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Project consistency

Are the five repos still coherent with each other?

Every logo becomes three kinds of stitch: a primary stitch that fills each shape, an underlay that stabilises it first, and connective travel between shapes. Here's how Forge chooses each — and where it still differs from an expert punch.

How Forge picks the primary stitch

It measures each region's width (2× the biggest circle that fits inside) and cuts:

< 1.6 mmRunning — a single thin line
1.6 – 7.0 mmSatin — glossy side-to-side columns
> 7.0 mmFill — tatami rows for big areas

First the mask is grown ~0.2 mm (pull compensation) to counter the fabric drawing inward under thread tension.

The stitch types

RRunning stitchA single line down the middle of a thin shape▶
1.5 mm stitch lengthfor shapes < 1.6 mm wide
  1. Skeleton. Thin the shape to a 1-pixel centre line (its medial axis).
  2. Order. Walk the skeleton into one path, starting at a tip so the longest arm goes first.
  3. Straighten. Simplify the staircase-y pixel path into clean segments (RDP, 0.4 mm tolerance) so diagonals don't jitter.
  4. Space. Drop a penetration every 1.5 mm along the path, always anchoring the corners.
Where we match Running is simple geometry — Forge and experts agree here. It's used for outlines and fine detail too thin for satin.
Don't confuse it with A running line looks identical to two OTHER single-line stitches — the difference is its role, not its shape:
  • Running vs Underlay — running is the visible stitch, on top and part of the design. Underlay is the same kind of line but stitched first and then covered by a satin (or fill) — you never see it. Satin over it → underlay; can see it → running.
  • Running vs Travel — running is an intended design line (an outline you're meant to see). Travel is just the needle commuting between shapes, hidden under coverage — not part of the design.
SSatinGlossy columns thrown edge-to-edge across a shape▶
0.4 mm density1.6–7.0 mm widetips extended to the edge
  1. Split into columns. Break the shape at its junctions so each stroke is one clean column (a monogram's legs stay satin, the join doesn't turn to fill).
  2. Build the spine. Fit a smooth centre line through each column and read its width all along it.
  3. Reach the tips. The centre line stops short of a pointed end, so we march it out to the true edge — otherwise stitches get "lost" 2–3 mm before the tip.
  4. Throw the columns. At every step down the spine, place a stitch pair across the width (perpendicular). Inside corners are shortened to 75% so thread doesn't bunch.
Where we still differ Experts build satin as two smooth outline rails; we currently build from the centre line outward. The rail model is prototyped but not yet winning — the main remaining satin gap.
FFill (tatami)Rows of stitches covering a large solid area▶
0.4 mm row spacing~3 mm stitch lengthfor shapes > 7 mm wide
  1. Split first. A shape with a thin neck is cut into simpler pieces before filling.
  2. Choose the angle. Default to horizontal/vertical (what experts do), or find the angle that breaks the shape into fewest pieces.
  3. Lay the rows. Sweep back-and-forth scan lines at 0.4 mm spacing across the shape.
  4. Offset the rows (brick). Shift each row's stitches so penetrations don't line up into a visible seam.
Where we still differ We shift rows on a 2-row half-brick; experts use a ¼ or ⅓ progressive shift that scatters penetrations into a diagonal lattice — no visible seam, less shine-moiré. Also, expert stitch lengths vary a lot; a constant length looks mechanical.
UUnderlayHidden stitches laid first to stabilise the fabric▶
under every satin & fillruns before the top stitch
  1. Thin satin (< 3 mm): one short-stitch centre run (1.5 mm) straight down the spine.
  2. Wide satin (≥ 3 mm): an edge run — a light line just inside each edge.
  3. Fill: a light tatami laid 90° across the top fill's direction, so they cross-stabilise.
  4. Tiny fills: get no underlay — nothing to stabilise.
Where we're calibrating Experts lay underlay lighter than us (about 0.18 vs 0.25 underlay-to-top stitches) and skip it on small shapes. Your Mark & Measure calls on expert samples feed this directly.
→Getting between shapesTravel, jump & trim — moving the needle▶
travel 2.0 mmzero trims within a colour
  1. Order the shapes to keep the needle's travel short ("closest join", the Wilcom approach).
  2. Travel stitch. To reach the next same-colour shape we lay a hidden 2 mm run that a later shape covers — no cut.
  3. Jump / trim. Only used inside one shape's own gaps, or at a colour change.
Rule No trims within a colour block — every same-colour move is a buried travel, so the back stays clean and the thread never floats on top.
These are the same stitches you're judging in Blink, Mark & Verify. In Tag you label the whole design — lettering, satin-border-fill, outline — to teach new rules.
The "where we differ" notes are exactly what your calls help us fix.