Tajima created DST, and it became the common format of commercial embroidery. Tajima machines read it, and so do most other commercial machines and almost every embroidery program.
The free digitizer turns your logo into a DST in the browser, with trims encoded the way Tajima-compatible machines expect. Make a DST file with no signup and no upload.
DST and TBF on Tajima machines
A DST file stores stitches, jumps, trims and color changes, but no thread colors. You assign a needle to each color at the machine. Single stitches are limited to 12.1 mm, the range of Tajima's ternary coding, and the digitizer splits longer moves automatically.
Tajima also has TBF, a format that can carry needle assignments and other settings DST can't. Some newer machines, such as the SAI, list it alongside DST. The digitizer can write TBF, but DST is the safer choice unless your machine lists TBF.
Getting DST files onto a Tajima
Current Tajima machines read designs from USB memory: copy the .dst file to a stick, insert it at the control panel and load the design into memory. Many shops also connect machines to a network and send designs from Tajima DG/ML by Pulse, Tajima's embroidery software, or another digitizing program.
Give files short, clear names before copying them, so the right design is easy to find on the machine panel.
Tajima models and sewing fields
| Model | Type | Sewing field |
|---|---|---|
| TMEZ-SC | Single-head, 9, 12 or 15 needles | 360 × 500 mm |
| TMBP2-SC | Single-head, up to 15 colors | 360 × 500 mm |
| SAI | Compact single-head, 8 needles | About 200 × 300 mm |
Tajima's multi-head machines, such as the TMAR-KC series, sew the same design on every head at once. The SAI is sold in the US through JUKI dealers. The digitizer's largest preset is 8×12 in (200 × 300 mm); for bigger designs, type the width, up to about 40 cm.
Tips for Tajima production
- Set up needles from the color sheet. It lists each color in sewing order with its stitch count, plus the total stitches, trims and an estimated sew time at 700 stitches per minute.
- Quote with real numbers. The stitch count calculator estimates stitches, sew time and price from size and coverage.
- Caps need care. Caps sew best from the center out, and the digitizer doesn't do cap-specific sequencing. Test on a spare cap, or use a professional digitizer for cap work.
- Choose the fabric preset. Knits, performance wear and fleece need different density and underlay at production speeds.
- Sew a test before running a batch.
Convert other formats to DST
Customers often send home-machine files. Convert them to DST in your browser:
- PES to DST for Brother and Baby Lock files
- JEF to DST for Janome files
- VP3 to DST for Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff files
- EXP to DST and XXX to DST for Bernina, Melco and Singer files
For a customer's logo image, use PNG to DST or JPG to DST.