Custom embroidery files for home machines, made for your hoop
Store-bought designs are fine until you want something that does not exist yet: your small business logo, a child's drawing turned into a keepsake, a pet portrait for a gift, a monogram in a style you cannot find, or a club logo for a set of shirts. That is where a custom file helps. You send the artwork, tell us the size and the fabric, and a digitizer builds the design by hand so it stitches cleanly on a home machine.
Home machines are capable, but they are less forgiving than commercial ones. A design with too many stitches in a small space can bunch up or break needles, and a file sized for a 12 in jacket back will not fit a 5x7 hoop no matter how you rotate it. We build the file for the space you actually have.
Sized to fit your hoop
Home machines are usually described by hoop size. Common ones are 4x4 in (about 100 x 100 mm), 5x7 in (about 130 x 180 mm) and 6x10 in (about 160 x 260 mm), with larger hoops on bigger machines. The usable stitching area is often a little smaller than the hoop name suggests, so check your machine manual for the exact field and enter it in the order notes.
- A design that fits a 4x4 hoop falls in our small size, up to 4.5 in, at $14.
- Designs for a 5x7 hoop, and 6x10 designs up to 8 in, fall in the medium size at $24.
- Designs for large hoops, up to 12 in, are $39.
If you want the same design at two sizes, say a small version for a baby bib and a larger one for a tote bag, add an extra size for $6. Resizing a finished file by more than about 20% on your machine is not a good idea, because the stitch density and underlay were set for the original size.
Every home machine format in one order
You do not have to know which file type your machine uses before you order. Every embroidery order includes all of these:
| Machine brand | Format |
|---|---|
| Brother, Baby Lock | PES |
| Janome | JEF |
| Bernina | EXP (ART working file on request) |
| Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff | VP3, plus HUS for older Viking models and VIP for older Pfaff models |
| Singer | XXX |
| Commercial and most other machines | DST |
Our embroidery file formats section has a page for each format with notes on how the machines read them.
Brother PES custom design
PES is the native format for Brother and Baby Lock machines, and it is the most common home format we deliver. A PES file stores the stitches and the thread colors, so your machine screen shows the color changes in order. Copy it to a USB stick, or use your machine's wireless or app transfer if it has one. The PES format page explains versions and common issues.
Janome JEF custom design
Janome machines read JEF. A JEF file also carries the hoop information, which is one reason we ask for your hoop size in the order. If a JEF will not load, a common reason is that the design is larger than the hoop selected on the machine, so choose the larger hoop or ask us for a version that fits.
Built for the fabric you are stitching
A design that sews well on a cotton tote can pucker on a stretchy t-shirt or sink into a bath towel. Tell us the fabric and we adjust the underlay, density and pull compensation to suit it. A few general habits help on a home machine too:
- Use a cutaway stabilizer on knits such as t-shirts and sweatshirts, so the design keeps its shape after washing.
- Tearaway stabilizer suits stable woven fabrics like denim and canvas.
- Add a water-soluble topping on towels and fleece, so stitches sit on top of the pile.
- Keep lettering at about 0.25 in tall or more for clean, readable letters.
How it works for home embroiderers
- Upload your artwork. A photo, a sketch, a JPG or PNG from your phone, or a PDF all work.
- Enter the size, fabric and your machine. You will see the price before you submit.
- Check the proof. You get a stitch simulation image and a PDF worksheet with the stitch count, size and thread color order.
- Ask for changes or approve. Revisions are unlimited. When you approve, pay with PayPal and download as soon as the payment is complete.
Your files stay in your account, so you can download them again after a computer change or a lost USB stick. If a design we made does not sew cleanly on the machine and fabric you told us about, send a photo of the stitch-out and we will fix it free, or refund that order if we cannot.
Your first design is free
New accounts get one free design, up to $24 of design value. That covers a small or medium design outright, which is most designs for 4x4 and 5x7 hoops. Larger designs get that amount off. No card is needed to place it. The free first design page has the details.
Have a drawing, logo or idea you want stitched? Upload it and see the proof before you pay anything. Get your free design
Running a small business from home
Plenty of home embroiderers sell what they make: personalized gifts, baby items, club shirts, logo work for local businesses. The same service works at that scale. Every file stays in your dashboard for re-orders, standard turnaround is 24 hours, and rush (12 hours, $5 more) helps when a customer order comes in late. If you sell online, our page for Etsy and online sellers covers the parts that matter there.