Convert image to embroidery file: DST vs PES vs JEF chart
Before you convert an image to an embroidery file, find out which format your machine reads. This chart covers eight machine families, the five file formats in the Pro pack, and why a DST always needs a color stop sheet beside it.
Open the digitizing studioFormats and sewing fields by brand
Each family is listed with its native format, the file to use from the Pro pack, and sewing fields from published specs. A named model is an example, not a claim that a file has been sewn on it. Field sizes vary across a range, so check your own manual.
| Machine family | Native format | File to use | Common sewing field |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brother / Baby Lock | .pes | .pes | 130 × 180 mm (Brother PE800); 160 × 260 mm (Baby Lock Flourish II) |
| Janome | .jef | .jef | 200 × 280 mm (Memory Craft 500E) |
| Tajima | .dst | .dst | 360 × 500 mm border frame (TMBP2-SC) |
| Ricoma | .dst | .dst | 310 × 210 mm (EM-1010); 500 × 360 mm (MT-1501) |
| Barudan | .dsb and .u01; reads .dst | .dst | 250 × 400 mm (BEKT-S1501CAII) |
| Bernina | .exp; also reads .dst and .pes | .exp | 400 × 210 mm with Maxi or Jumbo hoop (B 790 PLUS) |
| Melco | .exp; reads .dst | .exp | About 410 × 400 mm with XL hoop (EMT16X); its manual lists 410 × 350 mm |
| Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff | .vp3 | .vp3 | 360 × 350 mm (Designer Epic 3; creative icon 2) |
Spec sheet figures checked in October 2026. Fields change by model and hoop, so confirm yours in the manual.
How the five formats differ
All five store stitches as moves in 0.1 mm units, so a design keeps its geometry in every format. They differ in how much they know about color, and in how they ask the machine to cut thread.
| Format | From | Color information | How a trim is written | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .dst | Tajima | None. Stops only | Three jump records in a row | Commercial heads |
| .pes | Brother | Index into 64 PEC colors | Trim flag on the move | Brother and Baby Lock |
| .jef | Janome | Index into the Janome palette | Repeated jump commands | Janome |
| .exp | Melco | None. Stops only | Dedicated trim code | Melco and Bernina |
| .vp3 | Husqvarna Viking | Full RGB plus thread details | Dedicated trim code | Viking and Pfaff |
Why a DST needs a stop sheet
A DST does not store thread colors. It records moves and stop commands, and the machine has no idea what thread is on each needle. Open a DST in any viewer and the colors you see are placeholders.
That is why shops keep a color stop sheet with every DST. It says which thread goes on stop 1, stop 2, and so on. Without one, an operator has to guess from a photo. The Pro run sheet prints those stops with Madeira, Brother, and Isacord numbers, ready to sit beside the machine.
Each DST record is exactly 3 bytes, after a 512-byte text header. The header carries the stitch count, the stop count, and the design extents.
| Part | What it holds | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Byte 1 | Small X and Y moves of ±1 and ±9 units | 0.1 mm |
| Byte 2 | Medium X and Y moves of ±3 and ±27 units | 0.1 mm |
| Byte 3 | Large moves of ±81 units, plus the jump and stop flags | 0.1 mm and flags |
Those values add up to a largest single move of 121 units, or 12.1 mm. Anything longer is broken into several jump records. The last record of a DST is always 0x00 0x00 0xF3, which tells the machine the design is finished.
Why the sewing field matters more than the hoop
A hoop name describes the frame. The sewing field is the smaller area the needle can reach inside it, and that is the number a design has to fit. A machine refuses or warns on anything larger, and a design that sits right at the limit leaves no room to adjust placement.
Commercial heads usually list fields as depth by width, while home machines tend to list width by height, so read the order carefully. A 360 × 500 mm border frame on a Tajima means 360 mm front to back. All sizes in this site's studio read width × height.
Rotating helps when a design is longer than the field is wide. A 180 × 130 mm design still fits a 130 × 180 mm field once it is turned 90°, and most machines can rotate it at the panel.
Five checks before a file reaches the machine
- Sewing field
- Compare the design size with the field of the hoop on the machine, not the size printed on the hoop frame.
- Thread stops
- Count the stops in the file and match them to the run sheet before you hoop the first garment.
- Needle setup
- Load each stop on a needle. Multi-needle machines need the sequence entered at the control panel for a DST.
- Trim setting
- Confirm how many jumps your machine reads as a trim. Three is common, and the setting is often adjustable.
- Test sew-out
- Sew on scrap of the same fabric with the same stabilizer, then adjust compensation before production.
Choosing the right file
- Home machine, one brand
- Use its native format. PES and JEF keep a thread index, so the screen shows useful colors.
- Commercial shop
- Use DST with a run sheet. Almost every commercial controller reads it.
- Not sure what a customer owns
- Send the all-formats ZIP and let them choose.
- Need to change size
- Go back to the art and stitch it again. Scaling a stitch file opens gaps or packs stitches too tightly.
Converting an image to an embroidery file creates stitches from artwork. Converting between stitch formats is a different job, and it keeps whatever stitches already exist. Start in the studio, and read the pull compensation guide before your first test sew-out.