The Software Universe Expands

ISS Long Beach saw the debut of no less than six significant developments in apparel decorating software
March 1, 2008

Gerard Metrailler, director, product management, graphics, for Ottawa, Ontario-based Corel Corp. (left) and Martin Kristiaman, CEO of Australia-based Wilcom Intl., jointly announced the launch of DecoStudio e1, a multi-decoration software product with "integrated graphics and embroidery technology" at an event held during the ISS Long Beach show.

While it may not be news that the personal computer has revolutionized apparel decoration, the Long Beach Imprinted Sportswear Show in January was the scene for a half-dozen software-related developments that could significantly impact the industry.

The first bit of news was big, as Corel Corp., Ottawa, Ont., Canada and Wilcom Intl., New South Wales, Australia, announced DecoStudio. The new software is a combined platform that brings together the full CorelDraw graphics suite and much of the functionality of Wilcom's robust stitch engine and digitizing software.

Pulse Microsystems Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario, — the main OEM software suppler for Tajima machines — is also a major name in digitizing software, and it was demonstrating a beta version of Embroidery i2 — an Adobe Illustrator plug-in that will allow graphic artists to convert vector artwork into stitch files.

Thirdly, Melco Embroidery Systems, Denver, introduced software that will allow apparel decorators to offer on-demand embroidery and/or direct-to-garment printing.

DRAWstitch Ltd., Corel's former partner in CorelDraWINGS software, has gone solo, announcing DRAWings 4, an upgraded version of its embroidery software that includes a built-in artwork design tool.

Meanwhile, long-time embroidery educator John Deer was at the show making plans to launch a commercial version of embroidery and digitizing software that has been successful in the home/hobby market.

Finally, Digital Art Solutions, Tempe, Ariz., which will be a major reseller of the Corel/Wilcom DecoStudio software, also announced expansion of its DesignStudio template and clipart collections.

DECO STUDIO
During the Long Beach show, top executives of Wilcom Intl. and Corel Corp. gathered with key distributors and the press to announce joint development of DecoStudio e1.

Corel had been in the market for a number of years with DRAWings, design and embroidery software created to facilitate the digitizing of vector art files created in Corel's graphic arts program. It had been developed in partnership with DrawStitch Intl., a relationship that has now ended. (See below for information on DrawStitch's new direction.) Meanwhile, Wilcom was quietly developing graphic arts software to interface with its embroidery software, according to Martin Kristiaman, CEO.

"We saw the need, and we could have addressed that opportunity with or without Corel," he said. But the two companies decided they could achieve more by combining what Kristiaman described as their "wide-ranging and complementary strengths."

The first product to emerge from this partnership is DecoStudio e1, a CorelDraw product with "integrated graphics and embroidery technology," said Kristiaman. For Corel Corp., Gerard Metrailler, director, product management, graphics, added, "It's really opening up an area where we previously couldn't go from either side."

Kristiaman went on to describe DecoStudio as an all-in-one solution, offering the user, in particular the embroiderer, both flexibility and control in creating and outputting quality digitizing files. "It expedites the design process by automating vector art conversion," he said, emphasizing that the two elements of graphics and embroidery are wedded. "This is not an add-on," he said.

DecoStudio incorporates CorelDraw Graphics Suite X4 along with Wilcom's stitch processor and lettering, monogramming and appliqué tools. In addition, the software includes more than 10,000 clipart and digital images, and 100 creative templates, among other features.

DecoStudio users can combine embroidery and print, and move between vector art and embroidery elements, while keeping everything in one file for production. In addition, designs can be layered with different techniques including screen printing, direct-to-garment printing, embroidery and appliqué.

"After surveying our vast user base, we discovered that CorelDraw was by far the most popular graphics tool for the print and embroidery industry worldwide, so we are truly excited about our partnership with Corel," said Kristiaman. "We believe DecoStudio ... makes it easy for users to visualize and design a creative mix of garment printing, embroidery and appliqué."

DecoStudio will be available in English in spring 2008 for a suggested retail price of $1,999.

Current owners and users of CorelDraWINGS can save $1,000 by taking advantage of a limited-time upgrade discount offer. Qualified purchasers are owners of previous versions of CorelDRAWings who can validate eligibility. A software key serial number will be required as proof of purchase.

For more information, visit wilcom. com.au or www.corel.com/decostudio.

Digital Art Solutions, which has been the No. 1 reseller of CorelDraw Graphics Suite to the imprinting industry in the U.S., will distribute the DecoSuite software. It has been running free DecoStudio demo webinars open to any decorator interested in the software. Visit smartdesigns.com for more information.

PULSE ILLUSTRATOR PLUG-IN
Pulse Microsystems Ltd. drew lots of interest as product managers demonstrated a beta version of Embroidery i2, an Adobe Illustrator digitizing plug-in.

