Which embroidery file format does my machine use?

Every embroidery machine reads a list of stitches: where the needle goes, when to change thread and when to cut. Each machine brand saves that list in its own layout, which is why the same design comes as a ZIP full of files with different endings. You only need the one your machine reads.

The short answer

Your machine	Format to use
Brother, Baby Lock	PES (what is a PES file?)
Janome, Elna	JEF
Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff	VP3
Singer	XXX
Bernina	EXP
Tajima, Ricoma and most commercial multi-needle machines	DST (what is a DST file?)

Some older machines use an older format from the same brand, for example HUS on older Husqvarna Viking models or PEC on some older Brother models. If a file doesn’t show up on your machine, check the next section.

How to be sure

• Your manual: the section about USB, memory or importing designs lists the formats the machine reads. It’s often near the back.
• The designs that came with the machine: look at the file endings on the included USB stick or CD.
• The maker’s website: search for your model number plus “embroidery file format”.

What’s the difference, really?

Most formats store the same stitches. The differences are in the extras:

• Thread colors. PES, JEF, VP3 and XXX store which thread to use for each color. DST and EXP only store where the machine stops to change thread, so the colors you see on screen are stand-ins. Choose the real colors on the machine or from the design’s color chart.
• Names and notes. Some formats keep the design name, thread brands and a preview picture.
• Versions. PES in particular has several versions. A machine can usually read older versions than its own, but not always newer ones. If a PES file doesn’t appear, check which versions your manual mentions.

Converting between formats

Converting rewrites the same stitches in another layout. It doesn’t redraw the design, so a design that sews well in one format sews the same in another. Two things can change:

• Colors, when you convert to a format without colors (DST, EXP) or to one that only allows a fixed set of thread colors.
• Very long jumps or stitches, which some formats split into shorter ones. You won’t see the difference in the finished piece.

Our converter opens every file it makes again and checks that the stitch count, size and color changes still match the original, so you know before you stitch.

Getting the file onto your machine

• Copy just the format your machine reads. Fewer files make the machine’s menu easier to use.
• Older machines often need a small USB stick formatted as FAT32, and some only show a limited number of files per folder. Short file names help too.
• Unzip designs on your computer first. Machines can’t open ZIP files.