PEmbroider
PEmbroider is a free Java library for creating computational embroidery designs in Processing.
What PEmbroider is
PEmbroider is a free Java library for creating computational embroidery designs in Processing. It provides drawing functions for lines, shapes, and typography, along with tools for overlapping, cropping, and merging shapes and applying embroidery fill patterns. Designs can be generated from SVG files and black-and-white PNG or GIF images. For output, it creates DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3, and XXX files for consumer CNC embroidery machines, plus PDF, SVG, TSV, and GCODE for other 2D devices such as CNC routers and AxiDraw pen plotters. A path solver seeks shorter routes to reduce embroidery time and material use. The library integrates with Processing and can be installed through its Contribution Manager or manually from a ZIP library. Getting started requires Processing 4.0a6 or higher, with a separate library download for Processing 3 users. PEmbroider can visualize designs it creates, but cannot load or preview existing embroidery files.
Good
- Free, open-source library under GPLv3 and ACSL 1.4
- Creates files for seven consumer CNC embroidery formats
- Accepts SVG and black-and-white PNG or GIF inputs
- Exports PDF, SVG, TSV, and GCODE
- Includes tools for shape editing and embroidery fills
Watch out
- Cannot preview pre-existing embroidery files
- Getting started requires Processing 4.0a6 or higher
Who it suits
PEmbroider suits artists, makers, educators, craftspersons, and schools using Processing to create embroidery designs. It is also relevant to users preparing output for supported embroidery machines or other 2D devices.
Verdict
PEmbroider offers a Processing-based workflow for creating embroidery designs and exporting them to machine and other 2D output formats. Check the Processing requirement and the inability to preview files made elsewhere before choosing it.
Plans and prices
From PEmbroider's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Processing library · no paid tiers stated · Free open-source library |
| PEmbroider | Free | Free open-source library; released under GPLv3 and ACSL 1.4 |
The facts
Each one read from PEmbroider's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- The project is intended primarily for artists, craftspersons, educators, makers, and schools.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Build extensibility
- Developers can compile modified source with Eclipse and the included Ant build.xml workflow.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The project supplies a cheat sheet, full API, examples, FAQ, installation instructions and a tutorial video.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Drawing
- It provides Processing-compatible drawing functions for lines, shapes, and typography.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Embroidery formats
- It can generate DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3, and XXX files for consumer CNC embroidery machines.checked 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Fill and shape tools
- It supports shape overlap, cropping, and merging, along with a range of embroidery hatching or fill methods.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Hatching
- The library provides multiple fill approaches, including parallel, concentric, spiral, Perlin-noise, vector-field and cross-hatching modes.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Image inputs
- SVG vectors and black-and-white PNG or GIF images can be converted into embroidery designs.checked 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Input-file limitation
- PEmbroider deliberately cannot load or preview existing embroidery files.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Installation
- Users can install through Processing's Contribution Manager or by unzipping the library into the Processing Libraries directory.checked 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.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Licence
- PEmbroider is released under GPLv3 and Anti-Capitalist Software License 1.4; adapted EmbroidePy file-writing code is MIT licensed.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: coding barrier
- The university workshop requires participants to code Processing sketches, so use assumes familiarity with a programming workflow.checked 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: output quality risk
- A Fab Academy user reported a first embroidered result that was tight, lopsided and had unreadable text.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- PEmbroider visualizes the embroidery files it generates but cannot load or preview pre-existing embroidery files.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Notable news
- The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO hosted a full-day computational-embroidery workshop featuring PEmbroider on February 25, 2023.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2020checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker identity
- The project was developed during 2020 at Carnegie Mellon University's Frank-Ratchye STUDIO by Golan Levin, Lingdong Huang and Tatyana Mustakos.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Maker mission
- The STUDIO describes itself as a Carnegie Mellon arts, science and technology research laboratory committed to open-source skill sharing.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Machine formats
- It exports DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3 and XXX embroidery files.checked 15 Oct 2026
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