PES vs EXP: which embroidery format should you use?
PES is Brother's format, used by Brother and Baby Lock home machines; EXP is Melco's, used by Melco commercial and Bernina home machines. PES stores thread colors; EXP doesn't, so keep a color sheet with it. The stitches are the same in both, so use the one your machine reads and convert when you need the other.
| Feature | PES | EXP |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Brother | Melco |
| Machines | Brother, Baby Lock | Melco, Bernina |
| Mainly used on | Brother and Baby Lock home machines | Melco commercial and Bernina home machines |
| Stores thread colors | Yes | No (color stops only) |
| File extension | .pes | .exp |
Choose PES if…
… you sew on a Brother or Baby Lock machine, or share files with Brother owners.
PES is the format Brother's embroidery machines and PE-Design use. Baby Lock machines are built on the same platform and read PES too.
Choose EXP if…
… you sew on a Bernina or a Melco machine.
EXP comes from Melco's commercial machines and is one of the formats Bernina embroidery machines read directly.
Turn any image into PES or EXP
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PES vs EXP questions
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What's the difference between PES and EXP?
PES is Brother's format, used by Brother and Baby Lock home machines; EXP is Melco's, used by Melco commercial and Bernina home machines. PES stores thread colors; EXP doesn't, so keep a color sheet with it. The stitches are the same in both, so use the one your machine reads and convert when you need the other.
Can I convert PES to EXP?
Yes. Open the .pes file in the free PES to EXP converter and save it as .exp. The stitches carry over exactly; EXP doesn't store colors, so you also get a color sheet.
Does converting between PES and EXP lose quality?
No. Both formats store the same needle positions, so the design sews the same. What can change is the color information and any software-only extras, not the stitches.
Which is better, PES or EXP?
Neither is better in itself. Use PES if you sew on a Brother or Baby Lock machine, or share files with Brother owners; use EXP if you sew on a Bernina or a Melco machine.
How do I make a file in either format from an image?
Upload the image to the digitizer, check the stitch preview and download PES, EXP or any other format. Digitizing and previewing are free with an account.
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