Supported formats
Which files can I open?
StitchMotion opens the most common embroidery machine formats:
| Format | Extension | Typical machine | Colors in the file? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DST | .dst | Tajima | No — a default palette is used |
| PES | .pes | Brother | Yes (newer versions) |
| JEF | .jef | Janome | Yes (Janome palette) |
| EXP | .exp | Melco | Only with a matching .inf file |
| HUS | .hus | Husqvarna Viking | Yes (Viking palette) |
| SEW | .sew | Janome / Elna | Yes (Janome palette) |
| VP3 | .vp3 | Husqvarna / Pfaff | Yes (real RGB colors) |
| VP4 | .vp4 | Husqvarna / Pfaff (PREMIER+, mySewnet) | Yes (real RGB colors) |
How colors are read
- DST files carry no color information, so StitchMotion applies a sensible default palette. You can recolor everything afterwards.
- EXP files also have no built-in colors — but if a matching
.inffile sits next to the.exp, StitchMotion reads the thread colors from it. - PES, JEF, HUS, SEW, VP3 and VP4 carry color data, so your design opens with colors close to the original.
Whatever the file provides, you can always remap colors to a real thread catalog or pick each color by hand. Your color changes apply to the preview and the export — they are never written back into the original file.
What StitchMotion reads from a file
- the stitches (and from them, the design's width and height in millimeters);
- the thread colors, where the format stores them;
- the design name, for formats that include one.
Saving and reopening
StitchMotion has no project file of its own. The workflow is: open an embroidery file → style it → export a video (or image). Your styling — colors, background, overlays, length — lives in the current session and in your Presets, not in the embroidery file. Reopening the original file starts fresh.