Params
Extensions > Ink/Stitch > Params opens the params dialog, where you can specify all the details for your stitches.
Stitch Types
Ink/Stitch can produce the following stitch types
| Params | Stitch Type | Path Object |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke | running stitch, manual stitch, zig-zag stitch, bean stitch | (dashed) stroke |
| Satin | satin column, e-stitch | two combined strokes (with optional rungs) |
| Fill | fill stitch | closed path with a fill color |
Download this document to examine the settings.
Stroke Params
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Satin stitch along paths | Must be enabled for these settings to take effect. |
| Manual stitch placement | Enable Manual Stitch Mode |
| Repeats | ◦ Defines how many times to run down and back along the path ◦ Default: 1 (traveling once from the start to the end of the path) ◦ Odd number: stitches will end at the end of the path ◦ Even number: stitching will return to the start of the path |
| Bean stitch number of repeats | ◦ Enable Bean Stitch Mode ◦ Backtrack each stitch this many times. ◦ A value of 1 would triple each stitch (forward, back, forward). ◦ A value of 2 would quintuple each stitch, etc. ◦ Only applies to running stitch. |
| Running stitch length | Length of stitches in Running Stitch Mode |
| Zig-Zag spacing (peak-to-peak) | ◦ Length of stitches in Zig-Zag Mode ◦ The Height is defined by the stroke width |
| Allow lock stitches | Enables lock stitches in only desired positions |
Info: If an object consists of multiple paths, they will be stitched in order with a jump between each.
Satin Params
| Settings | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom satin column | ☑ | Must be enabled for these settings to take effect. |
| “E” stitch |  |
Enables “E” stitch instead of satin. Don’t forget to enlarge the zig-zag spacing for this stitch type. |
| Pull compensation |  |
Satin stitches pull the fabric together, resulting in a column narrower than you draw in Inkscape. This setting expands each pair of needle penetrations outward from the center of the satin column. You’ll have to determine experimentally how much compensation you need for your combination of fabric, thread, and stabilizer. |
| Zig-Zag spacing |  |
the peak-to-peak distance between zig-zags |
| Allow lock stitches | Enables lock stitches in only desired positions |
Info: Ink/Stitch considers each pair of Bezier curves, one at a time. It picks the longest of the two and determines how many zig-zags will be necessary to satisfy the zig-zag spacing setting. This makes it so that the outside of a curve will never have sparse stitching like with simple satin.
However, this does mean that the inside of a curve will have a higher stitch density than you specified. Be careful how you design sharp curves, because stitching at too high a density may poke a hole in the fabric!
Satin Column Underlay
Satin Column also supports three kinds of underlay, of which you can use any or all simultaneously.
Center-Walk Underlay
This is a row of running stitch down the center of the column and back. This may be all you need for thin satin columns. You can also use it as a base for more elaborate underlay.
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Stitch length | Length of stitches (in mm) |
Contour Underlay
This is a row of running stitch up one side of the column and back down the other. The rows are set in from the edge of the column by an amount you specify. For small or medium width satin, this may serve well enough by itself.
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Contour underlay inset | Inset to cover the underlay entirely by the top layer. Negative values are possible. |
| Stitch length | Length of stitches (in mm) |
Zig-Zag Underlay
This is essentially a lower-density satin stitch sewn to the end of the column and back to the start. Added with contour underlay, you get the “German Underlay” mentioned in this article. For wide columns or challenging fabrics, you can use all three underlay types together.
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Inset amount | Inset to cover the underlay entirely by the top layer. Negative values are possible. |
| Zig-Zag spacing | The peak-to-peak distance between zig-zags. |
Auto Fill Params
| Settings | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Automatically routed fill stitching | ☑ | Must be enabled for these settings to take effect. |
| Angle of lines of stitches |  |
The angle of the rows of stitches, in degrees. 0 is horizontal, and the angle increases in a counter-clockwise direction. Negative angles are allowed. |
| Expand |  |
Expand the shape before fill stitching, to compensate for gaps between shapes. |
| Maximum fill stitch length |  |
The length of each stitch in a row. “Max” is because a shorter stitch may be used at the start or end of a row. |
| Spacing between rows |  |
Distance between rows of stitches |
| Running stitch length |  |
Length of stitches used when moving from section to section |
| Skip last stitch in each row |  |
The last stitch in each row is quite close to the first stitch in the next row. Skipping it decreases stitch count and density. |
| Stagger this many times before repeating |  |
Stitches are staggered so that neighboring rows of stitches don’t all fall in the same column (which would create a distracting valley effect). Setting this dictates how many rows apart the stitches will be before they fall in the same column position. |
| Underpath |  |
Must be enabled to let running stitches travel inside shape instead of around the border when moving from section to section |
| Allow lock stitches | Enables lock stitches in only desired positions |
Auto Fill Underlay
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Underlay | Must be enabled for these settings to take effect. |
| Fill angle | Defaults to 90 degrees angle to the top layer. It’s the best value for most cases. But sometimes you might want to change your underlay directions. It is also possible to enter a comma separated list to receive multiple underlays. |
| Inset | Inset to cover the underlay entirely by the top layer. Negative values are possible (usefull for “knockdown” stitches). |
| Max stitch length | Maximum stitch length. Stitches can be shortened at the start or the end of a row. |
| Row spacing | Underlay row spacing. Defaults to 3x the spacing of the top layer. |
| Skip last stitch in each row | The last stitch in each row is quite close to the first stitch in the next row. Skipping it decreases stitch count and density. |
| Underpath | Must be enabled to let running stitches travel inside shape instead of around the border when moving from section to section |
Manual Fill Params
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Manually routed fill stitching | Must be enabled for these settings to take effect. |
| Angle of lines of stitches | The angle of the rows of stitches, in degrees. 0 is horizontal, and the angle increases in a counter-clockwise direction. Negative angles are allowed. |
| Flip fill | The flip option can help you with routing your stitch path. When you enable flip, stitching goes from right-to-left instead of left-to-right. Using flip and rotating 180 additional degrees (by adding or subtracting 180 from angle), you can cause fill stitching for a given shape to start from any of the four possible corners. |
| Maximum fill stitch length | The length of each stitch in a row. “Max” is because a shorter stitch may be used at the start or end of a row. |
| Spacing between rows | Distance between rows of stitches. |
| Stagger row this many times before repeating | Stitches are staggered so that neighboring rows of stitches don’t all fall in the same column (which would create a distracting valley effect). Setting this dictates how many rows apart the stitches will be before they fall in the same column position. |
Presets
You also have the possibility to save your preferred stitch settings and load them when needed.
