The ladder
Five ways to get a digitized file
There are five ways to get from artwork to a stitch file, and each suits somebody. A bureau gives you judgment and someone to call. A freelancer gives you similar work for less, with more variance. Desktop software gives you the tools and leaves the judgment to you. Stitch AI makes the decisions a tracer cannot, shows its reasoning, and leaves the sample sew-out to you.
Costs below are ranges, not quotes.
| Option | What you get | Typical cost | Turnaround | When it wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A digitizing bureau | A professional's file, any format, with revisions | Roughly $10 to $60 for a simple logo, more for complex art, plus rush fees | Same day to three days; rush costs extra | Complex art, special threads, 3D puff, strict brand rules |
| A freelance digitizer (marketplaces) | One person's work; quality follows the person | Roughly $5 to $40 a design, by complexity | One to five days, depending on the queue | A simple design on a tight budget |
| Auto-digitize in desktop software (Hatch, Wilcom, Embrilliance) | A tracer's stitch file; you fix what it misjudges | A license, hundreds to thousands of dollars, then nothing per file | Immediate, plus your editing time | You own the software and read stitch plans |
| Free online converters | A color-reduced trace turned into stitches, no readable plan | Free, or a small fee for the file | Immediate | A flat one-color shape at a generous size |
| Stitch AI | A planned, sewn and verified DST with its compromises list | Preview free, no account; DST with a free account, free right now | Progress you can watch, then the file; no queue | Flat art you want to see before ordering blanks |