1._X-Stitch Master Elite (Ursa)

Cross-Stitch Computer Software: Reviews and Comparisons

All software was run using Windows on IBM-type PC and all were evaluated using the demo available from the company’s web site or from a software clearing house site. Please note that the file size given is for the demo only, not for the full product.

Company name, web site, product(s), cost, demo file name and demo size:

Compucrafts (www.compucrafts.com)

Stitch Crafts Gold for Windows v5.0 275.00 CAD, 190.00 US scwdemo.exe 1.07 MB

Crafted Software (www.pnc.com.au)

StitchCraft Home v2.21a 249.00 AUD 221_demo.exe 1.14 MB

StitchCraft Designer v2.21a 1200.00 AUD (included in above)

StitchCraft Publisher v2.21a 2900.00 AUD (included in above)

Creative Craftware (www.digistitch.com)

DigiStitch for Windows 95/98 v3.0 89.95 US ds_setup.exe 2.19 MB

(59.95 till 11/30/98)

Davis Computer Services (www.easygrapher.com)

Easy Grapher ‘97 v2.0 99.00 US Eg97dem.exe 2.33 MB

Easy Grapher Professional II v2.0 299.00 US Egp2dem.exe 2.41 MB

DP Software (www.stitches.co.uk/dpsoftware)

XStitch Professional Home v6.33 75.00 UK, 120.00 US xspro6d.exe 2.42 MB

XStitch Professional Pro v6.33 124.00 UK, 195.00 US (included in above)

XStitch Professional Publishers v6.33 399.00 UK, 659.00 US (included in above)

Fulford Software Solutions (members.aol.com/FulSoft)

Easy Cross v6.1 39.95 UK, 66.00 US demo1.exe 1.22 MB

demo2.exe 1.14 MB

demo3.exe 1.32 MB

Easy Cross De Luxe v6.1 79.95 UK, 132.00 US (included in above)

HobbyWare (www.hobbyware.com)

Cross Stitch Designer v4.0 35.00 US csd40.exe 324 KB

Pattern Maker Standard v3.05 59.95 US pm95.exe 2.12 MB

Pattern Maker Professional v3.05 119.95 US (included in pm95.exe)

IL Soft (www.ilsoft.co.uk)

X-Stitch Designer SuperGold v1.05a 79.99 UK sgdemo.exe 1.35 MB

X-Stitch Designer Gold Premium Plus 399.99 UK ppdemo.exe 1.66 MB

v3.00

M&R Technologies (www.pcstitch.com)

PC Stitch for Windows v4.0 79.95 US pcs_d32.exe 3.24 MB

MasterStitch Designs Inc. (www.masterstitch.com)

PixelStitch (non-working demo) 99.95 US psdemo.exe 1.7 MB

Pilgrim Works Software (demo from www.ttp.co.uk)

X-Stitch Designer v2.2 39.00 US xswin.zip 179 KB

Ursa Software (freespace.virgin.net/ursa.software)

X-Stitch Master Elite v3J 40.00 UK, 60.00 US setup.exe 956 KB

X-Stitch Master Studio 99.00 UK studio.exe 4 MB

WIN-Stitch (www.win-stitch.com)

Image Stitcher v6.4 49.00 US wst64e.exe 2.4 MB

Kitmaker v6.4 149.00 US (included in wst64e.exe)

Kitmaker Pro v6.4 295.00 US (included in wst64e.exe)

Publisher Pro v6.4 "ask" (included in wst64e.exe)

