| Bean stitch | A running stitch where each stitch is sewn back and forth (3, 5, … passes) for a bold line |
| Bird’s nest | A tangle of thread under the fabric, usually from bobbin or tension problems |
| Collapse length | Moves shorter than this are sewn instead of jumped (default 3 mm) |
| Colour block | A run of stitches in one thread colour; blocks are separated by colour changes |
| Comfort zone | The part of the hoop a machine profile may recommend keeping designs inside, with a warning for larger ones. No built-in profile has one yet |
| Contour fill | A fill whose rows follow the shape’s outline inward |
| Density | How close rows or zigzags are (row spacing / zigzag spacing) |
| Hoop | The frame that holds fabric; its sewable field is a machine profile’s hard limit |
| Jump | A move between stitches without sewing; the thread spans the gap until trimmed |
| Lock stitch (tie-in, tie-off) | Tiny stitches that secure the thread at the start or end of a section |
| Needle penetration | One drop of the needle; consecutive penetrations make a stitch |
| PES / PEC | Brother’s design format; the PEC block inside a PES file holds the stitches |
| Profile (machine profile) | StitchCraft’s description of a machine: hoop, comfort zone, file format, stitch limits, trims, palette |
| Pull compensation | Widening shapes so they come out the drawn size after thread tension pulls the fabric |
| Push | Fabric moving outward along the stitch direction; columns grow at their ends |
| Rail | One of the two edges of a satin column |
| Row spacing | Distance between rows of a fill |
| Rung | A short line across a satin’s rails that fixes which points correspond |
| Running stitch | A line of single stitches |
| Satin column | Stitches swinging between two rails; glossy bands for borders and lettering |
| Stabilizer | Backing material that keeps fabric from distorting while stitching |
| Stagger | The offset of needle points between neighbouring fill rows; staggers is how many rows before the pattern repeats |
| Stitch plan | The full ordered list of stitches, jumps, trims and colour changes for a design |
| Tatami | The standard fill: parallel rows with staggered needle points |
| Travel | Running stitches that move the needle inside a shape, hidden by later stitching |
| Trim | A thread cut performed by the machine |
| Underlay | A light foundation layer sewn before the top stitches |
| Zigzag spacing | Peak-to-peak distance of a satin’s zigzag |