PES vs XXX: which embroidery format should you use?
PES is Brother's format, used by Brother and Baby Lock home machines; XXX is Singer / Compucon's, used by Singer home machines. Both store thread colors. The stitches are the same in both, so use the one your machine reads and convert when you need the other.
| Feature | PES | XXX |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Brother | Singer / Compucon |
| Machines | Brother, Baby Lock | Singer, Compucon |
| Mainly used on | Brother and Baby Lock home machines | Singer home machines |
| Stores thread colors | Yes | Yes |
| File extension | .pes | .xxx |
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 XXX if…
… you sew on a Singer machine that reads XXX.
XXX is the format of Singer embroidery machines such as the Futura series, and of the Compucon software they were developed with.
Turn any image into PES or XXX
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PES vs XXX questions
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What's the difference between PES and XXX?
PES is Brother's format, used by Brother and Baby Lock home machines; XXX is Singer / Compucon's, used by Singer home machines. Both store thread colors. 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 XXX?
Yes. Open the .pes file in the free PES to XXX converter and save it as .xxx. The stitches carry over exactly; thread colors are matched to the closest threads.
Does converting between PES and XXX 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 XXX?
Neither is better in itself. Use PES if you sew on a Brother or Baby Lock machine, or share files with Brother owners; use XXX if you sew on a Singer machine that reads XXX.
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, XXX or any other format. Digitizing and previewing are free with an account.
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