Convert DST to PES online
Open the DST file in the free StitchOps viewer, check every stitch and colour stop, then download it as a PES file for Brother and Baby Lock machines. The stitches are copied stitch for stitch.
Viewing is free. Download as PES is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.
DST to PES 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 PES
With Pro, choose Download as PES. The file is written stitch for stitch with the colours shown in the viewer.
Why convert DST to PES
DST is the format most digitizers deliver and most design shops sell, because commercial machines read it. Brother and Baby Lock home machines work with PES, so a DST bought online or sent by a client often has to become a PES before it can be stitched at home or in a small shop.
Because DST stores no colours, the viewer starts with a default palette. Match each colour stop to the thread chart the digitizer sent, or to the job, before you download. Those threads go into the PES file, so the Brother screen shows the right colour order.
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 PES 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.
- PES: PES is the native format of Brother and Baby Lock home and semi-commercial 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 PES 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 PES 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 PES 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 PES 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 PES: common questions
Is converting DST to PES free?
Opening, checking and simulating your DST file in the viewer is free. Downloading it as PES is part of Pro, which costs $9.90 a month or $7.90 a month billed yearly. Viewing stays free either way.
Will the PES 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 PES 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 PES online
Viewing is free. Download as PES is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.