DP Software has been producing software for cross stitch design for over 30 years. Currently there are versions for Windows and Mac with iPad and Android under development.

Its not just cross stitch but also Tapestry, Rugs, Diamond painting, Swiss darning, Arraiolos and canvas work. In fact anything based on a square or rectangular grid format.

Our software is used by everyone from large multi-nationals, nationals, smaller companies and individuals to give professional looking, easy to read charts in printed or electronic form.

All our software licenses allow the version you purchase to be used for an indefinite period of time. Windows and Mac versions come with access to the latest versions for 1 year from purchase date - simply register your serial number with us and choose a user name and password. Extensions to the free update period are sold as separate annual subscriptions at a fraction of the new price. Cancelling a subscription allows you to use any versions already downloaded indefinately.

Check out free demos, compare editions and read about photo to chart from the main menu or read on for a quick guide.

Cross Stitch Professional Platinum

Choose your software edition and upgrade between them.

Standard edition (Available for Windows only)

The standard edition is a lower priced version for users on a budget and not requiring the full range of tools. It has the ability to be upgraded at a later date to both our Plus and Publisher editions which use the same file format to save and open your designs.

It can produce designs in up to 75 colours per design and up to 500 x 500 stitches. Stitch types include cross stitch, 3/4 stitch, backstitch to grid square resolution, french knots and beads.

Compare the features of all versions in the comparison table.

You might choose this edition for a lower starting cost with ability to upgrade later

Plus edition (Available for Windows and Mac)

The Plus edition has more advanced stitch types such as petit-point, split cross, straddle and a range of canvas stitches plus a built in stitch designer to create your own stitches. Backstitch can be created to a half grid resolution and there is a fill with blackwork and a library of fill patterns.

It also has graphic export to a variety of formats such as pdf, jpg, png and many more with the possibility to create pdf files where the key and chart sheets are of different orientation.

Charts in the Plus edition can be given a shaded overlapp where they are split onto multiple sheets.

Plus edition can use up to 220 colours per design and a maximim size 1200 x 1200 stitches

You might choose this edition if you want lots of colours and stitch types or ability to export to other formats

Publisher edition (Available for Windows and Mac)

The Publisher edition has the ability to place non-stitch items on the design such as word processed text, arrows, callouts and images to allow a professional layout particularly useful when using large single sheet designs.

Layered objects can be opened on their own design tab so you can fully edit parts of the design that are partly obscured by objects on top of them. Any editing in the objects design tab is reflected immediately in the master design.

The Publisher also allows colours to be edited in CMYK format rather than the standard RGB. This applies also to the master colour range editor for the thread database. You might use this if you need specific CMYK colours for your threads in order to output to a printing press.

There are some features that are currently different in the Windows and Mac publisher versions:

The Mac version has full layer capability. As well as the layered objects, you can draw on different layers, move layers forward and backwards and of course change which layer is currently being edited. It is also possible to open a single layer on a separate design tab so that the full layer can be viewed and edited without other layers getting in the way. This is a very powerfull design feature and saves a lot of time.

Layers have their own undo and redo lists so you can go back and change something you did on one layer without affecting work you have done more recently on anther layer.

On the Windows version, the full layers are coming later but you can still open smaller layered objects on their own tab. The Windows version does have the ability to carry through cmyk format colours all the way through to pdf files which is not possible on the Mac version.

Publisher edition can use up to 220 colours per design and maximum size 3000 x 3000 stitches

You might choose this version to add annotation to your charts, create huge designs or more easily edit layered objects.
On the Mac version you might choose it for its multiple layer designs. (Coming soon to Windows)
On Windows you might choose it for its use of CMYK colours in pdf files.