- Stitch files (DST, PES, JEF, VP3, EXP) run on machines. Source files (such as Wilcom EMB) are for editing.
- DST is read by most commercial machines but carries no thread colors.
- Home and small-business machines usually prefer their brand format, which can show colors.
- Converting between formats keeps the stitches but can’t add missing information, and resizing a stitch file changes its density.
What is the difference between stitch files and source files?
Embroidery formats fall into two groups, and mixing them up causes a lot of confusion.
- Stitch (machine) files contain the actual needle positions and commands the machine runs: DST, PES, JEF, VP3, EXP and so on. This is what you load onto the machine.
- Source (outline) files are a digitizing program’s editable working files, such as Wilcom’s EMB. They keep objects, stitch types and settings, so they can be edited and resized cleanly, but most machines can’t sew them directly.
The difference matters when you want changes later. Melco notes that once a file is converted to DST, “it cannot be reverted back to the EMB format or edited.” When you order digitizing (or digitising, as UK suppliers spell it), ask whether the source file is kept, so future edits start from the original rather than from a flattened stitch file.
What are the main embroidery file formats?
| Format | Main machine brands | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DST | Tajima; read by most commercial machines | No thread colors: Brother and Wilcom both note DST lacks thread color information, so colors are set on the machine. |
| PES | Brother, Baby Lock | Brother’s own format. Brother machines show DST designs in a default color sequence instead. |
| JEF | Janome, Elna | Janome calls JEF the default stitch data format for its embroidery machines. |
| VP3 | Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff | mySewnet software help lists VP3 with VP4 and VIP among the Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff formats. |
| EXP | Melco | Melco machines also read DST. Melco’s OFM format stores colors in the file. |
| HUS, SHV | Husqvarna | Husqvarna formats, listed separately from VP3 in mySewnet. Check your manual for which one your model reads. |
| SEW | Janome | Listed alongside JEF as a Janome format in mySewnet. |
| XXX | Singer, Compucon | Listed as Compucon/Singer PSW format in mySewnet. |
| ART | Bernina | Listed as a Bernina format in mySewnet. |
| TAP | Happy | Happy machines also read DST. |
| EMB | Wilcom software (source file) | Editable working file, not a machine format. |
Which format does my machine need?
Use your machine’s brand format if it has one; use DST for commercial machines or when you share files between shops. Your machine manual is the final word, because supported formats vary by model.
| Machine brand | Format to ask for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tajima | DST (TBF for sequin machines, T01 for chenille machines) | Wilcom: Tajima |
| Brother, Baby Lock | PES; many Brother models also read DST | Brother Support |
| Janome, Elna | JEF | Janome |
| Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff | VP3 | mySewnet help |
| Melco | EXP or OFM; DST also supported | Wilcom: Melco, Melco |
| Bernina | ART, or check the manual for other supported formats | mySewnet help |
| Happy | TAP or DST | Wilcom: Happy Japan |
| ZSK | ZSK formats (Z??, DSZ) or DST | Wilcom: ZSK |
| Barudan | Barudan formats (U??, DSB); check your model for DST | Wilcom: Barudan |
| Other commercial brands | DST, which most commercial machines read; confirm in your manual | Wilcom |
DST vs PES: which should I use?
Use PES on Brother and Baby Lock machines, and DST on commercial multi-needle machines or when a file has to work in several shops. The main practical difference is color: Brother’s support page explains that DST data is shown “with our default thread color sequence,” so you check and change the colors yourself. With PES, the machine can show the design’s intended thread colors. Because every PlixaLabs order includes all formats, you don’t have to choose: we send both.
Can I convert between embroidery formats?
Yes, most digitizing software and free tools such as Ink/Stitch can save to several formats. Keep three limits in mind:
- Conversion can’t add information that isn’t there. Converting a DST to PES gives you a PES without the real thread colors; you still have to assign them.
- Resizing a stitch file changes density. Shrinking packs stitches tighter and enlarging spreads them out, so large size changes should go back to the source file or be re-digitized.
- Machine-specific commands may not carry over, such as sequins, chenille or special trims.
To see what’s inside a file before converting it, open it in the free DST file viewer. For conversions done properly, see DST to PES conversion, JPG to PES and converting an image to an embroidery file.
What goes wrong with the wrong format?
- The machine rejects the file. A delay while you find the right version.
- Colors load incorrectly. A DST loaded on a home machine appears in default colors, and it’s easy to thread the wrong spool.
- Trims and stops are misread. Jump threads are left across the design, or color stops land in the wrong places.
None of these are digitizing faults. They’re avoidable format problems: tell your digitizer your machine brand and model when you order.
Need a file in your machine’s format?
One flat price per design, set by its complexity, with every format included.
US quote → UK quote →Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Brother Support: types of embroidery data that can be used
- Janome: Janome embroidery formats
- mySewnet software help: embroidery file formats
- Melco: OFM file types, features and benefits
- Wilcom machine pages: Tajima, Melco, Happy Japan, ZSK, Barudan
- Ink/Stitch: file formats
All sources checked 16 September 2026.