Start with the file, not the fabric
A design file describes the stitches the machine must place. Its width and height are the useful starting point for machine selection. The size of your towel, the outside edge of a hoop and the sewing space to the right of the needle describe different things. Open the final design in compatible embroidery software and record its stitch bounds in millimetres. Include lettering, borders and any positioning stitches that remain in the exported file.
Treat inch labels as shorthand
A Brother SE700 is marketed with a 4 × 4-inch field, but its documented frame is 100 × 100 mm. Four exact inches equals 101.6 mm. That small difference matters at the boundary. Our selector converts an entered inch value using 25.4 mm per inch and compares it with the documented metric field. A near-boundary mismatch is a reason to check the file, not a reason to stretch or force the hoop.
A physical upgrade has a physical limit
A hoop holds fabric; it does not give the carriage a greater stitching range. Extra-large or repositionable hoops may support a workflow involving separate placements, but that is different from stitching one large design in one placement. Do not buy an accessory expecting it to turn the 130 × 180 mm PE900 into a 200 × 280 mm machine. Splitting designs requires compatible software, accurate registration and a project suitable for multiple placements.
Check orientation and the final preview
A 170 × 120 mm design is too wide for a 130 × 180 mm field as entered. It can fit after a 90-degree rotation, if that rotation works for the fabric grain, placement and stitch file. Our selector allows that only when you opt in. Before stitching, choose the actual compatible hoop, confirm the machine accepts the file and use its layout or trace function as directed in the manual. Geometric fit cannot prove that bulky seams, clamps or folded fabric will stay clear.