PES, DST and JEF viewer and converter — local stitch preview and loss report
Inspect machine stitch files with a playable needle-path preview and a clear before/after report. Convert supported formats without uploading your design, and retain the thread order when a format cannot store your colors.
Embroidery File Desk
Run the public three-color example to inspect a 40 × 24 mm design with real jumps, trims and color changes. The output package contains actual machine data when conversion is selected.
Supported scope: One file, 2 MiB, 150,000 binary command records and 128 color entries. Coordinates within ±1,000 mm. Local worker: 45 seconds, cancellable. Read PES v1/v6, standard-header DST and JEF; write PES v6, standard DST and legacy-hoop JEF. JEF export must be centered and below 200 × 200 mm. No JEF+/JPX, encrypted/protected designs, image digitizing, object/lettering preservation, density regeneration or sequin conversion. Physical machine compatibility is not certified.
Embroidery file and output settings
Required fields are marked with an asterisk.
Stitch file evidence
Review your output, then save it to your device.
Make the next step clear.
Your findings, assumptions and next steps will appear here after you run the check.
Embroidery File Desk · https://embroidery.kitforma.com/ · KitForma
Real PES v1/v6, DST and JEF stitch decoding
Playable input and reopened-output preview
Hoop fit, thread order and command loss comparison
Understand the evidence.
Focused guides explain the rules, the edge cases and the checks worth doing before you act.
Read a PES, DST or JEF conversion loss report
Distinguish stitch geometry, thread data and editable design objects before changing formats.
Read the guide ↗Field guide / 02Check hoop size and origin before using a converted embroidery file
A rectangular fit result helps identify obvious geometry problems without pretending to know your machine.
Read the guide ↗Field guide / 03Inspect jumps, trims, pauses and thread order in a stitch preview
Use the command timeline to investigate conversion differences and prepare a meaningful test sew-out.
Read the guide ↗Before you start
Can I view PES, DST or JEF without embroidery software?
Yes. Supported files are decoded in your browser into actual needle coordinates, jumps, trims, stops and color blocks. The preview can play or scrub those commands. It is a geometric visualization, not a simulation of fabric tension, thread thickness or your machine’s cutter behavior.
Does changing DST to PES recover the original thread colors?
No. Standard DST usually stores color-change commands without an RGB thread palette. Its preview uses explicitly labeled illustrative shades unless you assign a palette. Those assigned shades can be saved in PES, but they are not recovered original colors. Keep the original thread chart or use the palette field to enter the intended order.
Why do JEF colors and hoop codes change?
JEF represents threads with entries in the Janome chart, so custom RGB values map to nearby available entries. This writer also chooses a legacy hoop code automatically. The UI’s rectangle is a fit check, not an exact machine profile. JEF export is bounded to centered designs below 200 × 200 mm; inspect the actual output in your machine software.
Can I resize a design or convert a JPG into embroidery?
This tool rotates, mirrors and centers existing stitch data without rescaling. It does not digitize images or regenerate stitch density, fill angles, underlay or pull compensation. Use a digitizing editor and an appropriate sew-out test for those tasks. Renaming an image to PES does not create stitches.
Why can command counts differ after conversion?
Encoders split long movements into legal format-sized steps, remove or add redundant positions and translate commands that formats represent differently. Readers can infer trims from jump sequences. DST cannot reliably distinguish a same-color pause from a thread change. The report compares reopened output counts and colors so these changes remain visible.
Are the converted files ready for every machine?
They are real encoded files, reopened locally and cross-checked during development with a Python reference library. That does not certify a physical machine. Check supported format/version, usable hoop, origin, stitch limits, thread order and trim behavior in your machine’s software, then test on scrap fabric. Your files are processed locally without upload.
Sources & assumptions
Formats, algorithms and supported features are documented below. Check the stated scope and inspect your output before using it.
- tsembroidery reader/writer source ↗
Pinned MIT 3.0.2. Binary reader/writers are locally bounded and outputs are reopened; the SVG digitizing API is not exposed.
- pyembroidery reference formats ↗
MIT 1.5.1 supplies independent Python fixture generation and output parsing. The TypeScript engine shares this library’s ancestry, so this is an implementation cross-check, not physical machine certification.
- Janome embroidery formats ↗
Distinguishes stitch-data JEF from editable master formats and the separate JEF+/JPX variants.
- Ink/Stitch supported file formats ↗
A desktop option for supported embroidery formats and further design/export workflows.
Reviewed 2026-10-18. Read our methodology or report an issue.