Embroidery Machine Guide

Embroidery file formats

.DST embroidery files (Tajima embroidery stitch file)

DST is the Tajima stitch format and the closest thing embroidery has to a standard. Many commercial and home machines read it, but it stores no thread colors, only color-change stops, so you set the colors on the machine.

Extension.DST
Comes fromTajima
Native onTajima
Stores thread colours?No: colours are assigned on the machine or in software
Editable outlines?No: it is a stitch file (resizing a lot can spoil it)
Machines in our guide that read it21

About .DST files

DST comes from Tajima, a maker of industrial embroidery machines. It dates back to the punch-card era and is as close to a universal standard as embroidery has. Commercial machines read it, and so do many home machines: Brother and Baby Lock list .dst among the files they accept, and a retailer spec sheet says Janome's Memory Craft 550E reads it.

A DST file holds only stitch moves, jumps, trims and color-change stops, plus a short header with a name, stitch count and size. It does not store thread colors. Brother's support pages say the machine then applies its default color order, so you may need to change colors after checking the preview. Brother machines also show only the file name for a DST, with no picture.

That makes DST handy for moving a design between systems and a poor choice for archiving. Once a design is saved as DST, the colors, outlines and fill settings are gone. Keep the original editable file, such as EMB in Wilcom or Hatch software, and export DST last. Wilcom's help says scaling a machine file by more than about 10 percent hurts stitch quality.

To make a DST, open the design in embroidery software and export it. Hatch's help recommends saving the EMB first, then checking that the design fits the hoop and is centered before you export.

How to convert .DST files

  • Save your master as EMB (or your software's own file) and export DST last. Hatch's help recommends this because DST cannot hold the actual colors.
  • Before exporting, check that the design fits the hoop and is centered at the 0/0 point, as Hatch's help advises.
  • Keep a thread color chart with the file, because the machine will not know the colors. Embrilliance Essentials can color a DST that has none and save it as a new file.
  • To move from DST to a format that keeps colors, such as PES, JEF or VP3, convert it in Embrilliance Essentials or Ink/Stitch and then assign thread colors.

Machines that read .DST files

Brother

Baby Lock

Janome

Frequently asked questions

Does a DST file keep thread colors?

No. It records where the thread changes but not which color. Brother's machines fall back to a default color order, and Hatch's help says DST cannot save the actual colors.

Can my Brother or Baby Lock machine read DST?

Yes. Brother lists .dst alongside .pes and .phc, and Baby Lock's Meridian 2 page lists .dst. A Brother machine shows only the file name for a DST, so check the colors before you start.

Which format should I choose if I am not sure what my machine reads?

Check your manual first. Brother and Baby Lock use PES, Janome uses JEF, and Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff use VP3. If your machine also accepts DST, it is a common fallback, but you will set the colors yourself.

Why are the colors wrong when I open a DST file?

The file has no color data, so the software or machine uses its default thread list. Reassign the colors to match your thread.

Other formats

Sources