Features	Stitch Crafts Gold (Compucrafts)	StitchCraft Home (Crafted Software)	StitchCraft Designer (Crafted Software)	StitchCraft Publisher (Crafted Software)
Price	190.00 US	249.00 AUD	1200.00 AUD	2900.00 AUD
Ease of Use	difficult	easy to moderate	easy to moderate	easy to moderate
Max Chart Size	unlimited	1000x1000	1000x1000	1000x1000
Max Colors per Chart	120	1000	1000	1000
Commercial Shades	DMC, Anchor, JPC	Anchor, DMC, JPC, Madeira, more	Anchor, DMC, JPC, Madeira, more	Anchor, DMC, JPC, Madeira, more
Blended Threads	no	no	no	no
Thread Use	frequency	no	no	no
CustomColor/Palette	change/no	yes/yes	yes/yes	yes/yes
Symbols	given, custom	given	given	given
Displays	stitch, symbol, solid, color symbol, solid w/symbol, black	solid, symbol, solid w/symbol	solid, symbol, solid w/symbol	solid, symbol, solid w/symbol
Background Colors	3 + custom	custom	custom	custom
Background Options	hpi, ratio	hpi	hpi, 2 fixed ratios	hpi, 2 fixed ratios
Partial Stitches	3/4, 1/2, 1/4	1/2	1/2, 1/4	1/2, 1/4
Backstitch	full	4 styles, full/half	4 styles, full/half	4 styles, full/half
French Knot	yes	yes	yes	yes
Stitched Text	no	overlay	overlay	overlay
Other Stitches	satin (center to center)	no	vertical/horizontal half-stitch, offset	vertical/horizontal half-stitch, offset
Mirror Image	copy/paste/mirror	select/mirror	select/mirror	select/mirror
Flip/Rotate	yes	yes	yes	yes
Fill Type	selection fill	pattern fill	pattern fill	pattern fill
Undo	single	single, redo	single, redo	single, redo
AutoSave	no	yes	yes	yes
Motif Library	no	yes	yes	yes
Program File Type	scw	scc	scc	scc
Import File Types	bmp, pcx, jpg, gif, tif	bmp	bmp	bmp
Import As	chart	underlay	underlay, chart	underlay, chart
Import Options	scale, #colors, more	scale	scale; size, grid per inch, #colors, match chart/ palette, more	scale; size, grid per inch, #colors, match chart/ palette, more
Export File Types	bmp	none	none	eps, wmf
Print Preview	yes	no	no	no
Print Options	auto page fit, grid per inch, notes, margins, copyright, more	grid per inch, auto fit to #pages, line thickness, margins, centering	grid per inch, auto fit to #pages, margins, centering, more	grid per inch, auto fit to #pages, margins, centering, more
Print Key/Chart	key always as chart header	?	?	?

Features	DigiStitch (Creative Craftware)	XStitch Professional Home (DPSoftware)	XStitch Professional Pro (DPSoftware)	XStitch Professional Publisher (DPSoftware)
Price	89.95 US	120.00 US	195.00 US	659.00 US
Ease of Use	easy	moderate	moderate	moderate
Max Chart Size	unlimited	300x300	1200x1200	3000x3000
Max Colors per Chart	? (many)	75	220	220
Commercial Shades	DMC, Anchor, JPC	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, more	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, more	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, more
Blended Threads	no	no	no	no
Thread Use	no	length, frequency	length, frequency	length, frequency
CustomColor/Palette	yes/yes	no/no	yes/no	yes/no
Symbols	given, TrueType	given, TrueType	given, TrueType	given, TrueType
Displays	stitch, solid, symbol, color symbol, solid w/symbol	solid, symbol, solid w/symbol, color symbol, stitch, tapestry, knitting	solid, symbol, solid w/symbol, color symbol, stitch, tapestry, knitting	solid, symbol, solid w/symbol, color symbol, stitch, tapestry, knitting
Background Colors	custom	up to 11	up to 11	up to 11
Background Options	hpi	6 styles, hpi, ratio	6 styles, hpi, ratio	6 styles, hpi, ratio
Partial Stitches	1/2, 1/4	1/2	3/4, 1/2, 1/4	3/4, 1/2, 1/4
Backstitch	full	full, auto	full/half, auto	full/half, auto
French Knot	yes	yes	yes	yes
Stitched Text	no	TrueType	TrueType, custom editor	TrueType, custom editor, overlay
Other Stitches	no	long, bead, hardanger	long, bead, hardanger	long, bead, hardanger, 8 needlepoint
Mirror Image	mirror draw, flip/copy/paste	copy/paste/mirror	copy/paste/mirror	copy/paste/mirror
Flip/Rotate	yes	yes	yes	yes
Fill Type	pattern fill, selection flood	pattern fill, selection flood	pattern fill, selection flood	pattern fill, selection flood
Undo	multiple	single, redo	single, redo	single, redo
AutoSave	no	yes	yes	yes
Motif Library	no	yes	yes	yes
Program File Type	ptn	xsp	xsp	xsp
Import File Types	bmp,dib,jpg,tif, pcx,wmf,tga,more	bmp,gif,tif,jpg,pcx, tga,wmf	bmp,gif,tif,jpg,pcx, tga,wmf	bmp,gif,tif,jpg,pcx, tga,wmf
Import As	chart	chart	chart	chart
Import Options	size,hpi, #colors, match color chart, area select, more	area select, size, #colors, match chart/palette	area select, size, #colors, match chart/palette	area select, size, #colors, match chart/palette
Export File Types	none	bmp,tif,gif,pcx, wpg,jpg,mac	bmp,tif,gif,pcx, wpg,jpg,mac	bmp,tif,gif,pcx, wpg,jpg,mac
Print Preview	yes	yes	yes	yes
Print Options	page fit info, grid per page, notes, margins, font, stitch select,more	grid per inch, scale, notes, font, margins	grid per inch, scale, notes, font, margins	grid per inch, scale, notes, font, margins
Print Key/Chart	no key, key only, key as last page	no key, key alone, key as last page	no key, key alone, key as last page	no key, key alone, key as last page

