Lettering: built-in fonts

Lilo comes with about a hundred embroidery fonts. These are not ordinary computer fonts. Each one was drawn to be sewn: the stitches follow the letter shape, and each font has a height range where it sews well.

Add text#

1. Choose the Text tool (press T) or Type a monogram on Home.
2. Click on the canvas where the text should go.
3. Type in the Text box in the left panel.
4. Choose a Height (mm). Quick buttons give 6, 10, 15 and 25 mm. Or type your own.
5. Pick a font from the Fonts list.
6. Press Add text.

To change text later, select a word on the canvas. The panel becomes Edit text. Press Update text to apply your changes. New text starts another.

The controls#

• Letter spacing moves letters apart or closer together.
• Line spacing sets the gap between lines.
• Align is left, centre or right, for text with more than one line.
• The thread colour is the one in the panel's Colour control.

Fit this height#

Every font has a height range where it sews cleanly. The Only fonts for N mm checkbox hides fonts that do not suit your height. Leave it on while you choose.

A warning appears under the height box if the font is wrong for the size. For example, a font drawn for 15 to 30 mm letters piles up thread at 8 mm. Pick a font with a smaller range.

A monogram for a suit lining#

A 10 mm "JK" inside a suit jacket works well as follows.

1. Set the Sewing setup to Shirting / lining.
2. Choose a font that suits 10 mm with the checkbox on.
3. Use Align: center and add a little Letter spacing, about 0.5 mm.
4. Use a thread that is a shade off the lining, not a stark contrast.

Small letters#

Letters under about 6 mm with 40 wt thread fill in. Read Small letters.

Your own fonts#

Read Using your own fonts.

Licences#

Every built-in font ships with its own licence. See Licence and credits.