bright. If it looks grey, dim, or blurry, take it again.
Step 3 — Add it here
On an iPad or phone
- Tap Upload image.
- Choose Photo Library.
- Tap your signature photo.
If you would rather take the photo right now, choose
Take Photo instead. That works too.
On a computer
- Click Upload image.
- Find the photo on your computer.
- Click Open.
Step 4 — Finish it
- Pick a style. Pencil is a thin line, Marker is bold, and Calligraphy
goes from thin to thick.
- Choose how big you want it, and pick your hoop size.
We will warn you if it will not fit.
- Tap Preview (PDF) and print it at 100%, or
actual size, so you can check it before you stitch.
- Tap Export stitch file to download the file for your machine.
Getting the file to your machine
The file is called signature.dst. Most embroidery
machines read DST files.
- Tap Send file, then choose Mail to email the file to
yourself. If you have a Mac, you can choose AirDrop instead.
- On your computer, open the email and save signature.dst onto a
USB stick.
- Put the USB stick into your embroidery machine, then find the design on the
machine's screen and open it.
If you do not see a Send file button, your browser
cannot pass files to Mail. The file still downloads when you tap
Export stitch file — look in Files ›
Downloads on an iPad, or your Downloads folder on a
computer — and you can email or copy it from there.
Your signature stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded to us.
This tool is still being tested — please stitch a test piece on scrap fabric first.