Converting between formats
Converting a stitch file from one format to another is usually safe, as long as you know what the target format can and cannot store.
Why conversion works
All stitch formats describe the same things: stitches, jumps, trims and color changes, usually in 0.1 mm steps. Converting rewrites the same stitches in another encoding. Unlike resizing, a straight conversion does not move a single needle point, so the stitch-out should look the same.
What is kept
- Every stitch position and the stitch order.
- The design size and the number of color stops.
- Jumps and, in most cases, trims.
What can be lost
- Colors: converting to DST or EXP drops all thread colors. Converting to palette formats like JEF or HUS rounds each color to the nearest palette thread.
- Trims: formats with dedicated trim commands may become a run of jumps in DST, and the other way around. Check trims after converting.
- Long stitches: each format has a maximum single move (12.1 mm in DST, 12.7 mm in EXP). Longer moves are split into extra jumps.
- Extra data: hoop information, thread names, thumbnails and notes may not exist in the target format.
- Editability: converting a stitch file never gives you a working file back. Objects and stitch settings only exist in the original working file.
Keep the original
Always keep the original file. Converting from a full-color format (PES, VP3) to a color-less one (DST) and back cannot restore the colors.
Common conversions
| From → To | What to expect |
|---|---|
| DST → PES | Stitches are perfect, but colors must be assigned by hand from the color chart. |
| PES → DST | Stitches are perfect; colors are dropped. Send the color list with the file. |
| PES → JEF | Colors are matched to Janome's palette. Check the hoop size saved in the JEF. |
| VP3 → HUS | For older Viking machines; colors are reduced to the 29-color Viking palette. |
| Any → EXP | Keep the color file (.INF) Bernina software creates if you want colors on the machine. |
Software that converts
- Free: Embrilliance Express (Windows and macOS), Ink/Stitch (open source, with Inkscape), and the free viewer and editor My Editor.
- Paid hobby software: Embrilliance Essentials, SewWhat-Pro, Embird, Brother PE-Design, Janome Artistic Digitizer, mySewnet, Bernina Embroidery Software, Hatch.
- Professional: Wilcom EmbroideryStudio and other digitizing suites can read and write nearly every format.
- For developers: open-source libraries such as pyembroidery (Python) and libembroidery (C) read and write many formats.
Tips for clean results
- Start from the richest file you have: the working file first, then a full-color format.
- After converting, open the result and compare the stitch count and size with the original.
- Check that every color stop is still there and re-assign colors if needed.
- Do not resize during conversion unless the software recalculates density.
- Stitch a test before using a converted file on a real project.