Trim
A trim is a command in the stitch file that tells the machine to cut the thread, usually after a section, so no long jump thread is left running to the next part of the design.
A trim is a thread-cut command stored in the stitch file. When the machine reaches it, it cuts the thread and then carries on with the next stitches. Ink/Stitch describes its "Trim after" command as telling the machine to cut the thread once the chosen object has been stitched. Do not mix it up with trimming stabilizer or snipping loose threads with scissors afterward. Those are hand jobs you do after stitching.
It matters because many designs have separate parts, such as the letters of a monogram. Without a trim, the machine just moves across the gap and leaves a long jump thread for you to clip. Ink/Stitch says trims are mainly there to prevent long jump stitches and to save the operator from trimming by hand. A trim also brings small lock stitches, a few tiny stitches that keep the thread end from pulling loose. Ink/Stitch puts lock stitches on the object that has the trim and tack stitches on the next object. Trims are not free, though. Ink/Stitch advises routing the stitching better where possible, because cutting should be kept to a minimum.
Trims are set when the design is digitized, not on the machine. In Ink/Stitch you tick "Trim after" for an object or attach a trim command, and a separate tool can swap jump stitches for trim or stop commands. Other programs use their own names, so look for trim or thread cut in the object settings. Lock stitches are only added when the gap is longer than a minimum jump length, so tiny hops are not treated as trims. On the machine side, not every home machine can cut inside a color block, so check your manual to see what yours does.
The file format changes how a trim is stored. DST has no dedicated trim code. According to EduTech Wiki, a trim is assumed after a set number of jumps in a row, often 3 and sometimes as many as 5. Designers sometimes add tiny fake jumps to force a cut. That means a DST file can behave differently on a different machine than the one it was made for.
Common mistakes: trimming after every tiny hop, which adds cuts and lock stitches for no benefit; leaving long jumps untrimmed so threads run across the design; and assuming your machine will cut when it may not. If your machine does not cut a jump, clip it yourself with small, sharp scissors.
Example: Say a monogram has three letters in one color, about 1 in (25 mm) apart. With trims on, the machine cuts and locks after the first two letters, so two trims and no connecting threads. With no trims, you clip two jump threads by hand. In Ink/Stitch's own example, a minimum jump length of 2 mm (about 0.08 in) means a 1 mm (0.04 in) gap gets no lock stitches, while a 3 mm (0.12 in) gap does. These are illustrative numbers, not rules.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my machine leave long threads between letters?
The design may have no trim commands at those gaps, or your machine may not cut at that point. Ink/Stitch notes that not every home machine can trim inside a color block, so check your manual. Until then, clip the jump threads with small, sharp scissors after stitching.
How many jumps make a trim in a DST file?
DST has no trim code of its own. EduTech Wiki says a trim is assumed after a set number of jumps in a row, often 3 but possibly as high as 5. Because the count depends on the machine, the same DST can trim differently from one machine to the next, so stitch a scrap first.
Is a trim the same as a jump stitch?
No. A jump is a move between two points with no stitching, which leaves a length of thread. A trim is the command that cuts that thread so nothing is left to clip.