Dear Needleheads customers,
In October, 2018, after 25 years, Needleheads closed their doors and vacated their offices.
Sales of Monogram Wizard ceased though fonts were available from the aging online store which sadly, couldn't be updated. Support was limited, though an installer was created to allow CD-less running to solve many installation issues. It was time for a change.
The Future
Because we believe the Monogram Wizard fonts are worth preserving, BriTon Leap, makers of Embrilliance embroidery software has purchased Needleheads. We will make these fonts into scalable, object-based fonts for the Embrilliance platform. Though conversion and editing will take considerable time and effort, this will allow us to offer these legacy fonts for sale to the Embrilliance community and take advantage of the platforms advanced lettering and templating features.
Giving Back
To give back to the Monogram Wizard users, BriTon Leap took it upon themsleves to create a final Monogram Wizard update which makes the program more compatible with modern versions of Windows and simplifies installation. This version is freely available for a limited time to registered Monogram Wizard owners via the form below.
To honor the history of the product, we're including all existing fonts and features in this final release. This includes every asset from every version, including Extended Features and the discontinued Janome Edition. As this new installer includes every Needleheads font free of charge, there is no longer a need for the font store, which is now offline.
Naturally, there will be no ongoing support for Monogram Wizard software, but this final version will install and run on any normally functioning Intel-based Windows PC, including those running Windows 10. If you have difficulty installing, it is likely a computer, operating system, or anti-virus software problem. We suggest using local, independent PC repair specialists should you need help, as Big Box or Office stores rarely match the experience of those local technicians. Make a friend in your town and restore your computer at the same time.
Get the updated Monogram Wizard installer
Please use the form below to enter your original Monogram wizard or Monogram Wizard Plus serial number. This will take you to a page providing your new serial number and a download link for the new installer. Use no spaces, just numbers.
If you already have your NEW serial number, you may use this download, updated 4-20-2020:
Monogram Wizard Final (.zip) If you can't unzip, use this link: Monogram Wizard Final (.exe)
Thank you for your patronage of Monogram Wizard, and we hope to see you in the Embrilliance family in the future.
-The Team at BriTon Leap
Q: Now we only have multilayer?
A: The Save styles button is working, and now rather than having a single layer style and a multi-layer style, there is only the multilayer. The original code was broken on the Save for single layer anyway.
Q: Where did the Print go?
A: Print actually had been on top of another button (High Res) in the UI. We chose to keep the other and have you use Ctrl-P to print.
Q: How do I get my styles?
A: You have to copy them from the original folder to the Documents/Monogram Wizard/Monogram Styles folder.
Q: Bobo Applique is missing?
A: It was added back.
Q: Ctrl-D does what?
A: The original programmer used it to toggle the "Dimples" which is really splitting very long stitches on wide columns.
Q: What does this cost?
A: It is free. Just keep us in mind when it comes to embroidery software. We are doing this for the good of the community.
Q: Do I have to use the new version?
A: No. Keep using your old one if it works. This is for people who have no ability to use their old one.
Q: Should I uninstall the old version?
A: No. There is no interaction between the old and new. Keep using your old one if it works.
Q: Will it work on my Windows XP / Win 7 etc?
A: Yes.
Q: Do I need internet on the PC?
A: No. You can simply download the installer onto a USB drive and use that to install on a non-internet PC.
Q: Can I use it on more than one computer?
A: Yes. Like Embrilliance, you can use it wherever.
Q: Does it work on a Mac?
A: No more than it ever did, which is to say, No. We are not miracle-workers. But it probably will be fine in Parallels.
Q: Are you making a Mac version?
A: No. This is the end of the program. The fonts are being converted and edited to work in the Embrilliance platform, which does have a Mac version.
Q: When will the fonts be available for Embrilliance?
A: We are working on it. Conversions, such as can be made automatically have been done, but there is a painstaking hand-editing process to get them usable, and published.
Q: How will they be installed?
A: Probably via Embrilliance's .BX installation format.
Q: What if I can't find my serial number?
A: We're not sure there's much we can do. We have limited resources, but we'll try. email support@needleheads.com
Q: I bought some fonts recently. Are they included?
A: Yes, and even fonts that no one has ever seen from Needleheads before, so you've got more than your investment back!
Q: Can you fix up or edit any of the old fonts, if there's something wrong?
A: Nope. The font creator/editor used internally by Needleheads is not currently functional. The final versions of the fonts in the Monogram Wizard software are provided as-is.
Q: Who is Merlin Grammaticus?
A: His real name is Omar Serif.
Q: Can I call?
A: Yes. But we don't have a phone, so you won't get an answer. Seriously, the old office was closed in 2018. They moved. We think it's now a video production company.
Q: Are you just quitting the program? Can't we do more?
A: It was made with 1980's technology that's no longer viable. The metaphor is dated too. Time to move on to more modern software, but we are really trying to keep the fonts alive for future generations.
Q: I run my business on this. What do I do?
A: Backup regularly. Don't dismantle your old PC until you know your new one is working. We are doing this process, in large part, to help keep small businesses that rely on this product going.
Q: I don't want to buy anything new.
A: Well, if you bought a broom 15 years ago, there is no support for it. If you need another broom, get one. You cannot expect the people who sold you software 15 years ago to still support it for free. It is because they did exactly that which has brought this about. There was no way to pay another person for support. The owner has retired.
Q: Did Chris Murphy pass?
