What is a PEC file?
A PEC file (.pec) is the Brother PEC machine embroidery format, used by Brother (older models) and Baby Lock (older models) machines. It stores the stitches, jumps, trims and color changes of a design together with its thread colors. You can't open it in an image editor: view it in an embroidery file viewer, load it on the machine by USB or Wi-Fi, or convert it to another format.
| File extension | .pec |
|---|---|
| Made by | Brother |
| Machines | Brother (older models), Baby Lock (older models) |
| Thread colors | Stored in the file |
| Opens in | Embroidery machines and embroidery software or viewers |
What's inside a .pec file
- Every needle position, in order
- Jumps and trims between areas
- Where each color starts (color stops)
- Brother palette colors and a thumbnail
PEC is Brother's stitch format. Every PES file carries a PEC block inside it with the stitches, the Brother palette colors and the small thumbnail the machine shows on screen.
Some older Brother and Baby Lock machines and embroidery cards read .pec files directly. Newer machines read PES, which wraps the same data.
Colors are stored as positions in Brother's 64-color palette, so they show as close equivalents rather than exact shades.
How to open and use a PEC file
- 1
View it
Drop the .pec file into the file viewer to see the stitches, colors, size and stitch count in your browser.
- 2
Check it
Run it through the file checker for hoop fit, density and stitches that might snag or break.
- 3
Convert if needed
If your machine reads another format, save it as that format in the converter; every stitch is kept.
- 4
Load it
Copy the file to a USB stick or send it over Wi-Fi, then open it on the machine and sew a test.
Machines that read PEC
PEC is the native or a supported format on these machines, from the makers' specs.
Free PEC embroidery designs
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PEC file questions
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What is a PEC file?
A PEC file (.pec) is the Brother PEC machine embroidery format, used by Brother (older models) and Baby Lock (older models) machines. It stores the stitches, jumps, trims and color changes of a design together with its thread colors. You can't open it in an image editor: view it in an embroidery file viewer, load it on the machine by USB or Wi-Fi, or convert it to another format.
How do I open a PEC file?
Open it in an embroidery file viewer: drop the .pec file into Embrizo's viewer to see every stitch, the colors and the size in your browser. Image editors and PDF readers can't open stitch files.
Does a PEC file keep thread colors?
Yes. PEC stores the thread colors, so a machine that reads it shows close equivalents on screen.
How do I convert a PEC file?
Open it in the embroidery file converter and save it as DST, PES, JEF, EXP, VP3, XXX or another format. Converting keeps every stitch; only the container changes.
Can I make a PEC file from a picture?
Yes. Upload a PNG, JPG or SVG to the Embrizo digitizer, check the stitch preview and save a PEC file for your machine.
Other formats
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