Pet portraits
Pet portrait embroidery from your photo
Pet portraits are the most-asked-for custom design, and the hardest for most auto-digitizers. InstaEmbroid's pet preset keeps the shine in the eyes and the shape of the face, and the AI tools clear the background so only your pet is stitched.
Updated
How it works
- Add your picture Upload a JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP or GIF. Pick what it shows (a pet, a face, a logo, text…) and the settings are tuned for it.
- Pick your machine and hoop Choose your machine and hoop; the design is sized to fit and saved in the format your machine reads.
- Match real threads Every colour is matched to a real spool from your thread brand, with its number. Change any of them.
- Watch it sew, then download See every stitch build up on screen, check the stitch count and time, then download the file.
How to get a great pet portrait
- Use a sharp photo taken at the pet's eye level, with good light on the face.
- Crop to the head and shoulders. A whole dog in a garden is a lot of stitches for little gain.
- Pick the Pet preset in the studio. It keeps the highlights in the eyes, which make a portrait look alive.
- Remove the background with the AI tools (Pro and Unlimited), or upload a PNG cut-out.
- Choose 8 to 12 colours. Fewer for a cartoon look, more for fur detail.
- Size it at least 100 mm (4 in) across, and add the pet's name with the lettering tool.
Sewing it out
- Stitch on a stable woven fabric (cotton twill, canvas, denim) with cut-away stabilizer.
- Fur colours often sit next to each other: check the thread list and swap any thread you don't have for one close to it from your own chart.
- Watch it sew first to see the order: dark details and eyes go last so they sit on top.
Selling custom pet portraits
Custom pet embroidery is a popular product for small sellers. With a Pro or Unlimited plan you can turn customers' photos into designs in minutes rather than paying a digitizer for each one, and the files are yours to sew on products you sell.
Questions
Will it look like my pet?
It will look like a stylised thread portrait: flat areas of colour rather than every hair. The pet preset and AI makeover are tuned to keep the eyes, the markings and the shape of the face.
Can I put my pet's name on it?
Yes. Add lettering in one of 37 satin fonts, arch it over the head or set it underneath.
Is it free?
Previews are free and unlimited, and the Free plan downloads 3 designs a week in every format. New accounts get every feature, the AI photo tools included, free for their first week, with no card needed.