Convert a DST to PES (and between other stitch formats) with the PlixaLabs file converter. For images such as JPG or PNG, see converting an image to an embroidery file instead.
How do I convert a DST file to PES?
Check the DST, convert it, set the thread colors, then test.
- Check the DST first. Open it in our free DST file viewer, which reads the file in your browser without uploading it. Note the width and height, the number of color stops and any long jumps.
- Convert it. Load the DST into the embroidery file converter and choose PES. Prefer desktop software? Ink/Stitch, the free open-source extension for Inkscape, opens DST files and saves PES (Ink/Stitch file formats).
- Set the thread colors for each color stop, using the thread list from the person who digitized the design.
- Load and test. Copy the PES to your machine, confirm it fits the embroidery area, and stitch a test on similar fabric before running garments.
What's the difference between format conversion and digitizing?
Conversion rewrites existing stitches in a new format; digitizing creates the stitches in the first place. It is an easy mix-up, because both get called "converting".
| Format conversion | Digitizing | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts from | A stitch file (DST, PES, EXP, JEF…) | Artwork (JPG, PNG, PDF, AI, a sketch) |
| What happens | Stitches are copied into another file format | Stitch types, angles, density, underlay and sequence are planned |
| Fixes problems? | No | Yes, that's the point |
| Time and cost | Minutes, free | Hours of skill, or one flat price per design at PlixaLabs |
| Where to go | Embroidery file converter | Convert an image · JPG to PES |
What changes, and what doesn't, when you convert DST to PES?
The file wrapper and color information change; the stitches themselves don't.
| Changes | Stays the same | May vary by machine or software |
|---|---|---|
| The file format and header; thread color information (a PES carries colors, a DST doesn't) | Stitch positions, density, underlay, pull compensation and design size | How trims and jumps are read, because DST has no dedicated trim command and machines interpret jump sequences differently |
If the original was digitized for a cap, a towel or a much larger size, converting it won't adapt it to your project. That needs editing or re-digitizing.
Why do the colors look wrong after converting a DST?
Because a DST file never had thread colors. The format stores color-change stops but not the colors themselves (pyembroidery documentation), so software and machines fill in default colors. Ask the digitizer for the thread list, set each stop to the right color in your software or on your machine, and use our thread color matcher if you need to find an equivalent thread.
Should I convert the file, or does it need re-digitizing?
For caps specifically, see cap digitizing; our guide to puckering and underlay explains why fabric changes matter.
Can PlixaLabs resize or fix a DST or PES for me?
Yes. We fix or rebuild broken, auto-digitized or third-party files, quoted after a free file check. Send the file, a photo of the stitch-out if you have one, and what you need: new size, different garment or a cleaner result. If rebuilding from the artwork is the better option, we'll say so; new designs have one flat price set by complexity, with every format included (see the price list).
See the file repair service → For a new registered business, the first design is free. More on the formats themselves: embroidery file formats explained.
DST to PES conversion: FAQs
Brother, Baby Lock and Tajima are trademarks of their owners, used descriptively. PlixaLabs isn't affiliated with them or with Inkscape or Ink/Stitch.