A: Not like you ask - he passed down to Florida. He now fishes as much as he can, as far as we know.
Q: There are features in the new version that don't quite work as expected.
A: We are monitoring that but probably won't be able to fix much. Use what you can as long as you can. If we update it, we'll get word out through the Facebook Monogram Wizard Plus group and this page.
Q: Can we have a link to the PDFs of the fonts, please?
A: We are going to do what we can as far as making the old site resources available, but it may take some time.
Here is a page to the PDFs
Hello, and thanks for your kind commentary on what we're doing.
We've read a lot of 'Thank you' notes in the community and we're happy to receive those!
We have really worked hard to get where we are, and we really are doing this for the benefit of the community. In a world that's so cynical of anyone in business, some ulterior motive is always looked-for. But, no, there isn't one. We don't live our lives that way. We have no shareholders to report to, other than our kids and spouses. We are very successful and have no need to gouge the world. We make great things that people love to use and enjoy. We all watch the groups as our customers, our extended family, make things and share pictures and talk about what they're making and for whom. That's who we are.
Some die-hard fans want to know more.
Q: What are you giving us?
It may not be obvious at first glance, but with all the fonts and motifs, this is over $3000 worth of content we are providing you. When we bought the company (for its fonts), we promised Chris that we would find a way to help his current user base. This is our way of keeping that promise. The program is really a dead-end. We had a lot to do just in order to make it run without a CD, without the crazy checks for serial numbers, avoid all the old anti-virus issues, and we fixed dozens of crashes. It was a huge project getting here. It now installs per normal Windows requirements. It is anti-virus friendly. It is code-signed for safety. It doesn't crash nearly like it did, and it can be moved to another monitor. It isn't perfect, and it may not have everything, but it's darn close, considering we didn't write the program and the stuff we got was in total disarray.
Q: Why a new serial number?
A: The original system of serial numbers was badly broken and scattered everywhere in the program. The CD requirement was insane for the modern world. We could not fix it, we needed to excise it entirely. We replaced it with our own technolgy that works in Embrilliance. It is more versatile, as it lets you run with no CD and you can run on as many computers as you own. When you enter it, use no spaces and keep the dashes.
Q: Why is this 'For a limited time'?
A: Reading needleheads email from the past year, we saw tons of requests for help. Help which could not be provided. People are still running businesses on the 2003 version of this software. Frankly, it was a disaster, and unlike in previous years, there was no hope for anything being fixed. We needed to provide a stop-gap to the despair. Odd word for embroidery, but you should see the emails that were being sent to the Monogram Wizard site. Some of it was downright mean. People expected a company that hasn't sold software for 2 years to still support their setups a decade (and often more!) after their purchase. It made us wonder, "Who are these people?" We decided that they were simply desperate, bless their hearts! They needed our help. We are doing what we can. But the future for us is to (sell) the fonts in a system that will move forward in time. We want to have everyone come with us to the modern platform. But if you do not, at least we are setting you up for a successful next few years with the old Wizard. We have invested about as much as a house to get here. And we still felt compelled to give this version away for free to help all those existing users. However, we can't do that forever. Once we have transitioned the fonts, we'll take down the link. It won't be days or weeks: It'll be some months. By the time we do, everyone will have been settled into place.
Q: I'm ready to switch. Does Embrilliance have all the lettering features of Monogram Wizard?
A: Yes. And more. It may take a minute for users to adjust, but you'll see it will be much easier. Of course, we don't have the fonts made available for Embrilliance yet, which is one reason we decided to to place this gift in the community. If you are currently embroidering, you probably have Embrilliance already, at least the free 'Express Mode' version for the worldwide collection of .BX installed fonts.
Q: Will the new fonts for Embrilliance be native or stitch-based?
A: The Embrilliance .BX installer can install both native and stitch-based fonts. The wizard fonts are being converted and edited natively in StitchArtist. They will be high quality and published for users to convert to objects.
Q: Are you on the Monogram Wizard Plus Facebook group?
A: Yes. For now, we just read. We simply have so much work to do that we can't interact with the community as we'd like. But we are paying attention. Observers will note that many of these FAQs directly answer the questions from that group. We are also updating this content with the questions email.
Q: I can't resize the window, really.
A: Nope. That program was written in the original Windows 3.1 style. It wants a whole screen. We got it to be movable so you could do something with it. The rest of 'normal' isn't going to happen.
Q: Can we get more of the stuff from the old site?
A: We are going to see what we can do. We have the support for the old program (this site) and a new Monogram Wizard store being built. So we have to divide our attention.
Q: Can I get this if I never had Monogram Wizard?
A: No. Wow. Some people!
Q: Do I see duplicate fonts in here?
A: Possibly. Some fonts changed names over the years, apparently. We've tried to de-dupe the list, but if we saw anything different, we left it in, just in case someone, somewhere, needed it.
Q: Is your inbox flooded?
A: Like Noah's front lawn.
Q: If I can't find my serial number, is there much hope?
A: We used the registrations and the store's website to compile a list of known persons with serials. Those are the only resources we have, but we are willing to look. If you were in the store to buy a font at some point, we probably can find you. If you really need us to look, please give any and all email addresses you might have used during the time you have owned the product.
Q: How do I download all the fonts?
A: They're already in the program when you install it.
Q: Are there pictures of all the fonts?
A: The Monogram Wizard Plus Facebook group appears to be compiling such and sharing it in their files section.