You purchase a design online and download it to your computer. The design package includes the stitch file in PES format and a text file containing thread color information. This new design contains six (6) colors – red, green, blue, white, yellow and black. The design was digitized to sew in the order the colors are listed above. First red, then green, blue, white, yellow and finally black.
You bring the design into your PR600 and the machine automatically assigns those six colors to a needle in order starting with needle number one. The machine has no idea what color threads you currently have on the machine or where they are. It really doesn’t care.
The first thing you notice is the colors aren’t correct. Even though you have chosen to use the same thread palette as the one used to create the design, the colors just don’t match. The design color chart says red for the first color, but your machine says it should be green. The second color should be green, but your machine thinks it should be blue. Now you’re really confused, right? Why doesn’t your machine show the correct colors?
Color information is based on individual Red, Green and Blue (RGB) values. Your machine attempts to match the stitch file color values to values contained in its firmware. If the RGB values stored in your machine do not match those stored in the stitch file there will be no match.
Every thread has a specific RGB value. It can not vary one bit or the color changes. It is entirely probable that neither your machine nor the digitizing software used to create the design have correct values for each color.
For example: If the digitizing software used thinks the RGB value for red is 236-0-52 it will store that information for the first color in the PES file. If your machine interprets those values as green it will erroneously show “green” as color number one on needle number one. The machine will also assign a thread number based on that RGB value from the selected palette if the database contains that information.
One thing that adds to the confusion is that cute little display screen with a color picture of the design and the color assignments for each needle next to it. If you ever wondered why commercial machines don’t have a picture screen with color assignments, this is why. Commercial DST embroidery files don’t store color information, so there is no need for it. The operator simply assigns each design segment to a needle and begins sewing out the design.
Commercial machines normally have a lot more needles - perhaps as many as 12 or 15 needles or more. The most commonly used thread colors are kept on these machines at all times. The operator knows, for example, that red is on needle 4 and assigns that needle to segment one. He/she follows the same assignment process for the remaining 5 colors and starts the machine.
Many folks think the PR600 is so smart that you should pay close attention to what it tells you regarding color and needle assignments. The truth is your machine isn’t all that smart. It’s only as smart as built in programming allows. Since there are so many variables that go into design creation and color assignments, your machine is easily fooled. It’s not nearly as smart as you.
I suggest treating your PR600 the same way you would a commercial machine by completely ignoring any displayed color information. Don’t depend on your machine to do anything except adequately sew out the design. That’s what it’s really designed to do, not assign colors for you. That you can easily do yourself.
Going back to our new six color design, you know that you need red, green, blue, white, yellow and black thread to sew out this design. You also know that they should sew in that order. You may or may not have these six colors already threaded on your machine, but we’ll assume that you do, just not in the correct order.
After loading the design and stepping through the editing screens you arrive at the sewing screen. Here is where you see all that erroneous color data. It tells you that needle number one should be green and will sew first. Trouble is the color should be red and your needle number one has blue thread on it. You have red on needle number four.
Have I lost you yet? Ok, let’s press on.
Your designs do not have to sew out in any particular needle order. You do not have to begin sewing with needle one, then two and so forth. Your machine can sew out a design in any order you choose. If you have red on needle 4, then assign design segment one to needle four.
The next segment should be green. If you have green on needle six assign needle six to segment two. Do this for all six segments and you’re ready to sew. It’s a simple process that should only take a few seconds per needle.
If you do not have any thread on your machine, another option would be to thread each color in the order on your design color chart. In the case of our new design you would thread red on needle 1, green on needle 2 and so forth. By default the machine will set the sewing order as needle 1 through 6. It will remain that way unless you change it manually. When you bring the design into the sewing screen you are ready to sew regardless of what colors your machine recognizes.
If you have a design that includes more than six colors, program the first six only. When your machine stops and prompts you to make color changes, replace the first six colors with the next six colors. What needle you put them on is up to you. Simply make your new assignments the same way you did the first six.
All of this is actually quite easy to do. It’s much less troublesome than trying to change colors in the design to match the machine, or moving threads to match needle assignments. Take the job of color assignment away from your machine. You can do it easier and more efficiently. Once you get the hang of it you’ll probably never sew anything but DST. Trust me on this one.
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