Every embroidery design is built from a handful of stitch types. The two you'll run into constantly are satin stitch and fill stitch — understanding the difference helps you get cleaner results whether you're using automatic digitizing or fine-tuning by hand.
| Stitch type | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Satin stitch | Tight zig-zag stitches spanning the full width of a shape | Borders, outlines, text, and narrow shapes under ~10mm wide |
| Fill stitch | Rows of stitches packed together to cover an area | Large solid areas, backgrounds, and broad shapes |
| Run stitch | A simple single line of stitches | Fine outlines, detail lines, and lightweight accents |
Satin stitch: clean and glossy
Satin stitch produces a smooth, slightly raised, glossy finish because every stitch crosses the full width of the shape. It's the standard choice for lettering, borders, and patch edges — but it only looks clean on shapes that are narrow. Push a satin stitch too wide (beyond roughly 10-12mm) and it starts to look loose and can snag.
Fill stitch: solid and flat
Fill stitch is built for coverage — rows of stitches laid down to fill a larger shape without letting the fabric show through. It's flatter and less glossy than satin, but far more stable across wide areas. Fill stitch density and angle can be adjusted to add texture or reduce thread use.
How click-stitch chooses stitch type
Quick Convert automatically applies fill stitch to larger shapes and satin stitch to borders and narrow areas. If you want manual control — choosing satin vs. fill per shape, adjusting density, or adding a satin border around an entire design — the guided Wizard and Full Editor expose those settings directly.
Where this matters most: patches and text
Patches almost always use a satin border around the whole design — see our patch digitizing guide. Lettering and monograms are nearly always satin stitch for legibility at small sizes — see our monogram and font guide.
New to digitizing altogether? Start with embroidery digitizing for beginners for the full glossary of terms.