{"id":3126,"date":"2026-05-15T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/?post_type=knowledge-base&#038;p=3126"},"modified":"2026-05-15T10:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:05:11","slug":"how-to-use-the-auto-border-tool-in-drawings-pro-xii","status":"publish","type":"knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-use-the-auto-border-tool-in-drawings-pro-xii\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use the Auto Border Tool in DRAWings PRO XII"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Auto Border<\/strong> tool in DRAWings PRO XII is a powerful feature that automatically creates a new object based on the outline of a selected design. This tool saves time when digitizing and provides precise control over border placement, stitch types, and spacing.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_56749\"  width=\"1290\" height=\"725\"  data-origwidth=\"1290\" data-origheight=\"725\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NcWc9pZGb2E?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"YouTube player\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/NcWc9pZGb2E\/maxresdefault.jpg\" title=\"\"><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is a step-by-step guide to using the Auto Border tool effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-by-Step Instructions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Select Your Design<\/strong> Begin by selecting the specific design or the portion of the design where you want to add a border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Activate the Auto Border Tool<\/strong> There are two easy ways to access the tool:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Method A:<\/strong> Right-click directly on your selection and choose <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-decorate-embroidery-designs-using-style-stitches\/\">Autoborder<\/a><\/strong> from the context menu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Method B:<\/strong> Click on the <strong>Convert<\/strong> icon located in the horizontal toolbar at the top of your workspace.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Configure the Auto Border Settings<\/strong> Once activated, the Auto Border dialog box will appear. Here, you will adjust the parameters to fit your project:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Placement:<\/strong> Choose whether the border should be generated on the <strong>Outside<\/strong> or the <strong>Inside<\/strong> of your selected shape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Distance:<\/strong> Define how far away the border should be from the original shape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Repeats:<\/strong> Set the number of times you want the border outline to repeat.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stitch Type:<\/strong> Select your preferred stitch style for the border. Standard options include <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/digitizing-basics-the-running-outline-type-explained\/\">Running<\/a><\/strong> stitch or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-use-satin-serial\/\">Satin Serial<\/a><\/strong>. If you choose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-digitize-satin-stitches\/\">Satin<\/a> Serial, you will also be prompted to define the width of the satin stitch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Useful Tip:<\/strong> If you set the Distance to <strong>0<\/strong>, the new border object will be placed exactly on top of the initial object&#8217;s outline. This is highly recommended when you want to create a crisp, defining edge directly over a filled shape.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Handle Complex <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/how-to-insert-and-customize-ready-made-shapes\/\">Shapes<\/a> with Holes<\/strong> If your selected shape has an empty space or &#8220;hole&#8221; in the middle (like a donut), the standard auto border might generate outlines around the interior holes as well, which may not be the ideal result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check the <strong>Remove holes<\/strong> option in the dialog box. This will ignore the interior paths, removing the inside parts and leaving only the clean, outermost border.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. Apply and Generate<\/strong> Once your settings are configured, press <strong>OK<\/strong>. The autoborder will instantly generate around your selected shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Decorating and Alternative Techniques<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your auto border is created, it acts as a brand-new object. You can easily decorate these new boundary lines with different styles to create unique, custom effects for your embroidery project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Using Non-Embroidery <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/knowledge-base\/understanding-technique-selection-in-drawings-pro\/\">Techniques<\/a><\/strong> DRAWings PRO XII is versatile. If your project utilizes techniques other than standard embroidery, the Auto Border tool will adapt to offer specific border types suited to your medium:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Paint Technique:<\/strong> Choose between <strong>Paint Zigzag<\/strong> or <strong>Paint Lines<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cut Technique:<\/strong> Generate a clean <strong>Cut Line<\/strong> for your cutter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stencil Technique:<\/strong> Automatically create a <strong>Stencil Autoborder<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Useful Tip:<\/strong> Mixing techniques can yield stunning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/how-to-create-mixed-media-embroidered-greeting-cards\/\">mixed-media<\/a> projects. Try generating a standard embroidery design and using the Auto Border tool to create a perfectly aligned cut line for appliqu\u00e9 fabrics!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Auto Border tool in DRAWings PRO XII is a powerful feature that automatically creates a new object based on the outline of a selected design. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3127,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":""},"categories-kb":[333],"class_list":["post-3126","knowledge-base","type-knowledge-base","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-kb-how-to-training"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"categories-kb":[{"value":333,"label":"How to Training"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/how-to-use-the-autoborder-tool-f-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"DRAWings Embroidery Software","author_link":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/author\/drawings\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base\/3126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/knowledge-base"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/knowledge-base"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"categories-kb","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drawstitch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories-kb?post=3126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}