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Stitch & Spool

SVG to DST converter

Turn a vector logo or drawing into a DST file for Tajima and other commercial embroidery machines. Set the size, choose fill or outlines, and download a checked DST file. It all happens in your browser.

Drop a design file here

or

  • SVG
  • DST
  • PES
  • JEF
  • EXP
  • ZIP

Over 40 formats, or a ZIP of designs.

Files stay on your device

Convert to

Pick one or more formats.

SVG drawings

SVG files are stitched automatically: filled shapes get a fill stitch and an outline, lines a running stitch, in the drawing’s colors.

mm

How to convert SVG to DST

  1. Drop your SVG file on the converter above, or try the sample daisy.
  2. Set the finished width in millimetres; the height follows the drawing. For a left-chest logo, 75 to 100 mm is common.
  3. Choose “Fill shapes and outline them” for solid logos, or “Outlines only” for line art and placement lines.
  4. Keep DST ticked (add PES or another format if a home machine needs it) and press Convert.
  5. Download the DST file, open it in the DST viewer to check the color stops and size, and run a test on the same fabric as the job.

What the DST file contains

DST is Tajima’s format, read by nearly every commercial multi-needle machine and embroidery program. The converter writes your drawing as needle moves, jumps and color stops, with a header holding the design’s size and stitch count. DST allows at most 12.1 mm per move, so longer travels between shapes are written as several jumps; the converter handles that, and trims are written the way DST machines expect, as a short run of jumps. What is a DST file?

Colors become color stops

DST stores no thread colors, only where the machine changes thread. Each different color in your SVG becomes one color stop, in the order the shapes are drawn, and shapes of the same color that follow each other share a stop. On a multi-needle machine you assign a needle to each stop; on a single-needle machine it pauses at each one for you to rethread.

Because the colors themselves aren’t in the file, keep a note of them: open the DST in the viewer and print the production sheet, which lists every stop in order with a column for the thread you use. If a home machine needs the colors, convert to PES or JEF as well, which store them. Check the DST file

Preparing the SVG for DST

Shapes, paths and lines are stitched, with groups and transforms applied. Before saving the SVG:

  • Convert text to outlines or paths: text elements aren’t stitched.
  • Give every shape a solid fill or stroke color. Gradients use their first color; pictures and hidden shapes are skipped.
  • Expand clones, symbols, clipping and masks into ordinary shapes.
  • Order the drawing by color, darkest or background colors first, to keep color stops and trims down.
  • Remove details smaller than about a millimetre at the finished size.

Automatic stitching, and when to digitize by hand

The converter does basic automatic digitizing: fill rows 0.4 mm apart with a running-stitch outline for shapes, a running stitch for lines, lock stitches and trims between separate parts. It doesn’t add underlay, satin columns or pull compensation. That makes it good for simple logos, patches, appliqué placement and outline work, and a fast way to test a size or layout. For production on caps, towels or fine detail, a hand-digitized file will sew better. Always run a test first.

Questions

Is the SVG to DST converter free?

Yes. No account, no limit and nothing to install. It runs in your browser.

Is my SVG uploaded?

No. The logo is read and stitched on your device. Nothing is uploaded or stored, so customer artwork stays private.

Why does my DST file show different colors?

DST doesn’t store colors, so every program shows stand-ins. The stops are in the right order; choose the threads at the machine or from your production sheet.

Will the DST file work on my home machine?

Many home machines read DST, but they won’t show your colors. If your machine has its own format, such as PES for Brother or JEF for Janome, convert to that as well.

Can I edit the stitches afterwards?

A DST file holds stitches, not shapes, so edit the SVG and convert again. That also keeps the density right if you change the size.