BERNINA B990E Sewing and Embroidery Machine Owner’s Manual

BERNINA B990E Sewing and Embroidery Machine

FAQ

How do I adjust the sewing speed?

You can adjust the sewing speed using the slide speed control feature on the machine. Simply move the slider to increase or decrease the stitching speed according to your preference.

Can I resize stitches on the BERNINA 990?

Yes, you can resize any stitch from 25% to 500% using the Jumbo Stitch feature. This allows for unlimited creative possibilities and customization of stitch sizes.

What is the purpose of the Bernina Placement Scanner and Camera?

The Bernina Placement Scanner and Camera enable precise placement of embroidery designs by providing a visual representation of design positioning on the fabric. Use this feature to accurately align and position your embroidery motifs.

Magical sewing, quilting and embroidery.

• Imagine a sewing machine that can do it all: sew, quilt, and embroider with flawless precision, captivating speed and miraculous features. A machine that will help you transform any project into a masterpiece of art and craft. That sewing machine is the BERNINA 990, the ultimate expression of Swiss engineering, precision and innovation.
• This new BERNINA flagship sewing and embroidery machine offers you an amazing 14 inches of space to the right of the needle and innovative features you have always dreamed of.
• The B 990 is easier and more intuitive to use than ever before with modern navigation and gestures. Tap into your inner artist customising the 2,927 stitch patterns and 879 built-in embroidery designs. Precisely place and view what you are working on directly on the screen in front of you with the help of the new BERNINA Placement Scanner, integrated Camera and BERNINA Pinpoint Laser.
• Another major innovation that will transform your quilting experience is the new BERNINA Integrated Stitch Regulator (BISR). This now brings automatic stitch regulation to all quilting applications including ruler work.
• In addition, with built-in WiFi Connectivity and the new Help Center at your fingertips, you can access feature and technique information anytime and anywhere.
• This is the new BERNINA 990. Create your Magic!

MORE SPACE THAN EVER BEFORE
The B 990 includes a meticulously engineered extended freearm with 14 inches (356 mm) of space to the right of the needle, providing you with ample space for big, beautiful sewing, quilting and embroidery projects.

NEW 10-INCH TOUCH SCREEN AND MODERN USER INTERFACE
The large interactive touch screen with gesture capabilities, icons with text descriptions, and intuitive interactions makes sewing and embroidery easier than ever. It can be operated with touch gestures, the included touch screen pen, or an optional computer mouse.

NEW HELP CENTER
Access the onboard manual with search functionality, the Creative Consultant with step-by-step tutorials, or the Quick Start to get started sewing and embroidering in no time. The Help Center can be accessed on your personal device (tablet or smartphone) by simply scanning the QR code on screen (must be connected to WiFi) allowing you to always have information right by your side.

NEW BERNINA PLACEMENT SCANNER AND CAMERA
Scan and view the embroidery hoop and view the needle area on screen with the Camera in both sewing and embroidery for perfect placement of stitch patterns and embroidery designs.

NEW AUTOMATIC NEEDLE THREADER
The Automatic Needle Threader helps you get started with a different thread by simply pushing a button. Conveniently and quickly, every single time.

PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION

Sew without limitations

Unlock unlimited creative potential by customising the 2,927 stitch patterns or creating your own stitches with the Stitch Designer. Only BERNINA gives you Total Stitch Control to place and adjust every stitch exactly as you want it and with the new Jumbo Stitch, the stitches are magically transformed into patterns of amazing sizes – sizes never sewn before! Creative freedom to the fullest.

• NEW BERNINA PINPOINT LASER
  Enjoy pinpoint precision by seeing exactly where the needle will enter the fabric in every needle position. The BERNINA Pinpoint Laser marks your start and travel points as you sew and embroider.

• NEW CUSTOMISABLE STITCH-ALTERING AREA
  The Stitch Altering Area visualises your sewing stitches and edits in real- time. Zoom in and out, rotate the view and see the stitches magically come to life on the screen prior to sewing on your project. Activate the camera to view the needle area in the Stitch Altering Area on screen to ensure your stitch pattern fits your needs.

• NEW JUMBO STITCH
  Resize any stitch from 25% to 500% for unlimited creative potential.

• NEW UNDO/REDO
  Undo and redo steps in sewing mode and in Stitch Designer. View the changes instantly on the screen.

• STITCH DESIGNER
  Create your own stitches by drawing your ideas right on the touch screen. With a touch, the B 990 transforms your design into a stitch pattern or alters existing stitches as you wish.

• NEW FILE MANAGER
  Save adjusted or new stitch patterns and combinations. With the new File Manager, stitch patterns can be named and saved in the Personal Folder. Create folders, move, copy and paste files to organise your stitches and embroidery designs.
  

