PNG to DST converter
Upload a PNG and get a DST file your machine can sew, with an honest green, yellow, or red verdict before you pay anything.
First design free No card needed Credit back if it does not sew well
A real example, start to finish
A PNG is a picture made of pixels. A DST file is a list of needle moves. You cannot rename one into the other: something has to decide where every stitch goes, which way it runs, and in what order the colors sew. That step is called digitizing.
BobbinBot does the digitizing for you. It cleans the PNG into a few flat thread colors, lays down fill and satin stitches sized for the garment you pick, and writes a DST. Then it checks its own work for the faults that ruin a sew-out, such as stitches too long to hold, tiny stitches that jam the needle, and fills packed so tight they pucker, and gives you a verdict.
A navy shield with a white star and a coral band, as a PNG with a clear background.
A real run of the engine on this picture. The stitched picture is a simulation, not a photo of thread.
Three steps
- 1 Upload your PNG
A logo, a drawing, or clip art you own. A clear background helps, but a white one works too. Pick the garment so the size and the stitch density suit it.
- 2 Check the preview and the verdict
You see the cleaned colors, a stitch simulation, the stitch count, and the size in millimetres. Green means it should sew cleanly. Yellow and red say what to change first.
- 3 Download the DST
Sign in with your email and download. The DST comes first, and the zip also holds PES, JEF, EXP, VP3 and the other formats, plus a sew-out kit for the first try.
Pictures that work, and ones that don't
Thread sews flat color in shapes that need room. The verdict checks this for you, but it helps to start with the right picture.
Sews well
- Logos and badges with two to six solid colors
- Drawings with clear edges and shapes at least a few millimetres wide
- PNGs with a clear background, so nothing needs cutting out
- Lettering in the picture that will be at least about 5 mm tall once sewn
Not a good fit
- Photos and smooth gradients: thread sews flat color, so they get a yellow or a red
- Hairlines and tiny text that will be under a millimetre or two wide once sewn
- Small, blurry PNGs saved from a website: the edges are guesses
- Artwork you do not have the rights to
Machines that read DST
From the makers' published specs, these machines on our list read DST:
- Baby Lock Meridian 2
- Bernina 500 E
About DST
DST is the Tajima format. It stores needle moves, jumps, trims, and color changes, but not thread colors. Your machine will show its own default colors, so match the threads to the color list in the sew-out kit, not to the screen.
Many multi-needle and commercial machines read DST, and most shops ask for it. If you have a home machine that reads a different format, the zip has that one too.
Already have a stitch file? Convert PES to DST freeIs PNG to DST free?
Your first design is free, preview and download included. The free tools on this site, the viewer, converter, checker and machine finder, are always free. After the first design, designs come in packs that never expire.
Can I just rename a PNG file to DST?
No. A PNG holds pixels and a DST holds needle moves. Renaming gives a file the machine cannot read. The picture has to be digitized, which is what BobbinBot does.
Why does my DST show the wrong colors on the machine?
DST files carry no thread colors, only the points where the color changes. The machine picks its own colors for the screen. Use the thread list in the sew-out kit when you load the spools.
What size should my PNG be?
Bigger is better. Around 1000 pixels across gives clean edges for a design up to the size of a chest logo. A small PNG still works, but the cleanup has to guess at the edges.
Will a photo work as a PNG?
It will stitch, but expect a yellow or a red. Thread sews flat color, so the shading in a photo turns into blocks. A drawing or a logo of the same subject sews much better.
Can I sell what I sew from the DST?
Yes, if you own the artwork. The stitch file is yours to sew and to sell as a physical item.
Related
- PNG to PES for Brother and Baby Lock
Upload a PNG and get a PES file for a Brother or Baby Lock machine, with a verdict before you pay.
- JPG to DST converter
Upload a JPG and get a DST stitch file, cleaned of JPEG blur first, with a verdict before you pay.
- Logo digitizing for embroidery
Upload a logo and get an embroidery file sized for shirts, caps or bags, with a verdict before you pay.
See your picture stitched before you pay.
Make my DST fileThe preview is free. Your first design is free. After that, designs cost from $0.62 each in a pack, and credits never expire.