Which Embroidery File Format Does Your Machine Read?

Every design in our studio arrives in more than one file format, and there is a reason. An embroidery machine is a particular sort of reader. It will only understand the language it was built to speak.

The formats you will meet most often

• PES is the language of Brother and Baby Lock machines.

• JEF is read by Janome machines, sometimes paired with an INF color-info file.

• HUS is read by Husqvarna Viking machines.

• VP3 is read by newer Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines.

• DST is a widely shared format read by Tajima and many commercial and home machines.

• EXP is read by Melco and Bernina machines.

• XXX is read by Singer machines.

How to find yours

Your machine’s manual will list the formats it accepts, usually under a heading such as "compatible embroidery data" or "supported file types." If the manual is lost to the shadows, the brand and model number printed on the machine will lead you to it online.

A note on other files in your package

When you download a design, you will also find a color sheet and a preview image. The color sheet lists the thread colors we used. The preview shows how the finished design should look on fabric.

Don’t see your format on this list? We can digitize your design into whichever file your machine needs — just ask before you check out.

Still not sure?

Write to us before you buy. We are happy to help you find the right file for your machine.