Beautiful, giant embroidery.
Made easy, fast and precise.

• The BERNINA 990 features extraordinary innovations to make embroidering easier than ever and even more precise. Go beyond normal embroidery editing with the numerous on-screen editing features. With just the touch of a finger quickly edit and design your embroidery masterpiece visualised in the embroidery hoop. Easy, accurate and intuitive – the world is now your embroidery canvas.
• Precisely position your embroidery on any project with the various placement options. The B 990 allows you to place a design down to a single stitch, even checking each stitch with the new BERNINA Pinpoint Laser. The new BERNINA Placement Scanner visualises your hooped fabric directly on the screen as a background to preview design placement and colours. View the needle area on screen with the Camera and combine with the BERNINA Pinpoint Placement to accurately place your designs with ease, every time!
• The new Embroidery Module XL with BERNINA Smart Drive Technology (SDT) and the new Giant Hoop come standard with the B 990. The Giant Hoop expands your embroidery horizon with the extra-large space and ability to embroider a 16.1” x 12” area, including an amazing full 12-inch square.
• Save and organise your embroidery and stitch patterns directly on the machine or USB (type A or C) in the File Manager. Name saved files, create folders, cut, copy, paste and simply move entire folders of designs from the USB straight to your Personal Folder quickly and easily – just like magic!

Next-generation embroidery with the B 990

• NEW BERNINA PLACEMENT SCANNER
  Positioning of embroidery designs has never been easier. Scan to preview how your designs will look when stitched. Viewing the fabric in the hoop on the machine’s screen makes placement simple and provides a realistic preview for embroidery colours and sizing. Transfer the scanned background to the optional BERNINA Embroidery Software 9 on your PC to digitize directly on your hooped project.

• NEW CUSTOMISABLE LETTERING
  24 embroidery fonts with limitless resizing! Create embroidery lettering perfectly to fit your project with multiple lines, alignment and corrections to previously made text. Edit the stitch density and pull compensation, and transform the shape and spacing to get perfect results every time.

• NEW ARRANGE FEATURES
  Easily align, distribute, group/ungroup and move design stitchout order all while editing. Match Start and Stop points to create endless border and quilting designs without having to individually place multiple designs.

• PINPOINT PLACEMENT WITH NEW 4-POINT
  Perfect design placement starts with exact virtual positioning. Pinpoint Placement gives you total control of the stitching placement of your embroidery. With the new 4-Point Placement, simply define four points on the fabric in the hoop and the design is placed proportionally or morphed to fit the created boundary.

• NEW BUILT-IN WIFI CONNECTIVITY AND BERNINA STITCHOUT APP
  WiFi allows you to transfer embroidery designs from your optional BERNINA Embroidery Software 9 directly to your B 990, or the other way around. And thanks to the new BERNINA Stitchout App, the embroidery process can be monitored on your smartphone or tablet. The B 990 connects with the app allowing you to monitor the status of your embroidery stitchout from any room in your house. The app notifies you when the machine needs your direct attention, like thread colour change, thread breakage or when the design is finished.
  

Quilt like a wizard

The B 990 is your perfect quilting companion. With the large 14-inch throat space and the new BERNINA Integrated Stitch Regulator (BISR), quilting is more comfortable and convenient than ever. Additional new features include the ability to adjust the minimum stitching speed and the adjustment of stitch lengths as stitches per inch (SPI). Computerized Quilting with the SDT Embroidery Module empowers you to quilt like a pro. Unlimited scaling possibilities, the ability to modify the stitches per inch (SPI) and enhanced quilt securing enable you to achieve perfect results. New features let you further edit and customise quilting designs by visualizing the start and stop, flipping the start and stop position and matching the start and stop points. Use the over 200 built-in Customisable Quilt Designs, or expand your library. Computerized quilting is now in your total control. The B 990 is the ultimate, all-in-one quilting machine. Extra-large space, precise stitch regulation and the ability to customize quilts of all sizes – you can feel confident creating quilt projects from the first stitch to the last !

• NEW BERNINA INTEGRATED STITCH REGULATOR (BISR)
  This major innovation will transform your quilting experience because automatic stitch regulation is now possible for all quilting applications including ruler work. The built-in stitch regulation works automatically with the 5.5 mm BISR Stitch Plate with Sensor and all BERNINA quilting presser feet and accessories. Simply attach the stitch plate, and the quilting foot of your choice to achieve immaculate quilting stitches with the exact same length at variable sewing speeds.