Features	EasyGrapher 97 (Davis)	EasyGrapher Pro II (Davis)	Easy Cross (Fulford)	Easy Cross De Luxe (Fulford)
Price	99.00 US	299.00 US	66.00 US	132.00 US
Ease of Use	easy	easy	moderate	moderate
Max Chart Size	500x500	1000x1000	unlimited	unlimited
Max Colors per Chart	108	108	255	255
Commercial Shades	DMC, Anchor	DMC, Anchor	DMC, Anchor, Madeira	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, more
Blended Threads	no	no	no	yes
Thread Use	frequency	frequency	no	no
CustomColor/Palette	yes/yes	yes/yes	yes/yes	yes/yes
Symbols	given	given	given	given, TrueType, custom
Displays	stitch, solid, symbol, solid w/symbol	stitch, solid, symbol, solid w/symbol	stitch, solid, symbol, color symbol, solid w/symbol, stroke	stitch, solid, symbol, color symbol, solid w/symbol, stroke
Background Colors	DMC, Anchor	DMC, Anchor	3 + custom	3 + custom
Background Options	hpi, ratio	hpi, ratio	9 styles, hpi, ratio	9 styles, hpi, ratio
Partial Stitches	1/2, 1/4	1/2, 1/4	3/4, 1/2, 1/4	3/4, 1/2, 1/4
Backstitch	3 styles, full/half	22 styles, full/half	4 styles, full/half	4 styles, full/half, auto
French Knot	black/white only	yes	yes	yes
Stitched Text	TrueType	True Type	TrueType	TrueType, custom editor
Other Stitches	no	lazy daisy, queen (rococo), picot, special symbols	bead. blackwork, hardanger, torchon lace, knit/crochet, more	bead. blackwork, hardanger, torchon lace, knit/crochet, more
Mirror Image	copy/paste/flip	copy/paste/flip	cut/paste/flip	cut/paste/fip
Flip/Rotate	yes	yes	yes	yes
Fill Type	pattern fill, selection fill	pattern fill, selection fill	pattern fill	pattern fill
Undo	multiple	multiple	multiple, redo	multiple, redo
AutoSave	no	no	yes	yes
Motif Library	no	no	yes	yes
Program File Type	egx	egx	wxs	wxs
Import File Types	30 formats	30 formats	tif,bmp,pcx	tif,bmp,pcx wmf, png,jpg,tga,pcd
Import As	chart	chart	chart, underlay	chart, underlay
Import Options	scale,size,#colors	scale,size,#colors	scale, #colors	scale, #colors
Export File Types	no	bmp,jpg,eps,pcx, tif,wmf,mac,more	bmp,tif,pcx	bmp,tif,pcx
Print Preview	no	no	yes	yes
Print Options	auto page fit, grid per inch, line style, font, overlap, notes, RGB values	same as EG 97 plus: grid style, centering, line width, margins, copyright	page fit info, grid per inch, grid style, margins, notes, copyright, more	same as Easy Cross plus: stitch select, font, layout of chart key
Print Key/Chart	key separate	key separate	key on same page or as last page	key on same page or as last page

