Embroidery file guides

Plain-English guides to machine embroidery file formats, viewing designs and turning artwork into stitches.

Embroidery file formats by machine brandBrother and Baby Lock use PES; Janome uses JEF; Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff use VP3; Bernina reads EXP; Singer uses XXX; commercial multi-needle machines use DST.
What is a DST file?A DST file is Tajima's embroidery stitch format, read by almost every commercial machine. It stores stitch moves and colour-change stops but no colours.
What is a PES file?A PES file is the embroidery design format of Brother and Baby Lock machines. It contains a PES header with thread colours and a PEC block with stitches and a preview.
PES vs DST: which embroidery format should you use?Use PES for Brother and Baby Lock machines (it stores colours). Use DST for commercial multi-needle machines and when sending to embroidery shops (most compatible, no colours).
How to prepare an SVG for embroideryConvert text to outlines, use flat colours, keep details wider than about 1.2 mm at final size, simplify shapes, then digitize with an SVG to DST/PES converter and test-sew.
PES file not showing on your Brother machineSeparate file problems from machine and transfer issues using a preview, dimensions and your exact model's manual.
Why your DST file shows the wrong coloursLearn what DST actually stores and match each displayed colour block to a designer's colour sheet.
How to check an embroidery file before sewingA practical inspection checklist, with a clear distinction between a stitch preview and a physical sew-out.

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Last updated 2026-09-30