Free tool
Convert EXP to DST
Turn a BERNINA or Melco EXP into a Tajima DST. Both are lean, stitch-only formats, so this conversion is about compatibility: the DST runs on commercial machines and on the many home machines that read DST but not EXP.
- Free, no account
- About 40 formats in, 8 out
- Files never stored
Your file is read in memory and discarded right away. We never store it.
What carries over
Stitches, jumps, colour stops and the exact size. EXP has its own trim codes; in the DST they become the usual trim signal of three tiny jumps in place.
What doesn’t
Neither format stores thread colours. On BERNINA machines the colours live in a separate INF file next to the EXP, and the picture in a BMP. Only the .exp is converted, so keep the INF’s colour list or the design’s colour sheet with your DST. EXP allows single stitches up to 12.7 mm and DST only 12.1 mm, so the rare longer stitch is split.
Which machines read DST
DST is read by commercial machines from Tajima, Barudan, Happy, ZSK and SWF and by many home machines, current Brother models included. BERNINA’s own B 880 and B 790 with the Embroidery PLUS upgrade read DST themselves, so on those you can use either file.
Size, hoops and stitch length
The size is unchanged. EXP and DST both describe stitches as small moves in 0.1 mm steps, so the design sews exactly as before; only a stitch between 12.1 and 12.7 mm gets an extra needle point.
If the DST file doesn’t sew right
- Only default colours on the other machine: expected, because neither EXP nor DST carries colours. Use the colour list.
- Missing trims: the receiving machine expects a different jump count per trim. Ours is three.
EXP to DST: questions
Where are my EXP colours?
In the INF file BERNINA saves next to the EXP, not in the EXP itself. The converter works on the .exp only.
Can I convert a BERNINA ART file?
No. ART is a design file from BERNINA’s software, not a machine file. Export EXP or DST from the software, then convert if you need another format.