Features	Cross Stitch Designer (HobbyWare)	Pattern Maker Standard (HobbyWare)	Pattern Maker Professional (HobbyWare)	PC Stitch (M&R Technologies)
Price	35.00 US	59.95 US	119.95 US	79.95 US
Ease of Use	easy	easy	easy	easy
Max Chart Size	999x999	999x999	999x999	500x500
Max Colors per Chart	45	90	150	100
Commercial Shades	DMC	DMC, Anchor, JPC, Madeira	DMC, Anchor, JPC, Madeira	DMC, Anchor, JPC
Blended Threads	no	yes	yes	no
Thread Use	no	frequency, length	frequency, length	frequency
CustomColor/Palette	yes/yes	yes/yes	yes/yes	yes/yes
Symbols	TrueType	TrueType	TrueType	given, TrueType
Displays	stitch, symbol, solid	stitch, symbol, solid	stitch, symbol, solid, solid w/symbol	stitch, symbol, solid, color symbol
Background Colors	27 + custom	27 + custom	27 + custom	9 + custom
Background Options	hpi, ratio	hpi, ratio	hpi, ratio	hpi, ratio
Partial Stitches	1/2, 1/4	1/2, 1/4	1/2, 1/4	1/2, 1/4
Backstitch	full	full	full	not in demo
French Knot	yes	yes	yes	yes
Stitched Text	no	25 styles given	25 styles given	TrueType
Other Stitches	no	no	satin	no
Mirror Image	copy/paste/flip	copy/paste/flip	copy/paste/flip	mirror mode; copy/paste/flip
Flip/Rotate	yes	yes	yes	yes
Fill Type	selection flood	pattern fill, selection flood	pattern fill, selection flood	pattern fill
Undo	multiple	multiple	multiple	single
AutoSave	no	no	no	no
Motif Library	no	yes, 30 included	yes, 30 included	yes
Program File Type	pat	pat	pat	pat
Import File Types	bmp, wmf	bmp,jpg,tif,gif,pcx,wmf,emf,more	bmp,jpg,tif,gif,pcx,wmf,emf,more	bmp,pcx,tif,jpg, pcd,wmf
Import As	chart	chart, underlay	chart, underlay	chart
Import Options	size, #colors	size, #colors, match to chart/ palette	size, #colors, area select, match to chart/ palette, more	scale, #colors, match to palette
Export File Types	none	none	wmf,emf,jpg,tif, bmp,gif,pcx,ras, pct	bmp
Print Preview	no	yes	yes	yes
Print Options	auto fit to #pages, scale to symbol font size, header/ footer layout, margins, centering	same as Cross Stitch Designer plus: fabric appearance	same as Cross Stitch Designer plus: fabric appearance	scale to symbol font size, area select
Print Key/Chart	no key, key alone, key as last page	no key, key alone, key as last page	no key, key alone, key as last page	no key, key alone, key as last page

Features	X-Stitch Designer Super Gold (ILSoft)	X-Stitch D. Gold Premium-Plus (ILSoft)	PixelStitch (MasterStitch Designs, Inc.)
Price	79.99 UK	399.99 UK	99.95 US
Ease of Use	difficult	difficult	(non-working demo,looks easy)
Max Chart Size	300x300	500x500	400x400
Max Colors per Chart	50	100	256
Commercial Shades	Anchor, DMC, JPC, Madeira, Paterna, more	Anchor, DMC, JPC, Madeira, Paterna, more	DMC
Blended Threads	no	no	?
Thread Use	frequency, length	frequency, length	length, frequency
CustomColor/Palette	no/yes	no/yes	?
Symbols	given, TrueType	given, True Type	?
Displays	stitch, solid, solid w/symbol, symbol, color symbol, weaving	stitch, solid, solid w/symbol, symbol, color symbol, weaving	?
Background Colors	11	12, custom	?
Background Options	4 styles, hpi	5 styles, hpi	?
Partial Stitches	1/2	1/2	?
Backstitch	5 styles, 5 colors, auto, full	many styles, auto, 20 colors, full/half	?
French Knot	yes	yes	?
Stitched Text	TrueType	TrueType, overlay	TrueType
Other Stitches	beads	beads, custom create	?
Mirror Image	select/mirror	select/mirror	copy/paste/flip
Flip/Rotate	yes	yes	yes
Fill Type	pattern fill, selection flood	pattern fill, selection flood	?
Undo	single	single	?
AutoSave	yes	yes	?
Motif Library	yes	yes	?
Program File Type	? (not in demo)	? (not in demo)	?
Import File Types	bmp,pcx,jpg	bmp,pcx,jpg	jpg,bmp,pcx,tif, wpg,wmf,pcd,eps, dib,tga,dxf,more
Import As	chart	chart	chart
Import Options	size, #colors, match color chart	size, #colors, match color chart	size, scale, area select, #colors, match chart,more
Export File Types	? (not in demo, but is supported)	? (not in demo, but is supported)	bmp
Print Preview	yes	yes	?
Print Options	10 scales, fabric color, grid style, line width, key formats, margins, centering, notes	same as SuperGold plus: grid per page, overlap, custom stitch style	area select
Print Key/Chart	key separate	key separate	?

