Preferences and Settings
Open the Preferences dialog from the Preferences menu in the header bar. Here you can customize how Stitch A Lot Studio works.
Auto-Save
Auto-save periodically saves your work in the background so you do not lose progress.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| None | Auto-save is off (default) |
| Every 1 minute | Saves every minute |
| Every 2 minutes | Saves every 2 minutes |
| Every 5 minutes | Saves every 5 minutes |
| Every 10 minutes | Saves every 10 minutes |
| Every 15 minutes | Saves every 15 minutes |
| Every 30 minutes | Saves every 30 minutes |
When auto-save is enabled, the app saves to the current file automatically. You will still need to use File > Save for the first save of a new pattern.
Undo History
The undo history controls how many steps you can undo.
- Minimum: 10 steps
- Maximum: 200 steps
- Default: 50 steps
A larger history uses more memory but lets you go further back. For most projects, 50 steps is a good balance.
Measurement System
Choose between imperial and metric units:
| Setting | Units |
|---|---|
| Imperial | Inches (default) |
| Metric | Millimeters |
This affects the ruler display and canvas dimension labels throughout the app.
Ruler Units
Control what the canvas rulers show:
| Setting | Rulers Show |
|---|---|
| Squares | Grid square numbers (default) |
| Measurement | Inches or millimeters, based on your measurement system |
Display Options
Several toggles let you customize what appears on screen:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Show Symbols | On | Display symbol overlays on stitches for creating black-and-white charts |
| Show Center Marker | On | Show a green crosshair at the center of the canvas |
| Show Toolbar Labels | Off | Display text labels below the toolbar icons |
Confirmation Dialogs
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm Layer Delete | On | Ask for confirmation before deleting a layer |
| Confirm Color Removal | On | Ask for confirmation before removing a color from the palette |
You can turn these off if you prefer a faster workflow. Actions can always be undone.
Layers
Whether you work with multiple layers is controlled by two switches:
- Layers Default (in Settings) — sets whether new patterns open with layers on or off
- Layers ON/OFF switch (in the Layers panel) — turns layers on or off for the current pattern
Layers are off by default, which means auto-flatten is on by default. When layers are off, new drawing is flattened into a single layer and the layer list is hidden. Turning Layers on shows the full layer list and all layer controls.
Export and Sharing
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PDF Page Size | Letter | Choose the page size for PDF exports: Letter or A4 |
| PDF Footer Text | (empty) | Custom text printed in the footer of exported PDF pages |
Other Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show Tutorial | Controls whether the in-app tutorial is shown |
| iCloud Sync | On Apple platforms, syncs your patterns through iCloud |
Toolbar Visibility
Click Toolbar Visibility to open a dialog where you can toggle individual tools on or off in the left toolbar. This lets you hide tools you rarely use to keep the toolbar clean.
All tools are visible by default.
Working Directory
Set a default folder where Stitch A Lot Studio opens and saves files.
- Click Browse to choose a folder
- Click the X button to clear it and return to the system default
- When not set, the app uses your system's default documents location
This is useful if you keep all your pattern files in a specific folder.