Stitch file vs vector file
A stitch file (DST, PES, JEF) is the list of needle moves a machine sews. A vector file holds shapes and settings that software turns into stitches, so it can be resized and re-edited.
A stitch file is the finished set of instructions an embroidery machine follows: where the needle goes, in what order, plus jumps, trims and color changes. DST, PES, JEF and EXP are stitch formats. A vector file is different. It describes artwork as shapes and lines, such as an SVG, and in embroidery software each shape can carry settings like fill type, stitch angle and row spacing. The software then builds the stitches from those shapes. Editable design files such as EMB and ART work the same way, and EduTechWiki groups them as design (vector or object) files. Wilcom's help says its EMB file keeps the shapes, stitch types, densities, underlays and trims.
It matters because a stitch file has already lost the shapes. EduTechWiki compares it to a flat JPEG next to a layered Photoshop file. A stitch file can be scaled, but nothing is rebuilt for the new size: OESD says DST and EXP files do not adjust stitch count when resized and recommends no more than 20 percent either way, and Wilcom says scaling a machine file by more than about 10 percent lowers stitch quality. Saving a design as a stitch file also cannot be undone. EduTechWiki's example is that converting EMB to PES gives a PES with only stitches. DST adds another loss, since it stores color-change stops but not thread colors.
The working habit is to keep the editable or vector master and treat each stitch file as an export. In Ink/Stitch, for example, you keep the SVG for later changes and use Save a copy to write a machine format. Name the files so you can tell them apart, such as logo-master and logo-pes. If you only have a bought stitch file, keep size changes small and stitch a sample on scrap fabric. For anything bigger, go back to the master or have the design re-digitized.
Common mistakes are overwriting the master with a stitch export, expecting a stitch file to turn back into editable shapes, and sending a stitch file when a digitizer needs vector art. Renaming an extension changes only the label, not the data inside. A vector file also will not stitch on its own, and a JPG or PNG is neither kind, because it is only a grid of pixels.
Example: You have a DST file that is about 4 in (100 mm) wide. A 10 percent increase makes it about 4.4 in (112 mm), and the 20 percent limit is about 4.8 in (122 mm). A customer asks for 6 in (150 mm), which is 50 percent larger, well past both guidelines. If you still have the SVG or EMB master, resize that and export a new DST so the stitches are rebuilt. If you do not, the design should be re-digitized. These numbers are illustrative.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I turn a stitch file back into a vector file?
Not into the original shapes and settings. A stitch file holds only stitches and machine commands, and the shape data is gone once it is saved. Some software, such as Ink/Stitch, opens machine files so you can edit individual stitch points, but that is not the same as getting the editable design back.
Can my embroidery machine stitch an SVG file?
Not on its own. An SVG has shapes but no stitches, so it must first be digitized in embroidery software and saved in a format your machine reads, such as PES, DST or JEF. Check your manual for the list of formats your model accepts.
Which file should I keep as my master?
Keep the editable design file or the vector artwork, such as an EMB or SVG, as your master. Export a stitch file from it for each machine or job. That way you can resize, recolor or fix the design later without starting over.