Brother Artspira app: what it does and which machines work

Artspira is Brother's app for phones and tablets. You use it to draw simple line-art embroidery designs, import design files, and send them over Wi-Fi to a compatible Brother machine. Only machines on Brother's own list work, including the SE700, SE725, PE545, PE900 and SE2000, and they need the latest firmware and a 2.4 GHz network.

Artspira is Brother’s design app for phones and tablets. It does three jobs: it holds a library of embroidery and cutting designs, it lets you draw simple designs and edit imported ones, and it sends the result to your machine over Wi-Fi. It only works with Brother machines that are on Brother’s compatibility list, so check your model before you count on it.

This site is not affiliated with Brother. The details below come from Brother’s own help articles and product pages.

What Artspira does

Draw your own designs. Brother’s product pages describe a pen with single or zigzag stitches and an eraser, and some pages (the SE700 and PE900, for example) add shapes. Think line art, not a full digitizing program. Brother lists drawn designs up to 4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm) on the SE700, SE725 and PE545, and up to 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) on the PE900. The PE900 page also mentions a Stitch Simulator that shows how a design will stitch.
Find and download designs. Brother describes Artspira as one place for embroidery and cutting designs, with step-by-step projects. The SE725 also comes with an offer of 50 free designs through the app. That offer needs machine firmware 1.51 or later and covers personal, non-commercial use only. For other places to get designs, see our guide to where to find machine embroidery designs.
Import your own files. Artspira accepts PES, PHC, PHX and DST embroidery files. To import one, Brother’s steps are to email the file to yourself, download it on your device, then open My Creations, tap the plus sign and choose Import external files. Brother’s steps show a message that the file is being stored on the server, so expect to need an internet connection.
Send designs to the machine. Once your machine is registered, you pick a design, finish editing, choose the machine and tap Transfer. No USB stick is involved, though our guide to transferring designs to an embroidery machine covers that route too.
Share projects. Brother’s pages say you can share creations to social media.

The same app also serves Brother’s cutting machines and two creative printers, which is why Brother’s help pages talk about embroidery, cutting and printing designs together.

Artspira is for phones and tablets (Brother lists iOS and Android). It is not the same as Design Database Transfer, a Windows program from Brother that sends files from a computer to a Wi-Fi machine without a USB cable. If you want to digitize artwork or edit stitch by stitch, you still need desktop software. Our embroidery software guide explains the options.

Free version vs Artspira+

Artspira is a free download. Brother also sells a paid plan called Artspira+. Brother’s help article spells out one difference, the number of designs the app will store.

	Free Artspira	Artspira+ (paid)
Import designs in compatible formats	Yes, any design	Yes
Designs stored in the app	Up to 20	Up to 100
Compatible machines	Same Brother list	Same Brother list

Brother’s article gives these limits “as of” November 30, 2023, so check the app for today’s numbers. Brother’s list of compatible machines is one page for “Artspira or Artspira+”, so the plan you pick does not change which machines work.

Brother’s help pages do not list every Artspira+ benefit, and plans change. Open the subscription screen in the app for the current terms and price before you pay. This guide gives no prices.

Which machines work with Artspira

Brother’s page titled “Models/machines compatible with Artspira or Artspira+” lists 47 models: 28 in its home sewing and embroidery group, 17 cutting machines and 2 creative printers. Brother says the machines work after you install the latest update. The embroidery group, as written on Brother’s page, is:

CX1e, EV1, EV1LE, LB5500, NQ1700E, NQ3550W, NQ3700D, NS1250E, NS1850D, NS2850D, PE545, PE570, PE900, PP1, PR1055X, PR1060W, PR680W, SE2000, SE2100Di, SE700, SE725, XE1, XE2, XJ1, XJ2, XP1, XP2 and XP3.

Here are the machines on that list that this site covers. Field sizes come from each maker’s listed embroidery area. You can also browse all Brother embroidery machines.

Machine	Type	Embroidery field
Brother SE700 and SE725	Sewing and embroidery	4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm)
Brother PE545 and PE570	Embroidery only	4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm)
Brother PE900	Embroidery only	5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm)
Brother SE2000	Sewing and embroidery	5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm)
Brother NQ1700E	Embroidery only	6 × 10 in (160 × 260 mm)
Brother NQ3700D	Sewing and embroidery	6 × 10 in (160 × 260 mm)
Brother Stellaire XE1 and XE2	Embroidery only	9.5 × 14 in (240 × 360 mm)
Brother Stellaire XJ1 (discontinued)	Sewing and embroidery	9.5 × 14 in (240 × 360 mm)
Brother Luminaire XP3	Sewing and embroidery	10 5/8 × 16 in (272 × 408 mm)
Brother PR680W	6-needle	8 × 12 in (200 × 300 mm)
Brother PR1055X (discontinued) and PR1060W	10-needle	8 × 14 in (200 × 360 mm)

The SE725 and PE570 are Walmart-exclusive versions of the SE700 and PE545, and Brother lists the same 4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm) embroidery area for each pair.

