How to use the DST viewer
- Open a file. Drag a .dst, .pes, .exp, .jef, .vp3 or .xxx file onto the drop area, or click "choose a file". The design appears in a second or two.
- Read the numbers. The panel beside the preview shows stitches, size, color changes, and jumps and trims.
- Watch the sewing order. Drag the stitch-out playback slider to step through the design, or press "Play sew-out" to animate it from the first stitch to the last.
- Show jumps. Press "Show jumps" to fade the stitches and draw every travel move as a bold dashed line, with a dot where the move starts and a ring or square where sewing starts again (a square marks a longer move that most machines sew as a trim). Long jumps between separate parts of a design are normal. Dozens of jumps inside one small letter are not.
- Switch the background. "Dark fabric" shows the design on a dark ground, which helps you judge light threads and gaps.
- Save a picture. "Save PNG" downloads the current preview, handy for sending to a customer or a coworker.
What the numbers in the DST file viewer mean
| Figure | What it tells you | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Stitches | The number of needle penetrations in the design | Roughly 5,000 to 10,000 is typical for a left chest logo |
| Size | Width x height of the stitched area in mm and inches | Should match the placement you plan to sew |
| Color changes | How many times the machine stops or changes needle, and the number of thread blocks | Should match the number of colors in the design |
| Jumps and trims | Moves where the frame travels without stitching | Very high numbers can mean extra trimming and slower sewing |
The viewer counts only real stitches, not jumps, so the stitch count can be slightly lower than the number your software or the DST header shows. The size is measured from the outermost stitches, so it is the true sewn size, not the size of the artwork. For a stitch estimate before a file exists, try the stitch estimator.
View a DST file online without uploading it
Most online embroidery viewers upload your design to their server to render it. This one does not. Your browser reads the file from your disk, decodes the stitches with a small script and draws them on the page. We never receive the file, its name or its contents. That makes the viewer safe to use with customer logos, licensed designs and files covered by an agreement with a client.
Because everything happens on your device, the viewer also works quickly, even on large jacket back files, and keeps working if your connection drops after the page loads.
Who uses an online DST viewer
Embroidery shops open customer files before quoting a run, to confirm the size and stitch count. Print shops and promotional products distributors who do not own embroidery software use it to check a file before passing it to their embroidery contractor. Home embroiderers check purchased designs against their hoop before copying them to a USB stick. In each case the question is the same: is this the right file, at the right size, before anyone hoops a garment?
Limits of this embroidery file viewer
- Colors depend on the format. DST and EXP files store color stops but no thread colors, so each color block is drawn in a different preview color. PES, JEF, VP3 and XXX files store thread colors, and the viewer shows them. PES and JEF colors are the nearest match in the Brother or Janome thread chart.
- Six formats. It reads DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3 and XXX. Working files such as EMB or PXF need the digitizing software that made them.
- 12 MB maximum. Stitch files are normally far smaller than that, so a larger file is usually not a stitch file at all.
- Preview only. The viewer does not edit or resize files, and it does not show thread thickness or fabric pull. To change the format, use the free embroidery file converter.
How to check a file before sewing
A two-minute check in the viewer can save a garment, a cap or a customer's blank.
- Size. Confirm the width and height fit the placement: a left chest is usually 3 to 4 in wide, a structured cap front about 2.25 in tall at most.
- Colors. Count the thread blocks and compare them with your thread plan or the worksheet.
- Sewing order. Play the sew-out. Background elements should sew before the details on top, and outlines should come last.
- Jumps. Turn on jumps and look for long travel lines across open fabric that will need trimming.
- Stray stitches. Look for stitches far outside the design, which make the size look wrong and can hit the hoop.
Common problems the viewer reveals
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Size much bigger than the design looks | A stray stitch or jump far from the design |
| Hundreds of jumps in a small logo | Auto-digitized file with poor sequencing |
| Small text drawn as a solid blob | Lettering too small or too dense to sew cleanly |
| Many more color changes than colors | Colors repeated because of poor sequencing |
| Very high stitch count for the size | File was shrunk after digitizing, so density is too high |
If the viewer shows one of these, the file needs work. Our embroidery file editing service fixes existing files, and our formats guide explains what is inside a DST file.
File not sewing right? Send us the logo and we will digitize it cleanly, with a proof before you pay. Start an order