Know which kind of data you are converting
Machine stitch files describe needle positions and operations. They are different from editable design masters that can retain text, fills, object boundaries, density settings and other digitizing parameters. A reader may recover the stitch path while leaving those higher-level design objects behind.
This workbench reads supported PES, DST and JEF stitch streams and reports what it can interpret. PES output is regenerated as version 6. It does not reconstruct editable lettering, programmable fills or the original object structure. Keep your source master separately if future editing matters.
Compare the reopened target, not just its extension
After conversion, the generated bytes are parsed again. The report lists actual output dimensions, command counts and thread colors beside the prepared input. A valid extension and a successful download alone would not establish that useful stitch data was written.
Long moves can become multiple shorter moves, and stop/trim/jump representations differ by format. Read every changed count. A larger stitch count can be explained by movement splitting; a changed stop count may affect an applique pause or thread workflow and needs more attention.
Keep color information that a target cannot carry
Standard DST does not carry the normal RGB palette shown in a color design. The thread CSV keeps the prepared color order and identifies illustrative shades when original colors are unknown. Do not assume the first displayed blue or red is the designer’s intended thread.
JEF maps colors to the Janome chart. PES v6 can retain the supported RGB thread table, but screen RGB still does not specify a physical thread’s appearance on fabric. Use the original thread chart and a sample sew-out when shade matching matters.