.VP3.PES

Convert VP3 to PES online

Open the VP3 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.

Open a VP3 file free See Pro plans

Viewing is free. Download as PES is part of Pro: $9.90 a month, or $7.90 a month billed yearly.

VP3 to PES in three steps

Free
1. Open it in the viewer
Drop your VP3 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 VP3 file are shown as they are.
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 VP3 to PES

VP3 is the format of Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines and their software. Sewers who move to Brother or Baby Lock, or shops that share designs with Brother owners, need those VP3 designs as PES.

VP3 stores thread colours, so the viewer shows the colours the design was saved with and the PES file gets the same ones. Compare the hoop fit too: Viking and Pfaff hoops do not match Brother hoop sizes one to one.

The colour situation

VP3 stores thread colours with the design, so the viewer shows them as saved.

VP3 stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the PES file is written with the same colours. Your machine may name them from its own thread chart.

Which machines use these formats

VP3: VP3 is the format of Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines and their software.
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	Carries over	VP3 stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the PES 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 PES file in the same order, stitch for stitch.
Colour stops Carries over
Each colour change stays in the same place.
Thread colours Carries over
VP3 stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the PES 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.

VP3 to PES: common questions

Is converting VP3 to PES free?

Opening, checking and simulating your VP3 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 VP3 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?

VP3 stores thread colours, so the viewer shows them as saved and the PES 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.