Free tool
Convert VP3 to PES
Move a Husqvarna Viking or Pfaff design to a Brother or Baby Lock machine. Stitches, trims and colour changes convert one to one, and VP3’s colour values are matched to what a PES can hold.
- 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
All stitches, trims and colour changes, at the exact size and in the same order. Our PES (version 6) includes a thread table, so the VP3 colour values come along, and the PEC block inside the PES lists the nearest colours from Brother’s 64-colour palette.
What doesn’t
Brother machines show each colour as the nearest thread from Brother’s palette, so a specific shade from another thread brand can look slightly different on screen. VP3 notes and other extras don’t carry over. Keep the VP3’s colour list if you buy thread by catalogue number.
Which machines read PES
PES is read by every Brother home embroidery machine and by Baby Lock, which uses Brother’s file family. If you own a bernette b70 DECO or b79, you can skip the conversion: those machines read both VP3 and PES.
Size, hoops and stitch length
The size is unchanged. Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines offer large hoops, while Brother’s common home hoops are 100 × 100 mm (4×4″), 130 × 180 mm (5×7″) and 160 × 260 mm (6×10″). A design made for a large Husqvarna hoop may not fit, so check its size in the viewer first.
If the PES file doesn’t sew right
- “Too large” or the design won’t open: it’s bigger than your Brother hoop. You need a smaller design.
- A colour looks wrong: thread the shade you want; the file only tells the machine when to stop.
VP3 to PES: questions
Will my Brother machine show the right colours?
It shows the nearest Brother colour for each VP3 colour, usually close. Follow the original colour list for exact shades.
VP3 or PES for a Baby Lock?
PES. Baby Lock machines use Brother’s file family.
Can a Brother machine read VP3?
Brother machines list PES, PHC and DST (plus PHX or PEN on newer models), not VP3. Converting to PES is the way to go.