Convert DST to EXP online
Open the DST file in the free StitchOps viewer, check every stitch and colour stop, then download it as a EXP file for Melco and Bernina machines. The stitches are copied stitch for stitch.
Viewing is free. Download as EXP is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.
DST to EXP in three steps
- Free
1. Open it in the viewer
Drop your DST file into the free viewer. It opens in the browser, so there is nothing to install.
- Free
2. Check it and pick colours
Look at the stitch paths, size, stitch count, colour stops and hoop fit, and play the sew-out simulation. DST stores no colours, so pick the real thread for each colour stop.
- Pro
3. Download as EXP
With Pro, choose Download as EXP. The file is written stitch for stitch; EXP keeps the colour stops but not the colours.
Why convert DST to EXP
Bernina home machines read EXP, and many Melco users keep their design library in EXP. Shops that receive DST files from clients or digitizers and run one of these machines often want them as EXP.
Neither format stores thread colours, so colours do not change in this conversion: the colour stops move across and the threads are set on the machine. Trims are coded differently in the two formats, so watch them in the sew-out simulation.
The colour situation
DST stores the stitches and the points where the thread changes, but no thread colours. Any colours another program shows for a DST are a guess. In the viewer you pick the real thread for each colour stop.
Neither DST nor EXP stores thread colours. The colour stops carry over and the threads are set on the machine.
Which machines use these formats
- DST: DST is read by Tajima and by most commercial multi-needle machines, such as Barudan, SWF and Happy.
- EXP: EXP is used by Melco commercial machines and by Bernina home machines.
Many machines read more than one format and hoop sizes differ between brands, so check your machine manual and the hoop fit in the viewer before you stitch.
What carries over and what does not
| Part of the design | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Stitches and stitch order | Carries over | Every stitch is written to the EXP file in the same order, stitch for stitch. |
| Colour stops | Carries over | Each colour change stays in the same place. |
| Thread colours | Check | Neither DST nor EXP stores thread colours. The colour stops carry over and the threads are set on the machine. |
| Design size | Carries over | The design keeps its size. Nothing is scaled during conversion. |
| Trims and jumps | Check | Formats code trims differently, so trim points can change. Watch the sew-out simulation and run a test. |
| Digitizing quality | Does not | Conversion does not fix density, underlay or pull compensation. A badly digitized file stays badly digitized. |
| Resizing | Does not | Not part of conversion. Beyond about 10 to 20 percent a design needs re-digitizing. |
- Stitches and stitch order Carries over
Every stitch is written to the EXP file in the same order, stitch for stitch.
- Colour stops Carries over
Each colour change stays in the same place.
- Thread colours Check
Neither DST nor EXP stores thread colours. The colour stops carry over and the threads are set on the machine.
- Design size Carries over
The design keeps its size. Nothing is scaled during conversion.
- Trims and jumps Check
Formats code trims differently, so trim points can change. Watch the sew-out simulation and run a test.
- Digitizing quality Does not
Conversion does not fix density, underlay or pull compensation. A badly digitized file stays badly digitized.
- Resizing Does not
Not part of conversion. Beyond about 10 to 20 percent a design needs re-digitizing.
DST to EXP: common questions
Is converting DST to EXP free?
Opening, checking and simulating your DST file in the viewer is free. Downloading it as EXP is part of Pro, which costs $9.90 a month or $7.90 a month billed yearly. Viewing stays free either way.
Will the EXP file stitch exactly like the DST file?
The stitches are copied stitch for stitch, so the design runs the same way. Conversion cannot fix bad digitizing, and trims can change between formats, so run a test sew-out on scrap fabric first.
What happens to the thread colours?
Neither DST nor EXP stores thread colours. The colour stops carry over and the threads are set on the machine.
Can I resize the design while converting?
Conversion keeps the original size. Changes of about 10 to 20 percent can work, but bigger changes need re-digitizing because stitch density and underlay do not scale with the design. Check the hoop fit in the viewer before you download.
Convert DST to EXP online
Viewing is free. Download as EXP is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.