For researching machine embroidery software, talking to your local sewing machine dealer can be a good starting point. Dealers usually only carry software for the machine brands they sell, and most dealers only sell a single brand of machines. They can be very good sources of information for that manufacturer’s products. A good salesperson can explain all of the components of the software package. They also should be able to tell you exactly what software and hardware you need for the projects that interest you.

After you’ve watched the salesperson’s demo, ask to try some of the functions yourself. This will give you a feel for how easy the software is to navigate. Don’t expect to complete the tasks as easily as the salesperson did – they’ve had much more experience – but see if you can complete the tasks that interest you without too much confusion.

Once you’ve learned all you can from your dealer, continue your research by visiting not only the website of the brand your dealer carries, but other embroidery software makers’ websites, too. Once you’ve seen one software package in-depth, it’s easier to compare brands and determine the features you want and the ones you don’t need.

If you don’t have a trusted dealer nearby, you can start your research online. Most of the machine embroidery software companies have a website that will give you basic information on their software. In most cases, they will also have a way for you to see the software in action, either through a limited trial, or demonstration videos.

Playing with a trial version of the software is probably the most effective way to know if it will be suitable. Not only can you get a feel for what it can do, but also for how well it works. Remember that the trial will be limited in some way, usually either in the number of uses, or the number of days before it stops working. Because of these limitations, make sure that you will have time to work with the software before you install it. (In some demo versions, your ability to save your work may be disabled or limited, too.) Once the software is installed, try out all the features you can find so you understand what the software is capable of. If you feel a bit intimidated by it, take a look at the Learning to Use Your Software page for some tips on getting started.

Some companies do not offer trial versions of their software. Those that don’t usually have videos that allow you to see the software in action. This is especially true of the more expensive software packages. Although actually being able to use the software may be the best option, watching videos can give you a good sense of what the software does, and is more informative that having only a chart with features would be.