Machines that are not on the list

Older Brother models such as the SE630 and the PE800 are not on Brother’s list. Brother’s pages show a USB port but no wireless LAN on either one, so Artspira cannot send designs to them. Baby Lock, Janome and Singer machines are not on it either, because Brother’s list names only Brother models.

Wi-Fi alone is not enough. The Baby Lock Array, for example, has wireless LAN but uses its own IQ Intuition Monitoring app, which Baby Lock says alerts your phone when the bobbin needs changing, a thread breaks or stitching is done. If your machine is not on Brother’s list, USB is still the dependable route. Our USB troubleshooting guide helps when a stick will not read.

How to connect your machine

Brother lists three requirements. The machine needs the latest firmware update. It must be on a wireless network that uses the 2.4 GHz band. And the network cannot use WPA/WPA2 Enterprise security, which some offices and schools use.

Menu names and layouts vary by model, so your screens may look a little different. In outline:

Update the machine’s firmware. On the SE725, Brother says the update needs a USB flash drive, which is not included.
Turn on wireless LAN in the machine settings and join your home network. You will need the network name and password.
Log into the Artspira app, tap the Machine Settings icon, choose Embroidery Machine, then Register Embroidery Machine.
When the app asks, open the Artspira setting on the machine, choose the Artspira menu and press Register. Follow the prompts until the machine shows its machine number, and note it.
Enter the machine number in the app. The app then shows a PIN, which you enter on the machine. Keep following the machine’s prompts until registration finishes. The machine’s name then shows up in Artspira.

To send a design, Brother’s steps are to pick a design, check its details and tap Create, edit it, tap Done, choose your machine and tap Transfer. The design lands in the machine’s Temporary Data Pocket. Open the Data Pocket icon on the machine to retrieve it, with the embroidery unit attached.

If Artspira will not connect

The most common message is E01 or E02. Brother says these appear when the machine is not connected to the internet, even if it shows a strong wireless signal. Try these checks in order:

Confirm the machine has the latest firmware and is joined to a wireless network.
Open Settings, then Others, then TCP/IP on the machine. If the IP address, subnet mask and gateway all read 000.000.000.000, the machine has no connection. The gateway is on the second page.
Restart your router.
If the numbers on the TCP/IP screen look fine, go to Settings, Others, then Network Reset (second page) and press OK. Turn the machine off and on when it asks, then set up the wireless LAN again and reconnect to Artspira.

If the error stays, contact Brother Support.

What to check before you rely on it

Your exact model code. Retailer names and bundles differ, so match the code on the machine to Brother’s list.
The drawing limit. Brother caps drawn designs at 4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm) on the SE700, SE725 and PE545, and at 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) on the PE900. Imported designs still have to fit your machine’s embroidery field, and Artspira does not give you a bigger stitch area.
File formats. The app imports only PES, PHC, PHX and DST for embroidery. A JEF or EXP file needs a file conversion first. Our file formats page explains each type.
Your Wi-Fi. Brother supports only 2.4 GHz networks and not WPA/WPA2 Enterprise. If your router shares one name across its 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, look in the router settings for a way to set up a separate 2.4 GHz network.
A USB stick on hand. You need one for firmware updates on some machines, and it remains a backup route for sending designs.

Frequently asked questions

Which Brother embroidery machines work with Artspira?

Brother's compatibility list includes the SE700, SE725, PE545, PE570, PE900, SE2000, NQ1700E, Stellaire XE1 and XE2, PR680W, PR1055X and PR1060W, plus the SE2100Di and the XJ and XP series. Check your exact model code on Brother's list, because older machines such as the PE800 and SE630 are not on it.

Is the Artspira app free?

The app is a free download, and Brother says the free version lets you import any design in a compatible format but keep up to 20 designs in the app. Artspira+ is the paid plan, and Brother says it keeps up to 100. Check the app for current plan terms.

Does the Brother PE800 or SE630 work with Artspira?

No. Neither is on Brother's Artspira list, and Brother's pages show a USB port but no wireless LAN on either one. The PE900 adds wireless and the Artspira app, and it is on the list.

Does my embroidery machine need internet for Artspira?

Yes. The machine must be on a 2.4 GHz wireless network that is not WPA/WPA2 Enterprise, and Brother's E01 and E02 errors appear when the machine has no internet access, even with a strong Wi-Fi signal.

What file types can Artspira import?

For embroidery it imports PES, PHC, PHX and DST files. It also takes FCM and SVG for cutting machines and JPEG and PNG for printing. Other embroidery formats such as JEF or EXP need converting first.