.PES · .DST · .JEF · .EXP
Embroidery file formats
Every brand of embroidery machine reads its own file format. StitchMyPic gives you all four major formats in one download, exported from the same design rather than converted from each other, so you never have to guess.
PES, DST, JEF and EXP side by side
| Format | Read by | Thread colours stored | Longest single move | Also in the file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .PES | Brother, Baby Lock, many Bernette and Deco models | Yes, as entries in Brother's thread palette | Long moves are written as jumps automatically | PEC block with a monochrome thumbnail for the machine screen |
| .DST | Tajima, Ricoma, Happy, Barudan, SWF, ZSK and most multi-needle machines; nearly every embroidery program | No, only colour stops | 12.1 mm in each direction; longer moves become several jumps | 512-byte text header: design label, stitch count, colour-change count and extents |
| .JEF | Janome, Elna, Kenmore (Janome-built) | Yes, as entries in the Janome thread palette | 12.7 mm; longer moves are split automatically | Hoop code that suggests the hoop to use |
| .EXP | Bernina home machines, Melco commercial machines | No (Bernina keeps colours in a separate .INF file) | 12.7 mm; longer moves are split automatically | Nothing: no header at all |
PES
Brother and Baby Lock embroidery format
PES is the native format of Brother and Baby Lock home machines and is also read by many Bernette and Deco models. Inside a PES file sits a PEC block, the part the machine sews from: it holds the stitches, the colour list as Brother thread palette colours, and a small thumbnail for the machine's screen. StitchMyPic writes PES version 1 with the PEC block, which older and current Brother machines load alike.
Used by: Brother, Baby Lock, Bernette, and Deco
Convert a picture to PESDST
Tajima format for commercial embroidery
DST comes from Tajima and is the common language of commercial embroidery: Ricoma, Happy, Barudan, SWF, ZSK and most multi-needle machines read it. It records needle positions and colour stops but no thread colours, and trims are written as short jump sequences that the machine is set to cut on. A single move can't exceed 12.1 mm, so longer moves are split into several jumps automatically. Your download includes a production sheet that lists each colour stop with the nearest Brother and Janome thread.
Used by: Tajima, Ricoma, Happy, Barudan, SWF, and ZSK
Convert a picture to DSTJEF
Janome and Elna embroidery format
JEF is Janome's home embroidery format, also used by Elna and by Kenmore machines built by Janome. Like PES it stores thread colours as Janome palette colours, so the machine shows sensible colours on screen, and its header records a hoop code that Janome machines and software use to suggest the right hoop; StitchMyPic sets it from the design size. Each move is limited to 12.7 mm, and longer moves are split automatically.
Used by: Janome, Elna, and Kenmore
Convert a picture to JEFEXP
Melco expanded format, used by Bernina and Melco
EXP is the Melco "expanded" format, read natively by Melco commercial machines and by Bernina home machines. It's about as simple as a stitch file gets: no header, just a pair of signed bytes for each move (up to 12.7 mm), with escape codes for jumps and colour changes. Like DST it carries no thread colours. Bernina's software saves companion files with colours and a preview image next to the EXP, but the machine sews from the EXP alone.
Used by: Bernina and Melco
Convert a picture to EXP
Which format do I need?
- 1Use your brand's native format when there is one (PES for Brother and Baby Lock, JEF for Janome and Elna, EXP for Bernina), because you keep the on-screen colours.
- 2Use DST for commercial multi-needle machines, and whenever you're unsure: nearly everything reads it.
- 3Avoid converting stitch files back and forth: colour data and trims can get lost along the way.
- 4Don't resize a stitch file by more than 10–20%. Re-export at the new size from the original picture instead.