• NEW COMPUTERISED QUILTING
  The new Customisable Quilt Designs bring the functionality of professional longarm quilting to your embroidery machine. Unlimited scaling possibilities, the ability to modify the stitches per inch (SPI) and enhanced quilt securing functions enable you to achieve perfect computerised quilting on your embroidery machine. Formats compatible: BQM, HQF, PAT, PLI, QLI and TAP.

• NEW START AND STOP EDITING
  Push the boundaries of your
  computerised quilting by visualising and adjusting the Start and Stop of Customisable Quilt Designs. Arrange designs to fit your quilt by flipping the position of the start and stop points, select multiple designs and match the start and stop points to create endless quilting designs with one touch — just like magic!

• NEW 4-POINT PLACEMENT
  Computerised quilting is easy with 4-Point Placement. Simply define four points on the fabric in the hoop and the design is placed proportionally or can be morphed to fit the created boundary. Add margin to adjust the spacing between the edge of your quilt block and the computerised quilting for a professional finish.

• NEW GIANT HOOP WITH 12″ SQUARE EMBROIDERY AREA
  The new Giant Hoop is capable of stitching a full 12-inch square within the 16.1″ x 12″ embroidery field. Perfect for large quilt blocks! Easily hoop and re-hoop your quilt projects with the ergonomic twist lock closure and quick and easy markings on the inner hoop and template to align a 12-inch square. Effortless quilting even on the largest quilts.

NEW 4-Point Placement with Morphing

NEW Customisable Quilt Designs

NEW Jumbo Stitch

NEW Help Center

More features you will love about the BERNINA 990

• EASE OF USE
  The B 990 includes on-screen text to help you quickly find and understand editing features as well as saved and built-in stitch patterns and embroidery designs, and the machine settings. Use the search functionality in the Settings and Help Center to quickly find what you need when you need it.

• TOTAL STITCH CONTROL
  The B 990 provides an exclusive level of stitch control, up to 1,200 spm. Whether you are altering stitch length, stitch width or needle position, the machine will remember the details for you. Your personal settings can be saved for later use.

• BERNINA DUAL FEED
  The innovative BERNINA Dual Feed tames hard-to-manage fabrics providing suberb fabric feeding. The B 990 allows for fine-tuning of BERNINA Dual Feed. Easy to engage when needed, it tucks completely out of the way when it’s not required.

• SEW WITH EVEN GREATER EASE
  The B 990 accomplishes many tasks all by itself. The presser foot lowers automatically at the beginning of a seam. Needle threading is simple and fast with the Automatic Needle Threader. The thread is cut automatically when you reach the end of a seam, or when you wish to change colours while embroidering. Moreover, a practical extension table (12.5” x 25.9”) significantly increases your work area and is included as standard.

• BERNINA ADAPTIVE THREAD TENSION
  The BERNINA Adaptive Thread Tension, a BERNINA innovation, provides ideal thread tension while sewing to achieve superb stitch quality on both sides of the fabric. Once the tension is set according to the thread and fabric used, BERNINA Adaptive Thread Tension will constantly check the thread tension, adjusting it automatically when needed. The result is the finest stitching without pressing a button.

• JUMBO BOBBIN
  The front-loading, easy-access Jumbo Bobbin holds up to 70% more thread than standard bobbins, allowing you to sew and embroider longer without interruption.
  NEW BERNINA STITCHPRECISION² TECHNOLOGY
  The B 990 features the next-generation BERNINA stitchprecision2 Technology that makes your sewing, quilting and embroidery experience quieter, more precise and joyful.

• NEW STITCH PLATE RECOGNITION
  The B 990 automatically recognizes the stitch plate once it is attached to the machine. If the stitch plate is not compatible with the selected stitch pattern, needle or presser foot the machine will not sew as an additional security measure.
  

EASE OF USE

• Touch Gesture Editing
  Move, resize and rotate the designs in the design-altering area for quick and easy transformations.

• File Manager
  Save, name, copy, paste and move files in your Personal Folder. Receive additional information about designs before opening them in embroidery

• Settings
  User-friendly settings with clear descriptions and searchable navigation.

• Help Center
  Connect to the Help Center with your personal device by scanning the QR code.
  

EMBROIDERY EDITING

• Colour Wheel
  Change the hue and saturation of a design on screen. Individually adjust colours in the Colour Wheel to truly customise your embroidery designs with clear visual representation.

• Group/Ungroup
  Combine designs into a Group to edit at once. Ungroup to edit designs individually, or by thread colour.

• Customisable Lettering
  Unlimited resizing of the 24 embroidery fonts. Additional editing tools expand your embroidery lettering options.

• Shape Designer
  Arrange designs including imported stitches into formations such as rectangles, circles, hearts, stars, arches and more.
  

