Do I need to learn digitizing?
No. Open artwork, set the size and fabric, click Create Embroidery File, export. PiperStitch makes the stitch decisions for you: stitch types, underlay, density, compensation and sew order. The editing tools are there when you want to make a design even better, not because you have to.
Is PiperStitch AI?
No. PiperStitch is a rules-based digitizer: every decision follows the same embroidery rules a professional applies — minimum satin width, density for the fabric, underlay for the stitch type, pull compensation for the direction of travel. The same artwork gives the same file every time, every choice is shown to you with its reason, and nothing you upload is used to train anything.
What kind of artwork works best?
Clean, flat-colour artwork — logos, lettering, line drawings, clip-art style illustrations — digitizes best, exactly as it does by hand. Photographs and soft gradients aren't good embroidery subjects in any software; PiperStitch will quantise them to a handful of colours and tell you honestly in the readiness report if the result is too fine to sew.
Which machines does it work with?
Any machine that reads DST, PES, JEF or EXP — which covers Tajima, Brother, Baby Lock, Janome, Elna, Melco, Bernina and most commercial multi-needles. See Formats for details and what isn't supported yet.
Does it run on Windows, iPad or my phone?
Yes, all of them. PiperStitch runs in your web browser — Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox — on a Mac, Windows PC, Chromebook, iPad or phone, and the layout adapts to the screen: full toolbars on a laptop, touch controls, pinch-to-zoom and a slide-up inspector on an iPad or phone. Take a photo of artwork with your phone and digitize it on the spot. Nothing to install, nothing to update; you do need an internet connection while you work.
How does the 14-day trial work?
Go to the app, enter your email, and type the six-digit code we send you. The trial starts at that first sign-in and runs 14 days. No card. When it ends the editor is replaced by a sign-in screen; subscribe on this site, then sign in with the same email.
Do I need Proofs to use PiperStitch?
No. PiperStitch digitizes and exports on its own. Proofs is for the moment the design is for someone other than you: it sends them a proof of the real stitches to approve from their phone. Every account includes three proofs so you can try it on real orders; after that it’s $24 a month on the same bill.
Does the person I’m sewing for need an account to approve a proof?
No. They get a link by email or text and open it in their phone’s browser — no password, no app. They can approve, ask for a change with a note on the picture, or ask a question.
Is the approval useful if a customer disputes the job?
It records who approved, when, from what device, the exact wording they agreed to, and a fingerprint of the exact stitch file — and an approval only ever covers one version on one garment at one size. Most disagreements end when the customer sees the certificate. It isn’t legal advice; it is a clear, timestamped record of what was agreed.
What happens if I cancel Proofs?
Nothing is deleted or hidden. Links already sent keep working, an approval in progress can finish, and every certificate stays downloadable. You just can’t send new proofs until you subscribe again.
How long does setup take?
About seven minutes, the first time you sign in: a guided setup asks about your machine, the hoops you own, your thread brand, the fabrics you sew most and your business details, and configures PiperStitch and Proofs from the answers. You can skip it and start digitizing immediately; it waits in Settings.
How do I sign in? Is there a license key?
No key. After subscribing, open PiperStitch, choose Sign In and type the email you subscribed with. A six-digit code arrives by email; enter it and the app unlocks. It quietly re-checks your subscription in the background whenever it has a connection.
Can I use it on more than one computer?
Yes — sign in from any computer with your email and your saved projects are there. There is no limit on browsers.
What happens when I cancel?
You stop being charged, and PiperStitch keeps working until the end of the month you've already paid for. After that it shows the sign-in screen. Every file you downloaded is an ordinary file on your computer and keeps sewing. Subscribe again later with the same email and you're straight back in.
What if my card is declined on renewal?
We email you, Stripe retries the card over the next few days, and PiperStitch keeps working for a short grace period so you can update the card from your account page without interruption.
Does PiperStitch upload my designs anywhere?
Your artwork is sent to our server to be digitized and comes straight back as stitches; we do not keep it. Projects you choose to save are stored in your account until you delete them. Nothing is used for anything except making your embroidery file.
Can I get a refund?
The free trial exists so you never have to pay to find out whether PiperStitch suits you. If something goes wrong with a charge, write to contact@piperstitch.com and a person will sort it out.
Try it on your own artwork.
Free for 14 days, right in your browser, three proofs included. No card, nothing to install. Then $24 a month, cancel any time.