Machine formats are different containers for the same thing: a list of needle positions, jumps, trims and color changes. Converting between them is usually simple, and for many files a free converter works fine. The problems start when the formats do not store the same information. A DST carries no thread colors, a home machine may not trim the way a commercial one does, and a design that fit a 6x10 in hoop will not load on a 4x4 in machine. That is where a checked conversion earns its fee.
This page covers converting stitch files you already have. If you have an image (JPG, PNG or PDF) and need a stitch file made from it, that is digitizing, not conversion; see JPG or PNG to DST.
How our embroidery file converter service works
An automatic embroidery file converter rewrites the stitch data into a new format and stops there. We open the result and check it the way we would check our own files before sending them:
- Stitch count, dimensions and color stops match the original
- Thread colors are assigned in formats that store them, using your color list or worksheet
- Trims survive the conversion and long jumps are not left untrimmed
- The design fits the hoop you name and loads on your machine's format version
- The stitch-out simulation shows no missing sections, shifted objects or stray stitches
DST to PES and PES to DST: what actually converts
The two most requested conversions are DST to PES (a commercial file headed for a Brother or Baby Lock home machine) and PES to DST (a home design going to a commercial multi-needle machine). Here is what each format holds and what happens in between.
| Data | DST (Tajima) | PES (Brother) | In conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stitch positions | Yes, 0.1 mm units | Yes | Carries over accurately |
| Jumps | Yes | Yes | Carries over; very long moves may be split into several jumps |
| Color changes | Yes, as stops | Yes | Carries over as the same sequence |
| Thread colors | No | Yes | DST to PES: colors must be assigned. PES to DST: colors are dropped |
| Trims | Usually signaled by a short run of jumps the machine reads as a trim | Stored in the stitch data | Can be lost or misread; needs checking |
| Hoop or size info | Basic extents only | Design size, and the machine checks it against the hoop | Size carries over; hoop fit is your machine's limit |
| Editable objects | No | No | Neither stores object data, so nothing to lose here |
The same logic applies to other pairs. EXP stores stitches like DST and keeps colors in companion files, JEF (Janome) and VP3 (Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff) store colors and some hoop information, and XXX is used by Singer machines. For format facts, see our embroidery file formats guide.
Can I convert DST to PES without losing quality?
Yes. The stitches themselves convert with essentially no loss, because both formats store needle positions at the same 0.1 mm precision. What you have to add or check is everything around the stitches: thread colors (a DST has none, so the PES shows default colors until they are assigned), trims (which may need to become explicit), and hoop size (the design has to fit the hoop your machine uses). Get those right and the PES sews exactly like the DST.
What can get lost in a conversion
Thread colors
DST stores only color stops, not colors. Convert a DST to PES, JEF or VP3 and the software fills in default colors, which is why a navy and gold logo can appear in bright red and green. The stitches are fine; the colors just need to be set. We assign them from the worksheet you send or from a color list in your order notes. Going the other way, PES to DST, drops the colors entirely, so keep the color sequence on hand for the operator.
Trims and jumps
Commercial machines read trims differently from home machines. A DST usually signals a trim with a short series of jump stitches that the machine is set to treat as a cut. Some converters drop those sequences or turn trims into plain jumps, and the machine then sews long connecting threads across the design. Home machines without automatic thread cutters will stop for manual trims or leave jump threads, which is normal but worth knowing before a big run.
Stitch and jump length limits
DST records have a maximum move of about 12.1 mm in each direction, so longer moves are written as several jumps in a row. Other formats have their own limits. A careful conversion keeps these long moves as jumps with a trim, instead of accidentally sewing them as long stitches.
Editable object data
Machine formats are expanded files: finished stitches with no memory of the shapes, underlay or density settings that created them. Converting between expanded formats cannot lose object data because none exists. It also cannot create it, so a conversion never makes a file resizable or easy to edit.
Hoop size and format versions
A design sized for a 6x10 in hoop will not load on a machine limited to 4x4 in or 5x7 in, and resizing is not part of a conversion. Some older machines also need an older version of their format, such as an earlier PES version, before they will open a file. Tell us your machine model and hoop and we save to a version it reads.
Expanded vs native embroidery files
| Expanded (machine) files | Native (working) files | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3, XXX, HUS, VIP | EMB, PXF, ART |
| Contains | Stitches, jumps, trims, color stops | Objects, stitch types, underlay, density, lettering |
| Converts to other machine formats | Yes, cleanly | Yes, perfectly, because stitches are regenerated from objects |
| Can be converted to native | Only as stitches, with no real objects | Already native |
| Resizing | Small changes only | Larger changes, with stitches recalculated |
If you have the native working file, such as an EMB or PXF, send it along with the machine file. Exporting from a native file gives the cleanest possible result.
Free DST file converters: when they are enough
A free DST file converter is often all you need, and we would rather you save the fee when it is. Ink/Stitch (a free Inkscape extension) and various free embroidery viewers and online converters can open and save the common formats. A free converter is usually fine when:
- The design is one color, or you already know the colors and can set them on the machine
- You are converting within similar machines, such as one commercial format to another
- The design already fits your hoop
- It is a personal project and a test sew-out costs you little
Paying for a checked conversion makes sense when:
- A multi-color DST is going to a home machine and the colors need to be right
- Trims matter, such as a commercial job where long jump threads cost time and look bad
- The file will not open, loads with errors or looks wrong after a free conversion
- A customer order depends on it and you cannot afford a failed run
Before you pay anyone, open the file in our free DST viewer. It runs in your browser without uploading the file and shows the stitch count, size, color changes and jumps, which tells you quickly whether a conversion went wrong.
Formats we convert
We convert between DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3, XXX, HUS and VIP, and from native files where you can supply them. Name the target format and your machine model in the order, and we save the correct version for that machine.
Pricing
File conversion is $5 per file. Designs we digitized never need a paid conversion: every order already includes all the machine formats, and you can download any of them again from your dashboard at any time.
A conversion moves a design between formats as it is. If the file also has sewing problems, needs different text or needs to be resized for a new placement, that is an edit. See edit and fix embroidery files, which is priced after we open the file.
How to order a file conversion
- Create an account and upload the stitch file, plus the native file if you have it (ZIP works for several files).
- Choose file conversion, the target format and your machine model and hoop size.
- Add the thread colors if you are converting from DST.
- Review the proof in your dashboard, approve it and download the converted file.
Have a DST that needs to run on a Brother, or a PES headed for a commercial machine? Upload it and order a checked conversion.