The Ultimate Guide to Embroidery File Formats: What You Need to Know About DST, PES, EXP, and Beyond
Embroidery file formats define how embroidery patterns are digitally encoded and stored. Just like JPEGs and PNGs for images, there are different formats for storing embroidery designs. The file format determines compatibility with different embroidery machines, the quality and capabilities of the final design, and options for editing the pattern.
Choosing the right embroidery format is an important decision that impacts your workflow and final products. Even if you purchase digitized designs from others, you may need to convert formats to work with your specific machine. Understanding the key differences between embroidery file types allows you to make an informed choice.
The most common machine embroidery formats include DST, PES, EXP, ART, HUS, VP3, and XXX. Each has advantages and disadvantages that suit different applications. As you explore embroidery digitizing, you'll likely encounter these acronyms frequently. This guide breaks down the key characteristics, benefits, and limitations of the major embroidery file formats to help you select the right one. With knowledge of the formats, you can achieve the best results on your preferred machine and software.
DST Format
The DST file format was created by Tajima, a Japanese embroidery machine manufacturer, in the late 1980s. DST stands for ""Tajima Stitch File,"" and it quickly became one of the most common embroidery file formats in use today.
DST is extremely prevalent with commercial embroidery machines and remains one of the core file formats. It uses a binary file type that contains embroidery stitch data. When a digitizer creates an embroidery design, the design software converts it into a DST format that an embroidery machine can read.
One downside of the DST format is its limited color palette. It only supports a maximum of 256 colors per design. This can be restrictive for more complex or detailed embroidery designs that require a lot of colors and color changes. The age of the format also means DST lacks some of the more advanced features of newer embroidery file types. However, it remains a tried-and-true format that most embroidery machines are compatible with.
For many embroiders and commercial embroidery shops, DST will be one of the main file formats they use day to day. While it may not be the most versatile or future-proof, the ubiquity of DST support means it will continue to hold an important place in the embroidery world.
PES Format
The PES format was developed by the Japanese sewing machine company Brother and has become one of the most popular embroidery file formats. PES stands for Brother Industries' Embroidery System. Some key things to know about the PES format:
- Created by Brother - The PES format was designed and created by Brother Industries specifically for use with their embroidery machines. This proprietary format helped promote the use of Brother embroidery machines by only supporting Brother's machines initially.
- Supports more stitches and colors - One advantage of the PES format over earlier formats like DST is its ability to store more stitch and color data. PES files can contain up to 300,000 stitches per design and up to 127 thread colors. This allows for more intricate and detailed embroidery designs.
- Used by many hobby embroidery machines - While introduced for Brother machines, the PES format went on to be supported by most home and hobby embroidery machines. Major brands like Singer, Bernina, Janome, and Husqvarna Viking all support PES files on their household machines. So, it has become a very common format among hobby embroiderers.
The PES format's widespread compatibility and ability to handle complex designs with many colors is why it emerged as such a popular format for distributing embroidery designs. Most design digitizers and sellers offer their designs in PES in addition to other common formats like DST.
EXP Format
Melco developed the EXP embroidery format, which contains complete design information, including stitches, colors, thread types, and sequence. A key benefit of the EXP format is that it allows editing of the design after digitizing, unlike formats such as DST, which are ""stitch"" based.
With EXP files, you can add and remove stitches, change colors, and edit stitch types. The files store both graphic design information as well as stitches. When the design software exports an EXP file, it generates the stitches based on the underlying design.
This makes the EXP format ideal for embroiderers who want flexibility in editing designs after the digitizing process. The editing capabilities allow errors to be fixed and customization to be done. Many embroidery software programs can export EXP files in addition to their native file format.
The one downside is that EXP files tend to be large since they contain detailed design data. But the full editing capabilities more than makeup for the larger file size for most embroiderers.
EXP is an open format that can be read by most embroidery software and machines. So, if your workflow benefits from post-digitizing editing, the EXP format is an excellent choice over more locked-down options.
ART Format
The ART format is proprietary to Janome sewing machines. It contains stitch pattern data as well as thread color information.
ART files can contain multiple embroidery designs and lettering. The designs can be resized, rotated, edited, combined, and resequenced using Janome's Artistic Digitizer software. This allows for customization and editing capabilities beyond just stitching out a stock design.
Some key advantages of the ART format include:
- Native format for all Janome embroidery machines, ensuring full compatibility.
- Contains both stitch data and thread color information, allowing complete recreation of the design.
- Designs can be edited and customized using included software.
- Supports multiple designs and lettering within a single file.
- Resizing, rotating, editing, combining, and resequencing of designs is possible.
The main limitation of ART is that it is a proprietary format that only works with Janome brands. So, it lacks the universal compatibility of something like the popular DST format. But for Janome owners, it provides a versatile format with powerful editing capabilities.
## HUS Format
The HUS embroidery file format was developed by Viking, a European company that manufactures sewing and embroidery machines. As the name suggests, HUS files are primarily used in Europe by Viking machine owners.
