Free tool
Convert PES to EXP
Move a Brother or Baby Lock PES to a BERNINA or Melco machine as EXP. The stitches and trims carry over exactly; the colours need a little care, because an EXP file stores none.
- 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, trims and colour changes convert one to one, at the exact size. EXP has its own trim codes, so trims stay trims.
What doesn’t
The PES thread table and palette colours. BERNINA machines read colours from an INF file that BERNINA’s software saves next to the EXP; our converter writes the EXP alone, so the machine shows default colours. After converting, the tool lists the PES colours in sewing order. PES thumbnails don’t carry over either: on BERNINA the picture comes from a BMP file.
Which machines read EXP
EXP is BERNINA’s machine format and Melco’s commercial format. Many newer BERNINA machines read PES directly: the B 880 and B 790 with the Embroidery PLUS upgrade list PES, DST and JEF, and bernette’s b70 DECO and b79 read PES too. Check your manual; you may not need to convert at all.
Size, hoops and stitch length
The size is unchanged. EXP limits a single stitch to 12.7 mm, so the rare longer PES stitch is split in two. Compare the design with your BERNINA hoop in the viewer before you stitch.
If the EXP file doesn’t sew right
- All colours show as the same default: there’s no INF file next to the EXP. Follow the colour list.
- The machine can’t find the design: copy the .exp itself onto the USB stick, not a ZIP. The transfer guide explains folders and file names.
PES to EXP: questions
Why does BERNINA use three files?
BERNINA keeps the stitches (EXP), the colours (INF) and the picture (BMP) in separate files. The EXP alone sews perfectly; the other two only add colours and a preview.
EXP or PES for my BERNINA?
If your model lists PES, use it: PES keeps the colours in the same file. Otherwise EXP is the native choice.