Image to DST
Turn a PNG, JPG or SVG into a Tajima DST file ready for Tajima, Barudan, SWF machines. The industry-standard format read by almost every commercial multi-needle embroidery machine.
Drop your image here
PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG · stays on your device
- Free, no signup
- Color sheet included
- Runs in your browser
How to convert an image to DST
It takes about a minute, and you can preview every stitch before you download.
- 1
Upload your image
Drop the file into the box above or open the digitizer. PNG, JPG, WebP and SVG all work.
- 2
Set the size
Type a width, or pick your hoop from 4×4" to 8×12". The proportions are kept.
- 3
Check colors and stitches
Review the thread colors, the stitch preview and the design check. Switch off any color you don't want stitched.
- 4
Download the .DST file
Choose Tajima or the DST format and download. Copy the file to your machine by USB or its app.
The Tajima DST format
DST was created by Tajima and became the common language of commercial embroidery. Nearly every multi-needle machine, and most embroidery software, can open it.
A DST file stores needle movements, jumps, trims and color stops, but not the thread colors themselves. You assign threads to needles at the machine, so keep the color sheet that comes with your download.
Single stitches in DST are limited to 12.1 mm. The digitizer splits longer moves automatically, and encodes trims as the jump sequence Tajima-compatible machines expect.
DST converter questions
The quickest way to see what it does with your artwork is to try it. It's free and takes about a minute.
Does DST keep my thread colors?
No. DST only marks where the colors change. Use the color sheet (TXT) download to set up your needles, or choose PES, VP3 or XXX if your machine reads a format that stores colors.
Can home machines read DST?
Many can. Brother, Janome, Bernina and others often read DST as well as their native format, but the native format usually shows the correct colors on screen.
Is this embroidery digitizer really free?
Yes. You can digitize and download as many designs as you like, in every format, without signing up. Everything runs in your browser, so there are no server costs to pass on.
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. Your image is processed entirely on your own device in your web browser and is never uploaded. If you sign in and save a design, only the finished stitch file, a small preview and its thread colors are stored in your account, never the original image.
Keep going
Related tools and guides
- Machine guideTajima machinesDST files for Tajima commercial machines, with needle setup, sewing fields and TBF notes.Open
- Free toolHoop size calculatorFind which hoops fit your design and how far to scale it down if it's too big.Open
- Free toolText to embroidery fileType a name or monogram, pick a font and download a ready-to-sew lettering file.Open
- Free toolStitch count & price calculatorEstimate stitches, sew time and price for any design size and coverage.Open
Make your DST file now
Upload an image, preview the stitches and download a Tajima DST file in under a minute.