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Stitch & Spool

DST file viewer

Open a DST embroidery file to see every stitch, its size, trims and color stops, and whether it fits your hoop. Free, nothing to install, and the file never leaves your device.

Drop a design file here

or

  • DST
  • PES
  • JEF
  • EXP
  • VP3
  • XXX
  • ZIP

Over 40 formats, or a ZIP of designs.

Files stay on your device

What is a DST file?

DST is the embroidery format of Tajima, the maker of commercial embroidery machines. It is one of the oldest and most widely read formats: almost every commercial machine and every embroidery program opens it, and so do many home machines. That is why designers include a DST file in nearly every download.

A DST file is a list of needle moves. Each move is stored as a short step from the previous one, together with what the machine should do: sew a stitch, jump without sewing, or stop for the next color. A small header holds a short design name, the stitch count and the design’s extent. A single move can be at most 12.1 mm long, so longer travels are split into several jumps.

What a DST file does not store is just as important: there are no thread colors and, in the classic format, no separate trim command. Trims are written as a short run of jumps, which machines read as a cut.

Read the full guide: what is a DST file?

Why a DST file opens in the wrong colors

Because DST only records where the machine stops for a new color, never which color, every viewer and machine has to make colors up. This viewer uses clearly different stand-in colors so you can tell the sections apart, and lists every stop in stitching order with its stitch count.

To stitch it in the intended colors:

  • Look for the color chart or thread list that came with the design. Many designers include a PDF or a picture.
  • If the same design came as PES, JEF or VP3, open that file instead: those formats store the thread colors.
  • Print the production sheet from the viewer and write the threads you use next to each stop, for next time.

How to open a DST file online

  1. Drag the DST file onto this page, or choose it from your device. A ZIP with several designs works too.
  2. The viewer reads it in your browser. The first visit takes a few seconds while the viewer loads; after that it opens straight away.
  3. Check the size, stitch count and color stops, and choose your hoop to see whether the design fits.
  4. Use the sew-out slider to watch the stitching order, or print a production sheet for the machine.

What to check before you stitch a DST design

  • The real size, in millimetres and inches, measured from the outermost stitches.
  • The number of color stops, so you can prepare the threads (or the needles on a multi-needle machine).
  • Trims and jumps: many jumps between areas mean more trimming by hand if your machine doesn’t cut jumps.
  • Very short or very long stitches, which the viewer warns about. They usually mean the design was resized.
  • Whether it fits your hoop, and the smallest common hoop that does.

DST or your machine’s own format?

If your home machine reads DST, you can use it as it is and choose the colors at the machine. If it doesn’t, or you’d rather see colors on its screen, convert the design to your machine’s format with the converter: PES for Brother and Baby Lock, JEF for Janome, VP3 for Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff. The stitches stay exactly the same; the new file gets stand-in colors you can change on the machine. Convert DST to your machine’s format

Questions

Is this DST viewer free?

Yes. There is no account, no limit and nothing to install. It runs in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone.

Is my DST file uploaded?

No. The file is read on your device, inside your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored or shared, so designs you bought or got from a customer stay private.

Which machines use DST files?

Tajima and most other commercial multi-needle machines, such as Ricoma, read DST. Many home machines from Brother, Janome and other brands read it as well. Check the USB or design import section of your manual.

Why does my DST file show different colors than the picture?

DST files store no thread colors, only where the color changes. The colors on screen are stand-ins. Use the design’s color chart, or open the PES or JEF version of the same design, which keeps the colors.

Can I convert a DST file to PES or JEF?

Yes, with the free converter on this site. Every stitch, jump and trim is kept and the new file is checked against the DST before you download it. Because DST has no colors, the new file uses stand-in colors you can change on the machine.

Why is the design name in my DST file cut short?

The DST header only has room for a short name, so longer names are cut off. The viewer shows the file name instead, which is usually more useful.