Embrilliance Essentials is a sewing and embroidery design software - compatible with both Mac and PC - that will give you a lot of flexibility if you are trying to merge applique or embroidery designs.
I use it with my Brother SE2000 and my older Brother SE600, which Brother has since replaced with the SE700.
Embrilliance Express is the free version. It opens and converts embroidery files, but you can't merge designs, add lettering, or resize with stitch recalculation. Essentials is the paid upgrade, and it's a one time purchase rather than a subscription.
In this tutorial I'll show you how to download Embrilliance Essentials for beginners on a Mac. The process is essentially the same on PC.
Embrilliance Express vs Essentials: What you Get
Express is the free version and it's free - no email signup, no strings. Essentials is the paid upgrade and it's a one time purchase, not a subscription. Here's where the difference between them:
| Feature | Express (free) | Essentials (paid) |
| Open and view embroidery files | Yes | Yes |
| Save stitch files for your machine | Yes | Yes |
| Install and type in BX fonts | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on Mac and Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Combine and merge multiple designs | No | Yes |
| Resize 50% to 250% with stitch recalculation | No | Yes |
| Stitch editing | No | Yes |
| Lettering and monogram tools, 21 built in fonts | No | Yes |
| Applique tools | No | Yes |
| Thread color changes and brand conversion | No | Yes |
| Remove hidden and overlapping stitches | No | Yes |
| Print full size templates | No | Yes |
| Built in stitch simulator | No | Yes |
| Send designs to Brother and Baby Lock over wifi | No | Yes |
| One licence, unlimited computers, Mac and Windows | - | Yes |
The short version: if you only need to open a design and send it to your machine, Express is enough. The moment you want to combine two designs, resize one, add a name, or do applique, that's Essentials.
The one that matters most if you own a Silhouette: Essentials can generate applique cut files straight from the placement stitches, so your CAMEO cuts the fabric and your embroidery machine stitches it. Here's how to use PES embroidery files in Silhouette Studio.
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