JEF file viewer
Drop a JEF file to see the stitches, the Janome thread colors and the size before it goes on your Janome machine.
JEF is the file Janome embroidery machines read. Besides the stitches, a JEF stores its colors as numbers from Janome's own thread chart and the hoop it was made for, so a Janome machine knows which hoop to ask for.
When a design is saved as JEF, its colors are matched to Janome's chart. Our own example below shows it: the same design that lists Brother names as a PES lists Janome names, like Sola Blue and Honey Dew, as a JEF. This viewer shows the names the file actually holds.
What the viewer shows for a JEF file
Our own test design saved as JEF: 5,847 stitches, 69.6 × 69.6 mm, with the colors Gray, Green, Sola Blue, Honey Dew.
Download this JEF sample to try itMachines that read JEF
From the makers' published specs, these machines on our list read JEF:
- Janome Memory Craft 400E
- Janome Memory Craft 500E
- Bernina 500 E
Getting a JEF file onto the machine
- Check it here first. Open the JEF and read the width and height. Janome machines refuse a design that is bigger than the hoop you pick.
- Copy it to the machine. Most Janome machines take designs from a USB stick; some use a cable and Janome's software. Put the JEF where your manual says.
- Fit the right hoop. On the machine, pick the design and fit the hoop it asks for, or a bigger one. Thread the colors in the order this viewer lists.
Common problems with JEF files
The machine asks for a different hoop
A JEF stores the hoop it was made for. If you own a different hoop, the design still has to fit inside it; check the size here.
Color names look unfamiliar
They are Janome's names. A design made in another format was matched to the nearest Janome threads when it became a JEF.
The design will not load
It may be larger than any hoop your model takes, or the file may be damaged. If this viewer cannot read it either, ask the seller for a new copy.
Stitches pile up or break thread
Very dense spots and tiny stitches cause it. The free checker finds and fixes tiny stitches and long jumps.
A design looks smaller than expected
Sizes in the viewer are in millimetres, from the stitches themselves. If a listing gave the size in inches, 100 mm is just under 4 inches.
Questions
How do I open a JEF file?
Drop it into the viewer on this page. You see the stitches, the Janome thread colors and the size, free in your browser.
Which machines use JEF files?
Janome embroidery machines, such as the Memory Craft 400E and 500E on our machine list.
Can I turn a JEF into a PES?
Yes, with the free converter. The stitches stay the same. The colors are matched to Brother's thread chart.
Why do the colors change when I convert to JEF?
JEF stores colors as numbers from Janome's thread chart, so other colors are matched to the nearest Janome thread.
Is my file kept after I view it?
No. The viewer reads it, shows the result and keeps nothing.
Can a Brother machine read JEF?
Not usually. Brother home machines want PES, and the free JEF to PES converter writes it with the stitches unchanged.
Convert a JEF file, or open another format
Have a picture instead of a file? Make a JEF file from your own picture, with a verdict before you pay.