SVG to PES
Turn SVG into a stitch-ready PES file for Brother and Baby Lock — free, in the browser, nothing to install.
Convert now — no account neededWhat to know about starting from SVG
SVG is the ideal starting point. It is already made of shapes with exact edges and flat colour regions, which is the same thing a stitch file is made of — there is no pixel guessing in between.
SVG to PES specifically
This is the cleanest route to a Brother machine there is. An SVG already consists of closed shapes with exact edges, which is the same thing a satin column or a fill region is, so nothing has to be inferred from pixels. The only rounding left is colour: PES matches each fill to Brother's thread chart, so an SVG's precise hex is approximate by the time it is stitched.
How to convert SVG to PES
- Upload your SVG. Nothing much. Flatten any live text to paths if your editor offers it, and make sure gradients and blur effects are simplified, because thread has no way to fade.
- Set the finished size. Work in millimetres and set it before you judge anything else — every decision about detail depends on how big the design will be. Detail that survives at 150mm disappears at 60mm.
- Reduce the colours. Each colour is a thread change on the machine. Pick the fewest that still read as your artwork.
- Check the preview, then export as PES. The stitch preview plays the design in the order the machine will sew it, so you can catch problems before there is thread in the hoop.
About the PES format
PES is the native format for Brother and Baby Lock. PES stores your thread colours, so the machine shows the design in colour and prompts for each one by name. It also encodes most jumps as a cut, so expect a few more trims on the back than the same design in DST.
What makes the difference to the result
Digitizing is not tracing. The converter decides how each region gets filled, which direction the stitches run, where the underlay goes and how much to compensate for the fabric pulling the design in as it sews. Those decisions are what separate a design that stitches cleanly from one that puckers, gaps at the edges or takes twice as long as it should.
- Size before everything. A shape narrower than about 1.2mm cannot be stitched as its own satin column; it has to be widened or dropped.
- Fewer colours, better result. Every extra colour is a thread change, a trim and a chance for registration to drift.
- Flat beats subtle. Gradients, glows and soft shadows have no equivalent in thread and become banding.
- Check the stitch order. The simulator plays it back so you can see the sequence before you sew it.
Common questions
Is converting from SVG really better than from PNG?
Yes, measurably. An SVG is already closed shapes with exact edges, which is what a stitch region is, so no edge has to be inferred from pixels. Flatten live text to paths first, and simplify any gradient or blur — thread cannot fade.
Will my exact colours survive as PES?
Approximately. PES stores an index into Brother's thread chart rather than an RGB value, so each colour is matched to the nearest thread Brother sells. For an exact brand match, choose your thread from the chart first and design to it.
Why does my PES have more thread trims than the DST?
The PEC block inside a PES file leans on trim-jumps rather than uncut jumps for travel between shapes. It is how the format handles moves, not a fault in the design, but it does mean a few more ends to clip on the back.
Can I open a PES file on a machine that is not a Brother?
Not natively. Most other brands need the design re-encoded to their own format first, which is a re-encode rather than a re-digitize — the stitches are already decided and only the container changes.
What is the PEC block inside a PES file?
PES is a wrapper. The PEC block holds the actual stitch data for backward compatibility with older Brother machines, and the PES layer around it holds the colour list and hoop metadata.
Related converters
Already have an embroidery file in the wrong format? That is a different job — no digitizing needed, just a re-encode. Use the embroidery file converter. Working with text rather than artwork? Browse the embroidery fonts.