Embrizo

Convert PNG to DST embroidery files

PNG is the best raster format to digitize from: edges stay sharp, colors stay flat and transparent backgrounds come through intact. Download a Tajima DST file for Tajima, Barudan, SWF machines.

Drop your PNG here

PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG · stays on your device

  • Free, no signup
  • Color sheet included
  • Runs in your browser
The badge logo digitized for a Tajima DST file
Original badge logo artwork
ArtworkEmbroidered
Step by step

How to convert a PNG to DST

It takes about a minute, and you can preview every stitch before you download.

  1. 1

    Upload your PNG

    Drop the .png file into the box above or open the digitizer.

  2. 2

    Set the size

    Type a width, or pick your hoop from 4×4" to 8×12". The proportions are kept.

  3. 3

    Check colors and stitches

    Review the thread colors, the stitch preview and the design check. Switch off any color you don't want stitched.

  4. 4

    Download the .DST file

    Choose Tajima or the DST format and download. Copy the file to your machine by USB or its app.

About the format

The Tajima DST format

DST was created by Tajima and became the common language of commercial embroidery. Nearly every multi-needle machine, and most embroidery software, can open it.

A DST file stores needle movements, jumps, trims and color stops, but not the thread colors themselves. You assign threads to needles at the machine, so keep the color sheet that comes with your download.

Single stitches in DST are limited to 12.1 mm. The digitizer splits longer moves automatically, and encodes trims as the jump sequence Tajima-compatible machines expect.

Tips for the best result

  • Export logos from your design tool as PNG with a transparent background.
  • Remove drop shadows, glows and gradients first: thread can't blend colors.
  • Thin lines should be at least 0.5 mm wide at the final size, or they become a running stitch.

More detail in our guide to preparing artwork for embroidery.

FAQ

PNG to DST converter questions

The quickest way to see what it does with your artwork is to try it. It's free and takes about a minute.

Does a transparent PNG work?

Yes. Transparent areas are treated as background and never stitched. Background-colored shapes inside the design are listed as their own color so you can decide whether to stitch them.

What resolution should my PNG be?

Around 1,000 to 2,000 pixels across is ideal. Larger files are scaled down for analysis, and very small ones are enlarged and smoothed.

Does DST keep my thread colors?

No. DST only marks where the colors change. Use the color sheet (TXT) download to set up your needles, or choose PES, VP3 or XXX if your machine reads a format that stores colors.

Can home machines read DST?

Many can. Brother, Janome, Bernina and others often read DST as well as their native format, but the native format usually shows the correct colors on screen.

Is this embroidery digitizer really free?

Yes. You can digitize and download as many designs as you like, in every format, without signing up. Everything runs in your browser, so there are no server costs to pass on.

Is my image uploaded to a server?

No. Your image is processed entirely on your own device in your web browser and is never uploaded. If you sign in and save a design, only the finished stitch file, a small preview and its thread colors are stored in your account, never the original image.

Keep going

Related tools and guides

Make your DST file now

Upload an image, preview the stitches and download a Tajima DST file in under a minute.

Convert to .DSTRead the FAQ