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PEmbroider
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
What it is
PEmbroider is a free Java library for creating computational embroidery designs in Processing. Its drawing functions handle lines, shapes, and typography, while shape tools support overlap, cropping, merging, and several embroidery fill methods. Designs can start from SVG files or black-and-white PNG and GIF images. The library generates DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3, and XXX files for consumer CNC embroidery machines, and can export PDF, SVG, TSV, and GCODE for other 2D devices, including CNC routers and AxiDraw pen plotters. A modified Traveling Salesperson Problem solver creates shorter paths intended to reduce embroidery time and material use. PEmbroider visualizes designs it creates but cannot load or preview embroidery files made elsewhere. It integrates with Processing and can be installed through Contribution Manager or from a ZIP library. Setup requires Processing 4.0a6 or later, with a separate library download for Processing 3. The project began at Carnegie Mellon University’s Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry during Endless March 2020.
For and against
For
- Creates files for seven consumer embroidery formats.
- Exports PDF, SVG, TSV, and GCODE.
- Supports SVG and black-and-white image inputs.
- Includes multiple embroidery fill methods.
- Free open-source library under GPLv3 and ACSL 1.4.
Against
- Cannot load or preview existing embroidery files.
- Requires Processing 4.0a6 or later for the standard setup.
The verdict
PEmbroider offers drawing, fill, and path tools for generating embroidery designs within Processing. Its inability to open existing embroidery files is an important limitation for anyone seeking to review designs made elsewhere.
Who it suits
PEmbroider suits artists, craftspersons, educators, makers, and schools creating embroidery designs in Processing. It is also aimed at people preparing files for consumer CNC embroidery machines or other 2D output devices.
Plans and prices
Free
Processing library · no paid tiers stated
Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
PEmbroider
Free open-source library; released under GPLv3 and ACSL 1.4
Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Audience
- The project is intended primarily for artists, craftspersons, educators, makers, and schools.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Build extensibility
- Developers can compile modified source with Eclipse and the included Ant build.xml workflow.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The project supplies a cheat sheet, full API, examples, FAQ, installation instructions and a tutorial video.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Drawing
- It provides Processing-compatible drawing functions for lines, shapes, and typography.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Embroidery formats
- It can generate DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3, and XXX files for consumer CNC embroidery machines.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Export workflow
- A sketch must call optimize() and endDraw() to produce an embroidery file, and optimization may take up to about a minute.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Fill and shape tools
- It supports shape overlap, cropping, and merging, along with a range of embroidery hatching or fill methods.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Hatching
- The library provides multiple fill approaches, including parallel, concentric, spiral, Perlin-noise, vector-field and cross-hatching modes.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Image inputs
- SVG vectors and black-and-white PNG or GIF images can be converted into embroidery designs.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Independent workshop setup
- The Carnegie Mellon STUDIO workshop instructions require installing Processing 4 and Java, then copying PEmbroider into the Processing Libraries folder.studioforcreativeinquiry.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Input-file limitation
- PEmbroider deliberately cannot load or preview existing embroidery files.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Installation
- Users can install through Processing's Contribution Manager or by unzipping the library into the Processing Libraries directory.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Integration
- PEmbroider integrates with the Processing creative coding framework and can be installed through Processing's Contribution Manager or manually from a ZIP library.github.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Licence
- PEmbroider is released under GPLv3 and Anti-Capitalist Software License 1.4; adapted EmbroidePy file-writing code is MIT licensed.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: coding barrier
- The university workshop requires participants to code Processing sketches, so use assumes familiarity with a programming workflow.wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: downstream editing
- A published textile-art paper says its team generated stitch vectors with PEmbroider but preferred SVG output followed by Inkscape and Ink/Stitch adjustments.alpaca.pubpub.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: output quality risk
- A Fab Academy user reported a first embroidered result that was tight, lopsided and had unreadable text.fabacademy.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Machine formats
- It exports DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3 and XXX embroidery files.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
