Embroidery File Formats: Which File Your Machine Uses

What file type is needed for embroidery?

You need a machine embroidery file (also called a stitch file) in the format your machine reads. A stitch file is a list of instructions: move the needle here, stitch, jump there, stop for a color change, trim, finish. It says nothing about how the design looks on screen in the way a JPG does. It only describes where the needle goes.

That is the most common source of confusion for people new to embroidery. A logo saved as a PNG, JPG, PDF or even an Adobe Illustrator file is artwork. It describes shapes and colors. A machine cannot sew it until someone turns those shapes into stitches, choosing stitch types, direction, density, underlay and sequence. That step is called digitizing, and it is what separates a clean embroidered logo from a puckered one.

So the short answer to "what file do you need for embroidery" is: a stitch file in your machine's format, digitized at the size you plan to sew.

What type of file does an embroidery machine use?

An embroidery machine uses its manufacturer's stitch format, loaded from a USB stick, memory card, cable, network or Wi-Fi app depending on the model. Commercial multi-needle machines from Tajima, Barudan, Happy, SWF, Ricoma and Melco almost all run DST. Home machines each use their own brand format, and many of them also read one or two others. The table below lists the embroidery file formats each machine brand reads.

Formats change between model years. Your machine manual lists the exact formats it reads. Every StitchQuill order includes as many formats as you need at no extra cost.

Machine files vs working files

Embroidery file formats fall into two groups, and knowing the difference saves a lot of trouble when you need a change later.

Machine files (often called expanded files) contain the finished stitches as coordinates. DST, PES, JEF, EXP, VP3, XXX and HUS are all machine files. They are small, they load on the machine, and they sew. What they do not contain is the design logic behind the stitches. The software sees thousands of points, not "a satin column 3 mm wide with center run underlay".

Working files (native or source files) are what the digitizer saves while building the design. EMB (Wilcom EmbroideryStudio and Hatch), PXF (Pulse and Tajima software), ART (BERNINA Embroidery Software) and OFM (Melco) store objects: outlines, stitch type, angle, density, underlay, pull compensation and lettering as editable text. Machines cannot sew most working files directly. The software exports a machine file from them.

Why resizing matters: when you shrink a machine file, the stitch count stays the same, so the same number of stitches is packed into a smaller area. Fills get stiff and bulletproof, small text clogs, and needles break. Enlarge it and fills open up so fabric shows through. A working file avoids that because the software rebuilds the stitches at the new size.

Logo format for embroidery: what artwork to send

For digitizing, the best logo format is a vector file (AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF), because edges are exact at any size. A clear PNG or JPG works well too, as long as it is sharp at the size you want to sew. Even a phone photo of an embroidered shirt can be digitized if the lettering is readable. What matters most is that the digitizer can see every detail clearly and knows the finished size and the fabric.

We accept JPG, PNG, PDF, AI, EPS, SVG, PSD and ZIP uploads. Our guide to preparing artwork for embroidery digitizing covers resolution, color counts and what to do with fine detail.

Embroidery file formats by machine brand

These short notes cover the formats you will run into most. The biggest ones have full guides of their own.

DST (Tajima and most commercial machines)

DST is the Tajima format and the closest thing embroidery has to a universal file. It stores stitches in 0.1 mm steps, plus jumps and color stops, but no thread colors. Tajima, Barudan, Happy, SWF, Ricoma and Melco machines all run it, as do Brother PR multi-needle models. Read the full DST file guide.

PES (Brother and Baby Lock embroidery file format)

PES is the Brother embroidery file format, shared by Baby Lock. It stores stitches, thread colors from the Brother chart and a small preview image. It comes in several versions, and older software may not open files saved by newer versions. See the PES file guide.

JEF (Janome embroidery file format)

JEF is the Janome embroidery file format, used by Janome home machines and the Janome MB multi-needle models, and also by Elna embroidery machines. A JEF file records stitches, color stops mapped to Janome thread numbers, and the hoop the design was prepared for. That hoop setting matters: a design saved for a hoop larger than your machine supports may not load, so the file should be saved for a hoop you own. Older Janome machines used the SEW format.

EXP and ART (Bernina)

Bernina machines stitch EXP files, a format that started with Melco. Thread colors travel in a companion INF file. ART is the BERNINA Embroidery Software working file for editing. Details are in the Bernina ART and EXP guide.

VP3, HUS and VIP (Husqvarna embroidery file format and Pfaff)

Current Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines use VP3, which stores thread colors with brand and color names. Older Viking machines used HUS, VIP and SHV, and older Pfaff machines used PCS. Many newer machines still read some of the older formats. The VP3 file guide explains more.

XXX (Singer)

XXX is the format used by many older Singer embroidery machines. Newer Singer models vary, so check the manual for your exact model before ordering files.

EMB (Wilcom and Hatch working file)

EMB is the native file of Wilcom EmbroideryStudio, and Hatch Embroidery uses it as well. It is the most common professional working file. It keeps every object editable, so it is the file a shop wants for future edits. A machine does not sew it directly. More on EMB files.

PXF (Pulse working file)

PXF is the working file of Pulse software, which is now part of Tajima (the Tajima DG/ML by Pulse line). Like EMB, it stores objects rather than only stitches. More on PXF files.

TBF (newer Tajima machines)

TBF is a newer Tajima format that carries more machine information than DST, such as needle assignments. Tajima machines that read TBF also read DST, so DST remains the safe choice when you send files to a Tajima shop.

Tajima, Barudan, Happy, SWF and Ricoma file formats

The Ricoma file format for its multi-needle machines is DST. SWF machines run DST too. Barudan has its own DSB and DSZ formats and Happy has TAP, but both brands run DST every day in production shops. If you own any commercial multi-needle machine and are unsure, ask for DST.

How to check a stitch file before you sew it

Before you hoop a garment, open the file and check three things: the size matches the placement, the number of color stops matches the thread plan, and there are no stray stitches outside the design. Our free DST viewer opens DST, EXP and PES files in your browser, shows the stitch count, size and color changes, and plays the sew-out step by step. The file stays on your computer.

Which formats come with a StitchQuill order

Every embroidery digitizing order includes all the machine formats you need at no extra charge: DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3, XXX, HUS and VIP, with an editable Wilcom EMB working file on request. You also get a PDF worksheet with the stitch count, size and color sequence, plus a stitch simulation proof before you pay anything. A left chest or cap design up to 4.5 in is $14.

If you already have a stitch file and only need it in another format, our embroidery file conversion service is $5 per file.