This first-ever Illustrator digitizing plug-in product would allow decorators who regularly work in Illustrator to digitize their vector artwork without having to learn "digitizing" software. The market for a sophisticated auto-digitizing plug-in would be people who use Illustrator to create art for screen making or direct inkjet garment printing, according to Preeti Suri, marketing manager for Pulse.

These users would have a short learning curve to start doing their own digitizing. "These might be screen printers, embroiderers or promotional product distributors who may be outsourcing digitizing or [who] would be just getting into embroidery because this product would be so easy to implement," she said.

The plug-in's pricing and release date had not been finalized at press time. Embroidery i2 works with Windows or MacOS versions of Illustrator and includes more than 100 embroidery fonts.

The software allows decorators to assign stitch effects to new or existing vector files and adjust embroidery parameters before outputting a file that is ready to sew. Embroidery i2 also includes pre-programmed parameters for sewing on piqué, silks, fleece, jacket backs and other garments that can be difficult to digitize for efficient sewout. Visit embroideryi2.com for more information.

MELCO LIVE DESIGNER
Betting on the trend for personalized and customized products to continue, Melco Embroidery Systems introduced a software solution that will allow apparel decorators to offer online, on-demand embroidery and print decoration.

Prior to this introduction, the online solutions available were limited to inkjet-to-garment printing or other imprinting methods. Melco's initiative is the first to address on-demand embroidery, which is a much more complex process to apply.

Melco's solution is being rolled out at two levels: Live Designer, which can add functionality to existing enterprise-level online storefronts, and Live Designer Suite, which is a turnkey product for established decorators who want a professional web presence and a way to accept embellishment orders and payment online.

Live Designer Suite delivers embroidery and print specific output files with visual placement instructions for efficient fulfillment. It includes a professionally designed product catalog of 150-plus garments in numerous colors (with options to upload custom items), eight embroidery fonts and 42 print fonts, a collection of 400 stock embroidery designs and 300 print designs. It includes shopping cart functionality with credit card option, and produces 100% accurate orders, sending production-ready files directly to the shop floor.

The online editor allows end users to design garments with either or both embroidery and inkjet garment printing, according to Mike Angel, vice president of marketing and U.S. sales, Melco Industries Inc. "When you hit 'Add to Cart,' a production file is generated on the fly," he said.

Live Designer for enterprise is a robust and powerful product embellishment editor allowing a Web site's end users to add embroidery and inkjet printing to a variety of garments and other products. It can be placed at any point within an existing e-commerce Web site, typically between the catalog and shopping cart. It sends orders to the client site's e-commerce system for financial transactions and then generates orders and sends them directly to embroidery and printing machines in the client's fulfillment center. Keith Hagen, director of commerce, says Live Designer is "all extremely configurable."

DRAWSTITCH
DRAWstitch Ltd. announced a new version of its DRAWings embroidery software. DRAWings 4 is an upgrade that includes enhancements and new features such as a built-in artwork designer. It also includes tools that help users draw ideas into 3D embroidery results in real time, while the software interactively regenerates embroidery parameters. There also is a new Import Stitch Files feature, which allows the user to keep the design as is or convert it partially into a vector graphic; complete Hoop designer; multi-processing abilities; and a free upgrade to the new Wings' modular version 2.50, a digitizing application.

DRAWings 4 is compatible with Windows Vista, and is available through DRAWstitch Ltd. and selected partners.

Existing Corel DRAWings PRO users can upgrade to the new version for $299 and existing Corel DRAWings Standard users can upgrade for $999.

Corel and DRAWstitch, which had been partners in all previous versions of CorelDraWINGS, are no longer working together. DraWINGS 4 is a standalone application developed and marketed soley by DRAWstitch Ltd. Visit drawstitch.com for more information.

NEW IDEAS
John Deer, a fourth-generation master digitizer, who is well-known throughout the commercial industry for Punch Perfect digitizing and Adorable Ideas stock designs, was at the show testing the waters for a group of design and digitizing software applications. He was there with Brian Bailie, an engineer and managing director of his own software development company, BriTon Leap, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.

The two have been successful marketing a group of individual design, embroidery and digitizing applications to the large home/hobby market.

Visit designersgallerysoftware.com for a look at some of the applications the two entrepreneurs have at hand as they prepare to enter the commercial market.

At press time, their plans were still evolving in terms of which of several software products they would launch, and how they might go to market — whether under their own brand or through a distributor.

According to Bailie, a likely first product would be a modestly priced design convergence application. Priced at about $250, it would contain a variety of frames, banners and shields that would allow a decorator to combine a raster image for printing on a direct-to-garment printer, and the proper registration tools to move the garment right onto an embroidery head for a quick name drop.

DESIGN STUDIO
Digital Art Solutions, Tempe, Ariz., announced Design Studio, a template and clipart product that accommodates multi-decoration designs. According to Jay Busselle, general manager, Design Studio will be contemporary in style, and will follow current fashion trends much more closely than a typical stock art collection.

Visit smartdesigns.com for more information as it becomes available.

Reporting by editorial director Richard Lebovitz was incorporated into this article.

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