Digitizing software allows you to create new designs, not simply altering existing designs the way editing software does. Digitizing features to look for include:

Tools to create the stitch area of a design. These tools can be manual or automatic:

Manually digitizing a design involves using the software’s tools to trace or create the design’s stitch areas with a mouse or a digitizing pen and tablet. Manual digitizing gives the digitizer the greatest control over the stitch file that is produced.

When embroidery software automatically traces a graphic and then translates it into an embroidery file or chart it is called autodigitizing. Most autodigitized designs need editing to create a design that sews out well, so be sure that the digitizing software includes editing options.

Stitch options appropriate to the type of embroidery software (full, half and quarter cross for hand embroidery, and fill, straight and satin stitches for machine embroidery). Stitches beyond the basic necessities are a nice plus.

The ability to bring reference graphics into the software is an important feature. The software may use different image formats for manual digitizing and autodigitizing. Check the formats that can be used to be sure that you won’t need additional software to convert images, and that commonly-used image formats are included, such as .jpeg and .png.

Custom stitch and pattern options that allow you to create stitches or fills not included in the software.

A shape library makes creating basic shapes quick and easy. Being able to add your own frequently-used shapes to the library makes it even more useful.

For machine embroidery, stitch control options are important, too.  They allow you to change the density, stitch direction, pull compensation and underlay of a design, either to stitch better on different fabrics or to create custom effects.