Features	X-Stitch Designer for Windows (Pilgrim Works)	X-Stitch Master Elite (Ursa Software)	X-Stitch Master Sudio (Ursa Software)
Price	39.00 US	40.00 UK	99.00 UK
Ease of Use	moderate	easy	easy
Max Chart Size	640x640	255x255	999x999
Max Colors per Chart	256	70	90
Commercial Shades	DMC	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, JPC, Tapestry	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, JPC, Paterna, more
Blended Threads	no	no	no
Thread Use	no	length	length
CustomColor/Palette	yes/no	no/yes	no/yes
Symbols	given	given	given
Displays	solid, stitch, symbol	solid, symbol	solid, symbol, color symbol, solid w/symbol, stitch
Background Colors	custom	5	custom
Background Options	hpi	hpi	3 styles, hpi
Partial Stitches	3/4, 1/2	1/2, 1/4	1/2, 1/4
Backstitch	full/half	3 colors, full, auto	full/half, auto
French Knot	yes	no	yes
Stitched Text	no	TrueType	TrueType
Other Stitches	no	no	bead, blackwork
Mirror Image	copy/paste/flip	copy&paste/flip	select&flip
Flip/Rotate	yes	yes	yes
Fill Type	none	pattern fill	pattern fill
Undo	no	single	single
AutoSave	no	yes	yes
Motif Library	no	yes	yes
Program File Type	xsw	xsw	chart
Import File Types	clipboard	bmp,pcx,tga,dib	bmp,pcx,tga,dib, jpg,png
Import As	chart	chart	chart
Import Options	pixel per grid	size, #color, gray scale, soften edges	size, #colors, match color chart, more
Export File Types	none	none	clipboard (bmp)
Print Preview	no	yes	yes
Print Options	grid per inch	5 scales, footer, optional grid, stitch select	grid per inch, stitch select, margins, footer
Print Key/Chart	?	key as last page	key on each page or last page

Features	Image Stitcher (WIN-Stitch)	Kitmaker (WIN-Stitch)	Publisher Pro (WIN-Stitch)
Price	49.00 US	149.00 US	? ("ask")
Ease of Use	moderate to difficult	moderate to difficult	moderate to difficult
Max Chart Size	400x400	600x600	1024x1024
Max Colors per Chart	200+	200+	200+
Commercial Shades	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Paterna, more	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Paterna, more	DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Paterna, more
Blended Threads	no	no	no
Thread Use	no	length, percentage	length, percentage
CustomColor/Palette	no/no	yes/yes	yes/yes
Symbols	given	given, custom	given, custom
Displays	solid w/symbol, solid w/stitch, stitch	solid w/symbol, solid w/stitch, stitch	solid w/symbol, solid w/stitch, stitch
Background Colors	2	2	2
Background Options	5 styles, hpi	5 styles, hpi	5 styles, hpi
Partial Stitches	3/4, 1/4	3/4, 1/4	3/4, 1/4
Backstitch	2 styles, full	2 styles, full	2 styles, full
French Knot	yes	yes	yes
Stitched Text	no	TrueType	TrueType
Other Stitches	bead, left slant, right slant, vertical, horizontal, free	bead, left slant, right slant, vertical, horizontal, free	bead, left slant, right slant, vertical, horizontal, free
Mirror Image	mirror/move	mirror/move	mirror/move
Flip/Rotate	yes	yes	yes
Fill Type	pattern fill	pattern fill	pattern fill
Undo	single	single	single
AutoSave	yes	yes	yes
Motif Library	no	no	no
Program File Type	cse	cse	cse
Import File Types	tif, bmp	tif,bmp,gif,jpg, dib, tga,pcx,rle	tif,bmp,gif,jpg, dib, tga,pcx,rle
Import As	chart	chart (underlay w/Kitmaker Pro)	chart, underlay
Import Options	size, #colors, match to chart	size, #colors, match to chart	size, #colors, match to chart
Export File Types	none	none	wmf
Print Preview	yes	yes	yes
Print Options	grid per inch/cm, overlap, margins, centering	same as Image Stitcher plus: notes, font	same as Image Stitcher plus: notes, font
Print Key/Chart	same page or as last page	same page or as last page	same page or as last page

List and Explanation of Comparison Features:

Price in the indicated currency (US=dollars, UK=pounds, etc.)

