Learn how to easily build words, phrases and monograms
from fancy embroidery alphabets using designs editing software

Using these same steps you will also be able to add lettering to regular designs, and merge several simple designs to create complex compositions and scenes. In this specific example we'll be using the popular Embird software to merge letters, but the idea and steps will be similar for almost all other embroidery programs.

Merging designs and embroidery font letters will bring you a buch of new possibilities, and can hardly be over evaluated. If you want to stitch more than two separate designs in one hooping, merging can save you time and frustration with aligning designs. The basic steps for merging embroidery designs in any embroidery editing software are:

Making a backup copy of your original designs, just in case.

Deciding what hoop size will be sufficient for your new creation, and selecting it in your software (you must have such hoop, of course!).

Copying all parts (in our example - letters of future monogram) of your new creation into a single file and arranging them on PC screen according to your needs, making sure you keep within the correct hoop size.

Making last adjustments, such as - sorting colors to eliminate unnecessary color changes, centering, recoloring design to match your project, resizing the whole composition (If you decide to resize, be aware that there might be a serious loss in quality, so always test stitch carefully and save the original size designs aside as backup; resizing fancy stitches & backgrounds, or changing design size over 10 - 15% will be problematic almost for sure) .

When everything looks fine - saving your new design in format that fits your embroidery machine (make sure you save it under a new name to prevent overwriting another existing design).

Now, let's build a monogram! Read, click on screenshot icons to ZOOM.

Click on image to enlarge

Open Embird and navigate to font letters you'd like to merge via the right panel. In our case they are in "C:\designs\fonts\FancyDuetMonograms\" folder. Double click on design name to make it show up on your main screen.	Put your coursor on file name of first letter you'd like to use for your monogram. We've selected "S". Right mouse click on it. You will see a popup window. Select "Edit File..." option and click on it.
Embird Editor will open. Now you may do various changes to the design, and add new objects to it. It is possible to resize, flip, rotate, change color sequence, center design in hoop and more. We'll mention resizing (be careful) & centering later.	To verify the correct hoop is selected, click "Options" => "Hoop Size..." on top menu. When choosing hoop size - try to use the smallest hoop you can that fits design's size. Small hoops are usually more stable, therefore easier to use.
"Change Hoop Size" popup will jump out. Select your machine and hoop size and click "OK".	Place mouse coursor on "S" letter, drag the letter left to free some space to second part of monogram, and position it on left hoop side. Don't change the size - just relocate.
To insert the second letter of future monogram, click "File" => "Merge".	"Merge Files" popup window will open. Navigate to the second letter on your PC (in our case - right "K", located in "C:\designs\fonts\FancyDuetMonograms\"), mark it with your mouse coursor and click "OK".
Now you should see the right monogram letter floating over the first one.	It's time to relocate both design parts, so that the letters would form a phombus two-letter monogram. Drag the "K" to right side of the hoop. Position it exactly in front of "S". Stop moving the letters when you're happy with how they look together.
You may see that although the monogram looks complete, each letter shows as a separate design on right panel, and each has it's own color stops. We need to fix this, to make a single design out of them. Click "Edit" => "Select All" on top menu.	The moment all objects are selected, you should see one border suppounding them all.
Now, it's time to join them. Click "Edit" => "Join" on top menu.	When looking at the right program panel, you will now see both letters together, with single color stops table.
Since both letters have similar colors, it's better to change thread only once instead of three times (unless you really want to make each letter in different color). To eliminate unnecessary color stops, click "Edit" => "Sort Colors".	A warning popup will jump out, asking if you're sure. In this case click "Yes", but there are designs where you should think twice and plan carefully before applying this function. It can cause serious mess to your design if done incorrectly.
Now all burgundy thread will sew out first, and golden - later. Look at the right panel (objects order bar). There are two color swatches now, not four. Imagine that you're joining designs with 5 or 6 similar colors - plenty of time saved!	Some embroidery designs may be resized successfully. Others worse, and many may be ruined. We don't recommend resizing anything specific, but if you need to resize something and want to try scaling at your own risk - do this via "Edit" => "Set Size".
The "Set Size" window will pop up, and ask you to enter new size parameters. Don't exaggerate, but 10 - 15% percent change often works well. Before clicking "OK", make sure you have the design in it's normal size saved as backup.	Now, we need to center design in hoop before saving the final version to hard drive. Do this via "Edit" => "Center" => "Both Axes" on top menu.
Everything looks ok, but we want to be absolutely sure everything stitches out correctly and in the correct order. This step is especially important with complex multicolor designs. Click "View" => "Sew Simulator".	"Sew Simulator" will show you a moovie - simulation of how your machine will behave. Watch carefully to make sure all colors are in the correct order. When finished, just close "Sew Simulator" window.
It's time to save the design on hard drive. Don't trust floppies - they're not reliable. Always keed backup on hard drive. Click "File" => "Save As".	A popup will jump out, asking to choose your design format. Select the correct one for your embroidery machine, and click "OK".
Navigate to the correct destination folder where you'd like to save the design, give it a unique name within this folder, and click "Save". Woo hoo!	Now, close Embird Editor window.
Navigate to the correct destination folder where you'd like to save the design, give it a unique name within this folder, and click "Save". Woo hoo!	Now, close Embird Editor window, close Embird, transfer the design to your machine and use!