PES file viewer
Drop a PES file to see the stitches, the thread colors and the size before it goes on your Brother or Baby Lock machine.
PES is the file Brother and Baby Lock home embroidery machines read. A PES file is a list of needle moves with a color list attached, so a viewer can show you the design the way the machine will sew it: every stitch, every color stop, and the real size in millimetres.
This viewer reads the file in your browser session and keeps nothing. It is useful before you buy a design, before you copy one to a USB stick, and when a file someone sent you will not open on the machine and you want to know why.
What the viewer shows for a PES file
Our own test design saved as PES: 5,847 stitches, 69.6 × 69.6 mm, with the colors Gray, Emerald Green, Blue, Tangerine.
Download this PES sample to try itMachines that read PES
From the makers' published specs, these machines on our list read PES:
- Brother PE800
- Brother SE700
- Brother PE535
- Baby Lock Meridian 2
- Bernina 500 E
Getting a PES file onto the machine
- Check it here first. Open the PES in this viewer. Note the width and height: the design has to fit inside the hoop you will use, with a little room to spare.
- Copy it to a USB stick. Most Brother and Baby Lock machines read designs from a USB stick. Put the PES file at the top level of the stick, not inside a folder, unless your manual says otherwise.
- Pick it on the machine. Plug the stick into the machine, open the USB designs on the screen and pick the file. Newer models can also take designs over a cable or the maker's app.
Common problems with PES files
The machine does not show the design
The design is often bigger than the largest hoop the machine takes, or the file is not really a PES. This viewer shows both: the size, and whether the file reads at all.
The colors on the screen look wrong
PES stores Brother thread colors. If you sew with another thread brand, the screen shows Brother's nearest colors. Use the color list here to pick your own threads in order.
The file came as a zip
Designs bought online often arrive zipped with several formats inside. Unzip it on your computer first, then open the .pes file here.
It looks fine but sews badly
A file can open and still have stitches too long to hold or tiny ones that jam the needle. Run it through the free checker before the first sew-out.
Questions
How do I open a PES file without software?
Drop it into the viewer on this page. It shows the stitches, colors and size in your browser. Nothing to install, no account, and the file is not kept.
Can I open a PES file on my phone?
Yes. This page works in a phone browser. Tap the upload area and pick the PES file from your files or downloads.
Can I edit a PES file here?
No. The viewer only shows the file. To change the format, use the free converter. To fix long or tiny stitches, use the free checker.
What is the difference between PES and PEC?
PEC is the older Brother format, and a PES file carries a PEC section inside it with the stitches. Some older machines ask for PEC on its own; the converter writes it.
Why does my PES show fewer colors than I expected?
Each color in the list is one thread change. Two areas in the same color sew with the same thread, so they count once.
Convert a PES file, or open another format
Have a picture instead of a file? Make a PES file from your own picture, with a verdict before you pay.