Why is the right embroidery file format important?
Embroidery files are not universally applicable. Each embroidery machine requires a specific file format to correctly recognize, display, and embroider designs. Using the wrong format will result in incorrect results or the file won't appear.
Especially when downloading embroidery files, you should always make sure that you choose the format that suits your machine.
Overview: Embroidery machines and supported file formats
Below you will find the most common manufacturers and models with the required file formats:
| Manufacturer | Machine model(s) | File format(s) |
| Brother | Innov-is, PR series, M280D, M380ED, F series | .PES, .PHC, .PEC |
| Bernina | B500, B700, B790, B79, B70 | .EXP (with .INF and .BMP) |
| Husqvarna Viking | Designers Topaz, Ruby, Epic, Jade | .VP3 |
| Pfaff | Creative series, performance icon | .VP3 |
| Janome / Elna | Memory Craft, Skyline, 500E, 550E, 9900 | .JEF, .JPX |
| Singer | SE9180, SE300, Legacy Series | .XXX, .VP3 (for VSM models) |
| HappyJapan | HCH-701P, HCU series | .DST |
| Tajima | all industrial models | .DST |
| Melco | EMT series, Bravo, Amaya | .EXP |
| Ricoma | EM-1010, TC series, MT series | .DST |
| Baby Lock | Flourish, Meridian, Pathfinder, Altair | .PES, .PHC |
| Toyota | Expert ESP, AD series | .DST |
| W6 Quality workmanship | N8000, N5000 | .DST |
| Veritas | Florence | .DST |
| Redline | RL series | .DST |
| SWF | MA series, KS series | .DST |
| Barudan | all industrial models | .DSB |
| Feiya / China models | Various import models | mostly .DST |
| Brother ScanNCut | no embroidery file format, but .PHC (for applications) |
What to do if your machine supports multiple formats?
Some machines automatically recognize multiple file formats but prefer one. Check your machine's manual to see which format is set as the default and use that format first.
Note on color representation
Not all formats contain color information. .DST and .EXP, in particular, do not contain color codes. In these cases, it is important to refer to the enclosed color chart (PDF) for guidance .
Summary
- Always use the correct file format for your model
- Check if additional files (e.g. .INF, .BMP, color chart) are required
- If unsure, use embroidery software to convert the file
We provide 11 common formats for each embroidery file so you can start embroidering right away – regardless of the machine manufacturer.
Split:
Embroidery file is not displayed
How can I scale embroidery files?