Ease of Use my opinion based on: desktop arrangement, number of steps required for an action, how often I had to use the "help" function, how helpful was the "help"

Max Chart Size the largest number of squares allowable in the pattern grid; most programs have a smaller size as a default

Max Colors per Chart the largest number of colors can be used in a single pattern

Commercial Shades built-in color charts for different company lines of threads; "JPC" is J&P Coates

Blended Threads allows you to combine two colors as if the threads were combined in your needle

Thread Use provides some indication of color usage, either by "length" (amount of thread: based on given or used defined amount of thread per stitch) or by "frequency" (number of stitches in that color)

Custom Color/Palette "custom color" allows you to define your own colors instead of using the commercial color shades; "custom palette" allows you to specify default selections of colors (either your own or the commercial colors) to use within a single pattern/design/chart

Symbols which symbols can be used (all programs allow you to use black/white symbols to represent colors)

Displays the way in which the stitches are represented on the screen or printout:

stitch as if stitched; full stitch as an "X", etc.

solid blocks of colors

symbol black and white symbols representing the colors

color symbol symbols in the represented color

solid w/symbol blocks of color with black/white symbols on top

solid w/stitch blocks of color with "X"’s on top

black black blocks

stroke slanting black lines

weaving vertical black lines

Background Colors available colors for the unstitched part of the design

Background Options modifications to the grid: number of available fabric styles, ability to vary the number of holes per inch ("hpi"), ability to vary the "ratio" of vertical holes-per-inch to horizontal holes-per-inch (necessary for accurate knitting designs)

Partial Stitches anything other than a full "X" stitch (the complete range would be "1/4", "1/2", and "3/4" stitches)

Backstitch "full" backstitch is from hole to hole (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally); "half" allows stitch to go only half-way (including to center of square); "auto" if the program can automatically draw backstitching around selected cross-stitches; also what number of line styles are available

French Knot represented by a round dot

Stitched Text automatically converts entered text string (given or selected font) into squared pattern; custom editor allows you to define your own alphabet using any supported stitch; "overlay" places unconverted text over pattern grid

Other Stitches those directly available within the program; the backstitch function can also be used to draw separate stitch lines (such as for needlepoint stitches)

Mirror Image the function(s) used to draw a matching but reversed section of the pattern

Flip/Rotate "flip" the selected section horizontally or vertically; "rotate" the section to the left or right (usually in 90 degree increments, but some can rotate incrementally)

Fill Type "fill" covers the unstitched area or converts the indicated color but leaves other colors inside the area unchanged; "flood" colors or converts the entire area; "pattern" colors or converts out to other existing stitches; "selection" colors or converts within the selected area only

Undo "single" can only remember the last action to undo; "multiple" will undo a series of actions in reverse order to how they were performed

AutoSave automatically saves the design to a backup file at certain time intervals while you’re still working on it

Motif Library the program allows (and sometimes comes with) saved files of existing patterns that can be quickly pasted into a new design

Program File Type the file extension used for the program designs

Import File Types the file extensions (for pictures, photos, etc.) that can be brought into the program as a new design

Import As the imported file becomes a "chart" of single-color squares or an "underlay" picture seen underneath the grid (allowing you to make your own decisions about which colors should be used)

Import Options conversion options available to make the imported picture become a more usable pattern by regulating the size of the graph, the number of different colors used, matching the color range to the pre-selected palette or color chart, etc.

Export File Types file extensions into which the program design can be converted for use by other programs (example: everyone with Windows has Microsoft Paint and can view BMP files but only people with WIN-Stitch can view a CSE file)

Print Preview displays a screen view to show you how the pattern/chart and key information will appear on paper

Print Options specifications as to how the pattern/chart and key information will appear (often more options than shown); "scale", "page fit" and "grid per inch" determine how many pages the design will require; "overlap" duplicates part of the design if it requires more than one page; "stitch selection" means you can choose to leave out certain types of stitches

Print Key/Chart the way(s) in which key and chart print out (the "key" is the list of colors used and other information about the pattern, the "chart" is the pattern itself)