>> Stitch Painter Importing FAQS

FAQ #1: Loading graphic files
Question:
Stitch Painter won't open my graphic files from the File menu (e.g. .bmp, .pict, etc.).

Answer:
The only way (currently) to import files into Stitch Painter, is through the clipboard. You must move to any other Windows program that is capable of loading the image. Load the file, select the area of it you want to import, and then copy this to the clipboard. Then you can load Stitch Painter and Paste or Paste Special the file in place. Ensure that you are sending the file to the clipboard in a bit mapped way. Some Draw programs may not do this.
Answer:
Keep in mind that in order to import more than 2 colors, you will need Stitch Painter's Full Color Import module. If you do not have this, whatever colors you have selected in the Stitch Painter palette, are the colors that the image will appear in. In the case of a white background color, make sure that you have a different color (other than white) selected in the palette prior to importing, or else you won't see the image.

FAQ #2: Using the clipboard
Question:
I send something to the clipboard, but when I get into Stitch Painter, the Paste Special menu is ghosted.
Answer:
Yes, it will be ghosted until you actually select one stitch, or an area of stitches on the screen. Doing this tells the program that this is the upper left stitch (in the case of selecting one stitch), or that you want to fit the image into a specified area (in the case of selecting an area). Once you have created the selection, then Paste Special should not be ghosted.

Question:
When I bring in an image, it doesn't look anything like the original art.
Answer:
Most likely, this has to do with resolution. If you selected a large area (in pixels) of an image to be imported into Stitch Painter, and then only allowed that image and its details to fit into 30 stitches by 30 rows, you will lose most of the detail. Keep in mind, the more stitches you let something become, the greater detail you will keep. If you want perfect resolution, then let each pixel become a stitch. You may need to shrink the image in your paint program first, prior to selecting it and sending it to the clipboard. Then, when you move to Stitch Painter, select one stitch only (the upper left stitch), and Paste Special.

Question:
When I attempt to bring in an image, I am told there isn't enough memory.
Answer:
This typically happens in two situations. First, you may not have enough RAM to bring in images. These days, color scanned images can demand 36 or more megs of RAM, dependent upon how you scanned. Secondly, (and related to the first), if you scan an image using a large dpi (e.g. 300), you may indeed have a very large file. For example: if you scanned an image that is 8 by 10 inches at 300 dpi, you will have an image that is 2400 by 3000 pixels. This is VERY large. You may not even realize how large the image really is, because your scanning software reduced the display of it so you can see it. Look at the 'zoom' level. We would recommend that you either scan at a lower dpi or shrink the image once scanned to a reasonable size to send to the clipboard (typcially under 1000 pixels in either direction). Then proceed, and you will find that you most likely have enough memory to work.