Volunteer to test Allsorts StitchLab
I've spent the past few months improving my embroidery software, and before it goes on sale I need people to use it on their own designs and tell me what goes wrong.
What it is
Allsorts StitchLab is a Windows program for the designs you already own. It isn't digitising software. If you want to create designs from scratch there are good programs for that, and you should expect to spend time learning them. StitchLab is for everything else, which for most of us is most of the time.
It converts between formats, one file or a whole folder at once. It resizes properly, so the stitch density stays right instead of going sparse or solid. It shows you a real preview with the satins and fills, not a flat outline, and plays the stitch out back so you can see the order things happen in. It checks a design fits your hoop. It gives you a health report telling you what would go wrong at the machine and why, before you've hooped anything. There are thread charts and colour tools, design merging and lettering.
And it browses a folder and shows you your designs, instead of a row of identical blank icons.
What testers get
A free Pro licence to keep, permanently.
You start with a three month tester licence. Once you've sent in three feedback reports it converts to a permanent licence that's yours for good, with free bug fixes for life, the same as a paid one. No further testing required after that.
What I need back
Use it on your own files and tell me what breaks, what confuses you, and what you went looking for and couldn't find. If it crashes or makes no sense, that's the report I actually want. A problem I can fix before release is a problem. A problem I find out about afterwards is a few hundred annoyed people.
Feedback goes through a form rather than email, so nothing gets lost. There's an online version and a printable PDF, whichever suits you better. It asks what you were doing, what you expected, and what happened instead. "I couldn't work out what this button was for" is a perfectly good report.
Who I'm looking for
Places are limited because I read and act on every report. I'm after a spread of machines, hoop sizes, file formats and experience levels.
I'd particularly like to hear from you if you have a Brother or a Bernina, if 5x7 is your largest hoop, or if you find software frustrating rather than interesting. That last one matters more than you'd think. If a program only makes sense to people who already know the jargon, it's been built wrong, and I need people who'll tell me when that's happened.
One thing to expect
When you install it, Windows will probably show a blue box saying it protected your PC. That isn't a virus warning. It means the program is new and Windows hasn't seen many people install it yet. Click More info, then Run anyway, and you'll see the publisher listed as Embroidery Allsorts, which is me.
How to volunteer
Fill in the form here: https://embroidery-allsorts.com/information/software-tester-register
Expressions of interest are open until Friday 12 September (Brisbane time) You'll hear from me either way once I've decided. If there's no place this time you'll go on the announcement list, so you'll know when the software goes on sale.
Design testers for the new freestanding lace and adaptive ranges are coming later in the year. There'll be a separate call for those.
