Thread OrderColor sort
Sort the colors in your embroidery design, free.
Open your DST below, set each stop to the thread you use, and press Join same threads. The page groups every stop of a thread together and moves a stop only where nothing in between overlaps it.
It is the same job as the color sort in desktop embroidery programs, in your browser.
Run sheet
| Stop | Thread | Needle | Stitches | Before you start it |
|---|
Worked example
The sample flower on this page has 8 stops in three threads: green (stem and two leaves), pink (three petals) and gold (bee and center). Color sort takes it from 7 color changes to 2. The page reports "Joined 5 stops: 7 color changes became 2."
How the sort decides
For each pair of stops with the same thread, it tries to move the later one up to the earlier one. If a stop in between stitches over the same spot, it tries moving the earlier one down instead. If both are blocked, the pair stays apart and the page tells you which stops overlap. It checks in 1 mm squares.
Questions
Why did it not join all my colors?
Some parts overlap a part of another color between them. Moving them would change which one shows on top, so they are kept in order.
Do I need to set colors first?
Yes. A DST file holds no thread colors, so each stop starts with a temporary color. Stops are joined by the colors you set.
Can I sort by hand instead?
Yes, each stop has Move up and Move down buttons, and a Join above button.