Convert PES to VP3 online
Open the PES file in the free StitchOps viewer, check every stitch and colour stop, then download it as a VP3 file for Viking and Pfaff machines. The stitches are copied stitch for stitch.
Viewing is free. Download as VP3 is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.
PES to VP3 in three steps
- Free
1. Open it in the viewer
Drop your PES 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. The thread colours saved in the PES file are shown as they are.
- Pro
3. Download as VP3
With Pro, choose Download as VP3. The file is written stitch for stitch with the colours shown in the viewer.
Why convert PES to VP3
Many designs are offered as PES first. Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff owners convert them to VP3 so their machine or its software opens them directly.
Both formats store colours, so the colours you see in the viewer go into the VP3 file. Check the colour order and the hoop fit before you download; a Viking or Pfaff hoop may be shaped differently from the Brother hoop the design was planned for.
The colour situation
PES stores thread colours with the design, so the viewer shows the colours the file was saved with.
PES stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the VP3 file is written with the same colours. Your machine may name them from its own thread chart.
Which machines use these formats
- PES: PES is the native format of Brother and Baby Lock home and semi-commercial machines.
- VP3: VP3 is the format of Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines and their software.
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 VP3 file in the same order, stitch for stitch. |
| Colour stops | Carries over | Each colour change stays in the same place. |
| Thread colours | Carries over | PES stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the VP3 file is written with the same colours. Your machine may name them from its own thread chart. |
| 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 VP3 file in the same order, stitch for stitch.
- Colour stops Carries over
Each colour change stays in the same place.
- Thread colours Carries over
PES stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the VP3 file is written with the same colours. Your machine may name them from its own thread chart.
- 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.
PES to VP3: common questions
Is converting PES to VP3 free?
Opening, checking and simulating your PES file in the viewer is free. Downloading it as VP3 is part of Pro, which costs $9.90 a month or $7.90 a month billed yearly. Viewing stays free either way.
Will the VP3 file stitch exactly like the PES 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?
PES stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the VP3 file is written with the same colours. Your machine may name them from its own thread chart.
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 PES to VP3 online
Viewing is free. Download as VP3 is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.