Embroidery file formats
Every machine reads its own file. Qepe writes ten of them.
An embroidery file holds needle points, not a picture: where the needle goes, in order, with every trim and colour change. Qepe writes DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3, U01, XXX, DSB, TAP and PEC, and reads every file back to compare it with the screen before it saves it.
Not released yet. From the first release: 7 days free, then €149 a year.
Launch offer: €99 for the first year, for the first 100 shops.
Which machine reads which file
| Format | Read by | Thread colours in the file |
|---|---|---|
| DST | Tajima, Ricoma, SWF, Happy and most commercial machines | None: the needles are set on the machine |
| PES | Brother PR machines | Maker, number and name of each thread |
| EXP | Melco and Bernina machines | None: set on the machine |
| JEF | Janome machines; the MB-7 reads DST too | Janome’s colour numbers |
| VP3 | Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines | Maker, number and name of each thread |
| U01 | Barudan machines | None: the needle of each colour |
| XXX | Singer machines | The colour of each thread |
| DSB | Barudan, Ricoma and ZSK machines | None: the needle of each colour |
| TAP | Happy machines | None: set on the machine |
| PEC | Older Brother machines and cards, Pfaff | Brother’s colour numbers |
Pick your machine in Qepe and it uses the right file, needles and hoops. Any of the ten is one click away under Export.
And 40 it opens
A file a customer sends, in any of these, opens as a design you can recolour, move or add a name to, and leaves in one of the ten.
10010OBRODATDSBDSTDSZEMDEXPEXYFXYGTHUSINBJEFJPXKSMMAXMITNEWPCDPCMPCQPCSPECPESPHBPHCSEWSHVSPXSTCSTXTAPTBFU01VP3XXXZHSZXY
Opened, not written
TBF (Tajima), DSZ, Z00 and Z01 (ZSK), SEW (older Janome) and HUS (older Husqvarna). Not enough of them is published to write them so they stitch correctly, so Qepe writes their machines another file: ZSK machines read DST, DSB and U01, JEF covers Janome and VP3 covers Husqvarna.
Questions
- What is the most common embroidery file format?
- DST. It is Tajima’s stitch format, and most commercial multi-needle machines read it: Tajima, Ricoma, SWF, Happy and many more. Brother’s PR machines read DST as well as their own PES.
- Which embroidery formats keep the thread colours?
- PES and VP3 keep each thread’s maker, number and name; JEF keeps Janome’s colour numbers, PEC Brother’s, and XXX the colour. DST, EXP, TAP, U01 and DSB keep none: the operator threads the needles, and Qepe’s worksheet lists them in stitch order.
- Can I convert one embroidery format to another?
- Yes. Qepe opens about 40 machine formats and writes ten, so a PES opens as a design and leaves as a DST, or the other way round. Stitch for stitch: resize a machine file by more than 10 % and its density changes, so digitize the logo again for a new size.
- What is the difference between a machine file and a design file?
- A machine file is only needle points, trims and colour changes. A design file keeps the shapes, stitch types and settings, so it can be resized and changed. Qepe keeps the design as a .qepe file and writes the machine file from it.
Your next logo, ready to embroider.
Turn the next logo your customer sends into a checked, machine-ready file, on your Mac or PC.
Not released yet. From the first release: 7 days free, then €149 a year