Artapli Technical Guide
Use a purchased Artapli embroidery alphabet in SewWhat-Pro with its pre-digitized lettering workflow.
Can Artapli embroidery fonts be used in SewWhat-Pro?
Yes. SewWhat-Pro can arrange pre-digitized embroidery lettering through its Alphabet Mode and the companion EmbLetters application. For this workflow, use the regular Artapli font ZIP containing the individual embroidery letter files. Do not use the BX ZIP in SewWhat-Pro.
Example: for Sweetcake Hand, unzip Ar_Sweetcake_hand_font.zip. The similarly named BX ZIP is not the SewWhat-Pro package.
What you need
- SewWhat-Pro, which includes EmbLetters, or the free standalone EmbLetters application
- The unzipped regular Artapli font folder
- One set of individual letter files in the size and embroidery format you want to use
Step-by-step
- Download and fully unzip the regular font ZIP. Do not work from inside the compressed ZIP file.
- Choose one size and one embroidery format. For example, use all letters from the same 1-inch PES folder. Do not mix sizes or formats within one alphabet setup.
- Open the pre-digitized lettering workflow. In SewWhat-Pro, switch to Alphabet Mode from the toolbar, or open EmbLetters. The exact button position can vary by software version.
- Add the alphabet. Browse to the unzipped folder containing the individual Artapli letter files and add it as a pre-digitized alphabet.
- Type your lettering. Enter the name or word from the keyboard, then check spacing, alignment, and overall dimensions.
- Save or return the lettering to SewWhat-Pro. Continue editing there if you need to combine it with another design, change colors, or position it in the hoop.
- Save in the format required by your embroidery machine and verify that the finished design fits your hoop before stitching.
Important: regular embroidery files, not BX
BX files are not used for the SewWhat-Pro pre-digitized alphabet workflow. Choose the regular font folder containing machine embroidery files such as PES, JEF, DST, VP3, EXP, HUS, XXX, or VIP. Use the format appropriate for your embroidery machine and supported by your copy of SewWhat-Pro.
Troubleshooting
The alphabet does not appear
- Confirm that the ZIP has been extracted.
- Confirm that you selected the folder containing the individual letter files, not the BX folder.
- Keep every mapped character in the same size and file format.
The letters are too large or do not fit the hoop
Return to the Artapli download and select a smaller provided font size. Avoid substantial resizing of finished embroidery letters because it can change stitch density and quality.
I only need a finished word quickly
You can also create the word in the Artapli Lettering Tool, export a machine-ready embroidery file, and open that completed file in SewWhat-Pro for additional editing.
Official SewWhat-Pro resources
- EmbLetters download and official tutorial
- SewWhat-Pro product page and tutorials — see Alphabet Mode, Using EmbLetters, Add Pre-digitized Lettering, and Enter lettering in alphabet mode.
If a step looks different in your installed version, send Artapli a screenshot of the SewWhat-Pro or EmbLetters window and we will help you identify the correct control.