How to Embroider a Name with a Brother Embroidery Machine (Step by Step)

One of the most common reasons people buy an embroidery machine is to personalize things - names on towels, jackets, bags, gifts. 

That means knowing how to convert text for embroidery is a beginner skill - and one you should master early on.  I use (and recommend) Embrilliance Essentials which has a built-in text tool that handles digitizing text so you can easily embroider a name.

How to Connect Artspira to Brother SE2000 (Step by Step Setup)

In order to take full advantage of the Brother SE2000 sewing and embroidery machine you absolutely can not skip on using the Artspira app. It's literally a game changer. 

Syncing the Brother app with your SE2000 will allow you to wirelessly transfer designs with ease and speed. No more thumb drives!  Read on for how to do the initial SE2000 and Artspira App sync.

How to Download Embrilliance Essentials (Free Version and Paid Upgrade)

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. 

How to Do Applique with HTV for Beginners | Brother SE2000 Tutorial

You can do applique with HTV to give a different look than fabric! 

There are two different ways to do applique with HTV. There's the tear away method and then the more traditional method that's similar to how you would do fabric applique where the fabric is cut first. 

In this tutorial I'll show you how to do applique with HTV where the vinyl is pre cut with a Silhouette CAMEO.