Home machine
Use the native format for your brand: PES for Brother, JEF for Janome, VP3 for Husqvarna Viking or Pfaff. Native formats preserve color data and offer the best machine compatibility.
StitchPilot.aiFormat reference hub
Embroidery File Formats — Complete Guide
Every embroidery machine uses a specific file format. PES for Brother, DST for commercial shops, JEF for Janome, VP3 for Husqvarna Viking. This guide covers every major format — what it stores, which machines need it, and how to convert between them.
All supported formats
.pes
PESBrotherHome machines
Brother's native format — stores stitch data and thread colors. The most popular home embroidery format.
Color metadata.dst
DSTTajimaCommercial / industrial
The universal industrial standard. No color data — used by virtually all commercial multi-head machines.
Stitch-only.jef
JEFJanomeJanome machines
Janome's native format with color metadata. Designed for the full range of Janome home machines.
Color metadata.vp3
VP3Husqvarna / PfaffHusqvarna & Pfaff
Modern format for Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines. Successor to the older HUS format.
Color metadata.exp
EXPBernina / MelcoBernina, commercial
Stitch-only format for Bernina home machines and Melco commercial systems.
Stitch-only.hus
HUSHusqvarna (legacy)Older Husqvarna
Legacy format for older Husqvarna Viking machines — superseded by VP3 on modern models.
Color metadata.xxx
XXXSinger / CompuconSinger machines
Native format for Singer embroidery machines and Compucon digitizing systems.
Color metadata.emd
EMDElnaElna machines
Format used by Elna machines (a Janome sister brand). Also accepts JEF on most models.
Color metadataHow to choose the right format
Commercial shop
Send DST files to commercial embroidery shops. It is the universal standard for Tajima, Barudan, and ZSK multi-head machines. Confirm with your shop before sending any other format.
Color accuracy
Choose a color-aware format (PES, JEF, VP3) if thread colors are critical. Stitch-only formats (DST, EXP) require you to assign colors manually at the machine or at the shop.
Need to convert?
StitchPilot.ai converts between all formats. Note that PES→DST drops color data, and DST→PES requires manual color reassignment. The viewer lets you verify the result before stitching.
Formats with color metadata
Color-aware formats
These formats embed thread palette references alongside stitch data, making thread setup easier when working on machines in the same brand ecosystem.
- PES — Brother palette (Sulky, Robison-Anton, etc.)
- JEF — Janome thread palette
- VP3 — Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff palettes
- HUS — legacy Husqvarna palette
- XXX — Singer / Compucon palette
- EMD — Elna palette (Janome-based)
Stitch-only formats
No color data
DST and EXP store stitch coordinates only. Thread colors must be assigned manually at the machine or documented separately. Both are common in commercial workflows.
- DST — Tajima; industry-standard commercial format
- EXP — Bernina / Melco; thread colors set at machine
- Both use relative move encoding
- Color changes are tracked as stop commands only
- Thread sequence must be documented separately
Embroidery formats — common questions
What is the most common embroidery file format?
DST (Tajima) is the most widely supported format across commercial and industrial machines. PES (Brother) is the most common format for home embroidery. For Janome machines, JEF is the native choice.
Which embroidery format should I send to an embroidery shop?
Most commercial embroidery shops prefer DST files. It is the universal industrial standard that works across Tajima, Barudan, and other commercial multi-head machines. Always confirm with your shop before sending.
Do embroidery formats store thread colors?
It depends on the format. PES, JEF, VP3, HUS, and XXX embed thread color metadata. DST and EXP are stitch-only formats — colors must be assigned manually at the machine using the color stop sequence.
Can I convert between embroidery formats?
Yes. StitchPilot.ai converts between PES, DST, JEF, VP3, EXP, HUS, XXX, EMD, and more. Keep in mind that converting from a color-aware format (PES) to a stitch-only format (DST) will lose color data.
What format does my machine use?
Brother machines use PES. Janome uses JEF. Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff use VP3 (or older HUS). Singer and Compucon use XXX. Tajima, Barudan, and most commercial machines use DST. Bernina and Melco use EXP. Elna uses EMD.
Ready to continue?
Convert or preview any embroidery file
StitchPilot.ai supports all formats listed above — convert images to any format or preview existing files in the browser. No software installation needed.
Convert an Image →