What file format does a Bernina embroidery machine use?
For stitching, the Bernina embroidery file format is EXP. Every current BERNINA home embroidery machine reads it, and it is the file digitizers and design shops send to Bernina owners. ART is a different kind of file: it is the native file of BERNINA Embroidery Software and holds the editable design. Some newer machines can also read other formats, so your manual is the final word, but EXP is the reliable choice across models.
| File | What it is | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| .EXP | Machine file with the stitches, jumps and color stops | The embroidery machine |
| .INF | Companion file with thread color information | The machine, read alongside the EXP |
| .BMP | Preview picture of the design, saved by some software | File browsers and older machines |
| .ART | Working file with editable objects and lettering | BERNINA Embroidery Software |
The EXP file
EXP stands for expanded, meaning the file contains finished stitches rather than editable shapes. The format comes from Melco, a maker of commercial embroidery machines, and Bernina adopted it for its home machines. Melco machines still run EXP today, which is why an EXP file from a commercial shop can also sew on a Bernina, provided it fits the hoop.
Inside, an EXP file is very plain. Each stitch is stored as a pair of bytes: how far to move on X and how far on Y, in 0.1 mm units. Special codes mark color changes, jumps and trims. There is no header with thread colors, design name or hoop, which is why Bernina added the INF file.
The INF and BMP companion files
When BERNINA software saves an EXP for a machine, it can also write an INF file with the thread colors and a BMP preview image, all with the same file name. The machine reads the INF to show the right colors on screen. If you copy only the EXP, the design still sews, but the colors on screen become defaults and you have to follow a worksheet instead.
Keep the EXP, INF and BMP files together and never rename just one of them. The machine matches them by name.
The Bernina ART file
A Bernina ART file is the working file from BERNINA Embroidery Software. It stores each part of the design as an object with its stitch type, angle, density, underlay and compensation, and lettering stays editable as text. When you resize an ART file in the software, the stitches are recalculated for the new size. That makes ART the file to keep for future edits, name changes and new sizes.
BERNINA Embroidery Software has been released in numbered versions over the years, in different levels from basic editing to full digitizing. As with most software, a file saved in a newer version may not open in an older one. BERNINA also offers a free program, ArtLink, for viewing designs and making basic changes before sending them to the machine.
"ART file" is a common name. Bernina ART files are not the same as Adobe Illustrator artwork (.ai) or generic art files. Only BERNINA software, and a few third-party programs, open them.
Which file to send to which machine
| You have | Send or use |
|---|---|
| A BERNINA home embroidery machine | EXP with its INF file |
| BERNINA Embroidery Software and want to edit | ART |
| A Melco commercial machine | EXP or DST |
| Another brand's machine | That brand's format, such as PES, JEF or VP3 |
| An older embroidery-only model | Check the manual, as some older models used other formats |
Transferring designs to a Bernina by USB
- Use a plain USB stick formatted in a standard format such as FAT32.
- Copy the EXP and its INF (and BMP if you have one) into the same folder.
- Keep names short and avoid unusual characters.
- Eject the stick safely on your computer before you remove it.
- Open the design on the machine from the USB folder, check the hoop it suggests and stitch.
Older machines used embroidery cards or a direct cable to the software. BERNINA software can also send designs straight to supported machines.
Converting to and from EXP
DST to EXP is one of the cleanest conversions in embroidery, because both formats store expanded stitches in 0.1 mm units. PES or VP3 to EXP keeps the stitches too, and the colors can be written to an INF file. ART to EXP is done by exporting from BERNINA software. Going from EXP to another format is also simple, but without the INF file the colors have to be set again.
For batches or files that need checking, our embroidery file conversion service is $5 per file. You can preview an EXP before sewing in our free DST and EXP viewer. For a list of what other brands read, see the embroidery file formats guide.
Getting a design made for your Bernina
Every StitchQuill embroidery order includes EXP, plus DST, PES, JEF, VP3 and the other machine formats, with an editable Wilcom EMB working file on request. You approve a stitch simulation proof before paying, and you get a PDF worksheet with the stitch count and color order. A design up to 4.5 in is $14.
Tell us your Bernina model and hoop, and we will send an EXP sized to fit. Order a Bernina file