Most hand embroidery software is sold online, although you may find cross-stitch software in fabric or crafts stores. Unfortunately, store employees may not know much about the software, so searching the internet for more detailed information before you purchase is a good idea. Doing a search for the type of embroidery (cross-stitch, cutwork, etc.) plus “software” (for example, “cross-stitch software”) will give you the names of software packages to research further.

Many companies offer trial downloads of their software.  These trials are often the best way to learn about software that interests you.  To protect themselves, the software company will limit the use of the software in some way, usually either by limiting how long the software will operate for (usually 30 days from the installation date) or by the number of uses or saves.  Some companies will completely disable the ability to save your work.  So, to save yourself from frustration, check to see what the limitations are and make sure that you have time available to use the trial version before you install it. Once it’s installed, play with all the features you can find to see what the software will do and how to go about doing it. Even though you’ll want to go back to it after you make your final decision, Learning to Use Your Software has tips on learning enough about your software to determine if it’s the package that best suits your needs.