Dear Margaret in Maryland
Don't be blue! I used to have a Bernina Artista 180 and suffered the way
you are. Then, one day, a kind fairy told me of the following procedure.
It takes a while but works for that special design you just have to have!
First of all convert any format you like into EXP format (I swear by
Embird but perhaps there is a freebie software programme out there that will
just convert to EXP) and store it somewhere on your PC.
Next open the Art Link software.
Go to File and open Card Read/Write. Don't worry about having a
card - you don't need one because you are going to be using Art Link
on the PC directly linked to the machine.
My PC then shows "Device selection"; asks you to select the
embroidery system.(180 in our case) You then click in the
appropriate Com Port which is the port on your PC where the cable
which is connected to the Artista goes in.
Then it says (on mine) "the access to the internal design memory
failed" Don't freak - just press OK - don't know why it says that!
Then it says something about the access to something or other has
failed. Ignore that one too and okay it.
Eventually - God willing - you will get to a window headed "Read
from Embroidery system etc etc"
Now open the folder you want, using the open file icon which is the
bottom one of the three in the middle of the screen.(I have designs
saved in a file marked EXPS for conversion) and remember to tick the
box marked "show files".
Patience - we are almost there!
Now select one of the icons in the box on the bottom left hand side
(you will see that suddenly they all have artista icons!)
Now go to the icons on the right hand side (four of them). Select
the one at the top which is a reel of thread on a paint palette (!)
Press that and bingo! The design opens up in your Art link and is
ready to download to the machine and stitch out!
Don't forget to "Save as" with a new name so you can find it again.
You will also see that the colours are stranger than you could
imagine but that's the price you pay.
The embroidery freebie world is now your oyster! You can stitch out
anything that you can convert to EXP.
I hope this is clear to you. I haven't done this for ages as I now have a
Janome MC11000 Good luck!!
Moderator: I do apologise for this lengthy post but I figured it
might help others too.
Phew! I'm off for a cup of tea!!
Angie
Isle of Man
