How to open a PES file
PES is the embroidery file of Brother and Baby Lock machines. An image viewer won't open it, but you don't need to install software to see inside.
Open it in your browser, without uploading
Our file viewer reads PES, DST, JEF and EXP right in your browser; the file never goes to a server. Drop it in and the design stitches out at machine speed, with its size in millimetres, stitch count, colour changes, trims and an estimated sewing time. It works on phones too.
What's inside a PES file?
- The needle path: every stitch, jump and trim, to 0.1 mm.
- The colour order: which colour sews when, with thread numbers from the Brother chart.
- A small preview (the PEC block): the picture your machine's screen shows.
- The design's name and size; hoop information depends on the machine.
What to check before you sew
The File Doctor in the viewer scores the file out of 100 and lists every finding with its number: stitches under 0.3 mm (they break thread), cells with more than 6 needle holes per mm² (stiff, bulletproof patches), long jumps with no trim, and the smallest hoop the design fits. 85 or more means ready to sew.
Common questions
Can I turn a PES into a JPG?
Yes: save the stitched look as a PNG in the viewer, or download the stitch-out as a GIF or video to show a customer.
Can I convert PES to DST?
Converting keeps the needle path, but DST drops the colours. The cleanest result is making the design from the logo in the format you need.
My machine doesn't see the file
Shorten the file name, put it in the root folder of the USB stick and check the design fits the machine's largest hoop.
Related guides
Brother: PES
Brother and Baby Lock embroidery machines read PES files. Hoop sizes, getting the file onto the machine, colours and common mistakes.
Logo to embroidery file
How to get from a logo to a file your machine reads: which artwork, which size, which format, and what to check before you sew.
Guides
Logo to embroidery file, opening PES files, digitizing and the file format each machine brand reads: short, accurate guides.