Convert DST to JEF online
Open the DST file in the free StitchOps viewer, check every stitch and colour stop, then download it as a JEF file for Janome and Elna machines. The stitches are copied stitch for stitch.
Viewing is free. Download as JEF is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.
DST to JEF 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 JEF
With Pro, choose Download as JEF. The file is written stitch for stitch with the colours shown in the viewer.
Why convert DST to JEF
Clients and digitizing services usually send DST, the commercial standard. Shops and sewers with a Janome or Elna machine need those files as JEF to stitch them without extra software.
DST arrives without colours, so the viewer shows default threads. Pick the threads for each colour stop before you download; JEF stores them, so the Janome screen shows your colour order instead of a guess.
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.
DST stores no colours, so the viewer lets you pick a thread for each colour stop. The JEF file is written with the colours you picked.
Which machines use these formats
- DST: DST is read by Tajima and by most commercial multi-needle machines, such as Barudan, SWF and Happy.
- JEF: JEF is the native format of Janome and Elna 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 JEF file in the same order, stitch for stitch. |
| Colour stops | Carries over | Each colour change stays in the same place. |
| Thread colours | Check | DST stores no colours, so the viewer lets you pick a thread for each colour stop. The JEF file is written with the colours you picked. |
| 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 JEF file in the same order, stitch for stitch.
- Colour stops Carries over
Each colour change stays in the same place.
- Thread colours Check
DST stores no colours, so the viewer lets you pick a thread for each colour stop. The JEF file is written with the colours you picked.
- 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 JEF: common questions
Is converting DST to JEF free?
Opening, checking and simulating your DST file in the viewer is free. Downloading it as JEF is part of Pro, which costs $9.90 a month or $7.90 a month billed yearly. Viewing stays free either way.
Will the JEF 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?
DST stores no colours, so the viewer lets you pick a thread for each colour stop. The JEF file is written with the colours you picked.
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 JEF online
Viewing is free. Download as JEF is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.