DESIGN PLACEMENT

• Arrange
  Align, group, ungroup or rearrange stitchout order quickly and accurately with visualisations directly in the hoop

• Pinpoint Placement
  Precisely place any embroidery design with 2-Point and 4-Point options.

• Virtual Positioning
  Place every design to an exact stitch and see the visualisation in the hoop on the screen.

• Camera
  View the needle area for the perfect placement of stitch patterns and embroidery designs.
  

NEXT LEVEL SEWING

• Stitch Designer
  Create your own stitches and continuous line quilting designs by drawing your ideas right on the touch screen.

• Sideways Motion
  Enjoy 272 Sideways Motion stitches or create your own with the Jumbo Stitch for even more options.
  

DESIGNS & ALPHABETS

• Built-in Stitches
  Create with 2,927 sewing stitches including 16 sewing alphabets.

• Built-in Designs
  879 built-in embroidery and customizable quilt designs at your disposal.
  

GENERAL INFORMATION

SEWING AND QUILTING

NEW Adjustment of stitch lengths as stitches per inch (SPI)

in BSR/BISR

| ✓
KickStart Function| ✓
Start/Stop Button (stitching without foot control)| ✓
Presser Foot Hover Function| ✓
Freearm Sewing| ✓
Total Number of Sewing Stitch Patterns (incl. alphabets)| 2,927
Alphabets/Monograms| 16/2
Decorative Stitches| 957
Button Sew-On Program| 1
Buttonholes/Eyelets| 17/2
Practical Stitches| 40
Sideways Motion Stitches| 272
Quilting Stitches| 124
Tapering/Banner Stitch Patterns| 44/36

DIMENSIONS

(242 x 673 mm)

Embroidery module footprint (width x length)| 25“ x 21.7“

(636 x 550 mm)

Weight Machine| 42,3 lb (19,2 kg)
Weight Embroidery Module| 15 lb (6,8 kg)

*Laser classification 1: The lasers of classification 1 are the safest of all laser classes and not harmful to the eye. The possibility of injuries can be ruled out as the radiation is extremely weak. In this case, visible laser radiation is involved.

EMBROIDERY

16.1“ × 12“

NEW BERNINA Placement Scanner| ✓
Freearm Embroidery| ✓
Built-in Embroidery Designs| 879
Embroidery Alphabets| 24
NEW Customisable Quilt Designs (BQM files)| 206
On-screen Editing of Designs| ✓
Change Design Size Proportionally/Non-Proportionally| ✓
Align/Distribute Embroidery Designs| ✓
Endless Embroidery| ✓
Shape Designer| ✓
Colour Wheel| ✓
NEW Customisable Lettering| ✓
NEW QWERTY Keyboard| ✓
WordArt| ✓
NEW Multi-line Lettering and Align Function| ✓
Drag & Drop| ✓
NEW Align| ✓
Virtual Positioning| ✓
NEW Pinpoint Placement with 2-Point and 4-Point Placement| ✓
Check Design Size| ✓
Group/Ungroup| ✓
Move Up and Move Down| ✓
Undo/Redo| ✓
Adjust Stitch Density| ✓
NEW Margin Spacing in Basting| ✓
Colour Resequence| ✓
Stitch Design as Single/Multi-Colour| ✓
Programmable Jump Stitch Cutting| ✓
Smart Secure| ✓
Invisible Secure| ✓
Thread Away Mode| ✓
Creative Consultant Embroidery| ✓
Embroider Sewing Stitches| ✓
Multi-format Design compatible (EXP, DST, PEC, PES, JEF, PCS, SEW, XXX)| ✓
NEW Customisable Quilt Design Format compatible (BQM, HQF, PAT, PLI, QLI, TAP)| ✓
NEW Adjustable Stitch Length (SPI) for Customisable Quilt Designs| ✓
NEW Start and Stop Editing| ✓
NEW Design transfer to/from BERNINA Embroidery Software 9 via WiFi| ✓
Embroidery Design Import/Export via USB Interface| ✓
Automatic Hoop Recognition| ✓
View Stitch-out Time, Thread Colours, Size, Stitches| ✓
NEW BERNINA Stitchout App Compatible| ✓
Embroidery Sequence Control| ✓
Position Recall| ✓
Jumbo, Maxi, Mega and Midi Hoop Compatibility| ✓
Medium and Small Clamp Embroidery Hoop Compatibility| ✓

STANDARD ACCESSORIES

We reserve the right to make changes to machine features, equipment and design. Additional information available at your local BERNINA store.

BERNINA recommends threads from

Documents / Resources

| BERNINA B990E Sewing and Embroidery Machine [pdf] Owner's Manual
B990E Sewing and Embroidery Machine, B990E, Sewing and Embroidery Machine, Embroidery Machine, Machine
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