Embroidery Machine Guide

Embroidery file formats

.EMB embroidery files (Wilcom embroidery design file)

EMB is Wilcom's own design file, used by EmbroideryStudio and Hatch. It stores shapes, stitch types, densities and thread colors, so it can be resized and re-edited. It is a software file, and the machines in our guide do not read it, so you export PES, JEF or another machine format from it.

Extension.EMB
Comes fromWilcom
Native onWilcom
Stores thread colours?Yes
Editable outlines?Yes
Machines in our guide that read it0

About .EMB files

EMB is the native file of Wilcom's embroidery software. Wilcom's help says it is object based and editable and holds the full design: colors, stitch types, densities, underlays and trims. Hatch's help gives the same advice. Work in EMB when you can, because it keeps the properties and colors.

Machine files such as PES, JEF and DST hold only stitches and stops. Wilcom says scaling them by more than about 10 percent lowers stitch quality, while an EMB design can be re-edited and scaled at any time and then exported to whatever format a machine needs.

Wilcom also reads branded variants of its design file. Its format list shows ART, Bernina's design file, and JAN, Janome's, as read-only variants of EMB, and EduTechWiki calls ART similar to EMB.

Beyond Wilcom's own programs, Embrilliance Essentials can read EMB but cannot write it, and Ink/Stitch's format table does not list it. None of the machines in our guide list EMB.

How to convert .EMB files

  • Save a master EMB before you export anything. Hatch's help recommends working in EMB whenever you can.
  • To stitch the design, export a machine format from your software. In Hatch, use the Output Design toolbox and pick the format your machine reads.
  • Make changes in the EMB and export again. Do not scale an exported file by more than about 10 percent.
  • If you only have a machine file, there is no EMB to recover. Converting EMB to PES typically keeps only the stitches, so the shapes cannot be rebuilt.

Machines that read .EMB files

None of the machines in our guide list .EMB as a format they read. Convert it first.

Frequently asked questions

Can my embroidery machine read EMB files?

None of the machines in our guide list EMB. It is a software file. Export PES for Brother and Baby Lock, JEF for Janome or another machine format from your software.

What software opens EMB files?

Wilcom's EmbroideryStudio and Hatch work with EMB. Embrilliance Essentials can read EMB but cannot save it.

Why keep an EMB if I already have a PES?

A PES holds only stitches. The EMB keeps the shapes, densities and settings, so you can resize, change colors or export another format without damaging the design.

Does EMB keep thread colors?

Yes. Wilcom says EMB stores colors and the stitch sequence, and one design can hold more than one colorway.

Other formats

Sources