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Private beta

Pantograph Design Software, Free, In Your Browser

Draw an edge-to-edge row, a border with its corner turned for you, a block, or a wreath. Watch the density read out against what actually sells, fix sewability problems with one click, and export to every longarm format at once. No install, no dongle, no activation counter.

We're stitch-testing with working longarmers now. Want in when it opens?

The NiftyFifty Panto Designer is browser-based pantograph design software for longarm quilting, launching in 2026. Until now, digitizing a pantograph meant $599–€1,425 of Windows desktop software; this tool draws edge-to-edge rows, borders with auto-turned corners, blocks, and wreaths in the browser, checks sewability as you draw (continuous line, level ends, edge span, sharp reversals), reads out stitch density calibrated against 31 commercial designs, traces uploaded sketches automatically, and exports a zip of all 12 longarm machine formats — QLI, HQF, IQP, QCC, PAT, BQM, CSQ, DXF, PLT, TXT, CQP, and SSD — plus a true-scale printable paper pantograph. It is built by NiftyFifty, the online quilting community founded in 1997.

Available today

The designer's format engine is already live as a free tool: the Pantograph Format Converter opens a design in any of 12 longarm formats and hands back all 12 — in your browser, nothing uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

Is there free pantograph design software?

There is now. NiftyFifty's Panto Designer runs in your browser — Mac, Windows, or iPad, nothing to install, no activation limits. It's in private beta with working longarmers while we validate stitch-outs on real machines; join the list on this page to be notified at launch. The companion format converter is already live and free.

What can it design?

Edge-to-edge rows (with 50% offset interlock preview), borders with an automatically turned corner, block motifs, and wreaths. You can start from templates, trace a sketch or photo with one-click auto-trace, smooth or simplify the line, and watch a sew simulator run the path.

How do I know my design will actually stitch well?

The designer lints every design against the rules longarmers care about: continuous single line, level row ends, edge-to-edge span, sharp reversals, and stitch density measured against 31 real commercial pantographs — so you know whether your design is airier or denser than what sells.

What machine formats does it export?

All 12 common ones in one zip: QLI (Statler), HQF (Pro-Stitcher), IQP (IntelliQuilter), QCC (Quilt-EZ), PAT (Innova), BQM (Bernina Q-matic), CSQ (CreativeStudio, with true curves), DXF, PLT (QBot), TXT (PC Quilter), CQP (CompuQuilter), and SSD (Side Saddle). It also prints a true-scale paper pantograph for tracing with a laser stylus.

Will my name be on my designs?

Yes — your designer name and copyright line are written into every exported file, the way commercial pantograph files carry their designer's credit.

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