Embroidery Machine Guide

Embroidery file formats

.PEN embroidery files (Brother embroidery file for iBroidery designs)

PEN is a Brother file type that Brother's help pages say comes from iBroidery. Many Brother machines list it next to PES, PHC and DST. EduTechWiki says its stitches are encrypted, and common embroidery programs do not list it, so do not expect to convert or edit it.

Extension.PEN
Comes fromBrother
Native onBrother
Stores thread colours?Yes
Editable outlines?No: it is a stitch file (resizing a lot can spoil it)
Machines in our guide that read it15

About .PEN files

PEN is a Brother file type, and many Brother machines in our guide list it after .pes, .phc and .dst. Brother's help pages name .pen as a format the machine can import, with the note that it comes from iBroidery. So PEN files are meant to arrive from that source, not to be made by you.

EduTechWiki's format table puts PEN under Brother and Disney and says it holds graphics files and encrypted stitches. Embrilliance Essentials, Ink/Stitch and mySewnet do not list PEN among the formats they read or write. Taken together, that means you should not count on opening a PEN file in other software, resizing it or turning it into PES.

Brother's pages are not the same for every model. The page for the Innov-is XP1 lists .pes, .pha, .phb, .phc, .dst and .phx but not .pen, so check the page for your exact machine.

If you only have a PEN file and your machine also reads PES, ask the source for a PES copy. Renaming a file does not change what is inside it.

How to convert .PEN files

  • Copy a PEN file to the machine as it is. Do not rename it to .pes. Brother warns that data other than its listed formats may make a machine malfunction.
  • Put it in the root of the USB stick, not in a folder, with a plain name of letters, numbers, dashes and underscores.
  • If you need to edit a design or move it to another brand, work from a PES, DST or the original editable file, not from PEN.
  • Check your model's Brother page. Newer models such as the Innov-is XP1 list other formats and not .pen.

Machines that read .PEN files

Brother

Frequently asked questions

What is a PEN file?

It is a Brother embroidery file type. Brother's help pages say the machine can import .pen files from iBroidery. EduTechWiki lists it as holding graphics files and encrypted stitches.

Which machines read PEN files?

Many Brother machines in our guide list .pen after .pes, .phc and .dst. Brother's Innov-is XP1 page does not list it, so check the page and manual for your own model.

Can I convert a PEN file to PES?

We found no common embroidery software that lists PEN as a format it reads, and EduTechWiki says the stitches are encrypted. Plan on getting the design in PES from the source instead.

Why can't my embroidery software open a PEN file?

Embrilliance Essentials, Ink/Stitch and mySewnet do not list PEN, and the stitch data is described as encrypted. The format looks built for Brother machines to read, not for editing elsewhere.

Other formats

Sources