The HUS format can support up to 256 different thread colors. This makes it ideal for handling complex multi-colored embroidery designs with many color changes and stops. HUS files contain the stitch data as well as thread color change commands, which instruct the embroidery machine when to switch threads.
Having a high maximum number of colors gives embroiderers a lot of flexibility when working with intricate designs that require a large color palette. The downside is that some simpler embroidery machines may not be able to support that many thread colors. So, HUS files are best suited for more advanced Viking models.
Overall, the HUS file format allows European embroiderers using Viking machines to work with rich, multi-colored embroidery patterns with numerous color stops. While not as ubiquitous worldwide as DST or PES formats, HUS occupies its niche market in Europe.
## VP3 Format
The Pfaff sewing machine company created the VP3 embroidery file format. VP3 files store embroidery stitches and designs as vector graphics rather than bitmap images. This allows the stored designs to be resized and scaled without losing quality or detail.
VP3 files can contain multiple colors and retain information about the sequence of stitches and color changes required to embroider the design. The format uses mathematical vector descriptions of each stitch path, rather than pixels, to represent the design.
The main advantage of the VP3 format over bitmap-based formats is the ability to infinitely scale designs larger or smaller without pixelation or stitch quality loss. Complex designs with many colors can be resized while preserving clean stitch edges. This makes VP3 a versatile and high-quality embroidery format.
Some other notable features of the VP3 file format include:
- Support for up to 127 distinct thread colors per design.
- Retains editable stitch and color sequence information.
- Stores thread brand, color name, and color code data.
- Includes design metadata like name, author and notes.
- Supports multi-position hoops and design splits.
- Widely supported by embroidery software and machines.
The vector-based nature of VP3 makes it an excellent choice for scaling and editing high-quality embroidery designs. It is one of the most versatile and widely supported professional embroidery formats available today.
## XXX Format
Singer developed the XXX embroidery format, which contains stitch and trim information. XXX is a simple, minimal format with some limitations compared to more advanced formats.
XXX only supports a limited number of thread colors and has no support for specialty threads or techniques. The stitch information is also basic, with no detailed settings for stitch effects.
While easy to work with, the XXX format may result in embroidery designs that lack detail and complexity compared to files saved in other formats. The XXX format works well for simple logo or text designs but is not well-suited for intricate or photo-realistic embroidery.
XXX files cannot store artwork elements, only the final stitch embroidery data. This makes editing or adjusting the designs difficult compared to formats that retain vector artwork.
Overall, the XXX embroidery format is a proprietary Singer format that works for simple designs but lacks support for advanced design features. Most embroiderers need access to other format options for more complex projects. Converting XXX files to other formats can allow for better design editing capabilities.
## Choosing a Format
When selecting an embroidery file format, there are a few key considerations:
- **Consider your machine brand and software**. The two most common embroidery machine brands are Brother and Baby Lock, which use the PES format, while Bernina, Janome, and Singer machines generally use the DST format. Before choosing a format, check which file types are compatible with your specific machine model and any editing software you plan to use.
- **DST and PES are the most widely supported formats**. Due to their compatibility with popular machine brands, DST and PES tend to be the safest options if you want to share and distribute embroidery designs. Most machines are able to read these standard formats.
- **EXP and ART may offer more editing options**. Less common formats like EXP and ART are proprietary to certain software programs like Embird and Wilcom. While you may have more editing features with these formats, they are less universally compatible with various machines.
- **Certain formats preserve stitches better**. DST and PES files can sometimes distort stitches when rescaling or rotating designs. However, EXP files use true stitch point data so the embroidery integrity is preserved when making adjustments.
- **Some formats support multiple hooping**. DST, PES, and ART allow dividing designs into separate hoopings, while EXP and other formats have a single hoop layout.
Overall, DST and PES are the best starting points for broad compatibility. But if your machine supports other formats, EXP and ART provide added editing perks at the expense of wider usability across platforms. Consider how you plan to edit and share the designs when picking your ideal file format.
## Converting Between Formats
When working with different embroidery file formats, you may find yourself needing to convert a design from one format to another. Many embroidery digitizing and editing programs have built-in features to import and export different file types. For example, you could open a .pes file in Embird and then export it as a .dst file.
However, it's important to be aware that converting between formats often leads to some data loss or changes to the design. The conversion process is not perfect, so some stitches or design elements may be altered or omitted entirely when going from one file type to another. Small details can get lost.
For this reason, it's best to digitize embroidery designs in the file format native to your machine or software if possible. For example, if you are stitching out the design on a machine that uses .dst files, digitizing directly in the .dst format will yield the best results.
Converting a pre-existing design from .pes to .dst is likely to introduce flaws or changes to the original artwork. Only convert formats when necessary, and be prepared for some inaccuracies in the final converted design. Starting from scratch in the desired format avoids the risks of data loss during conversion.
