Free online EXP to TIFF converter

What the EXP format is

In machine embroidery, .exp usually means the Melco EXP stitch format. It stores needle-movement coordinates and control information for embroidery machines and software such as Melco applications, Wilcom, Hatch, Embird, and Ink/Stitch.

EXP is a production format rather than a normal image format. It commonly lacks reliable thread-color names, detailed object information, lettering data, and some machine-specific settings. The design may therefore open with default colors or require manual thread mapping in the embroidery program.

What the TIFF format is

TIFF (.tif or .tiff) is a raster image format used for printing, document archiving, proof sheets, and editing in applications such as Photoshop, GIMP, and Affinity Photo. It supports high resolution, lossless compression, grayscale, RGB, and CMYK color modes.

A TIFF shows the rendered appearance of the stitches, including simulated thread colors and background, but contains no stitch commands. A machine cannot embroider a TIFF directly.

How to actually convert EXP to TIFF

Using the built-in online converter

1. Open 101convert.com and choose the EXP-to-TIFF conversion tool.
2. Upload the Melco EXP file.
3. Select TIFF as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting TIFF and inspect its dimensions, colors, and background before printing or archiving it.

This option requires no installed embroidery software. It is appropriate when you need a visual copy rather than a file for machine production.

Using desktop embroidery software

1. Open the EXP file in an embroidery editor that supports Melco EXP, such as Wilcom, Hatch, Embird, or Ink/Stitch.
2. Verify the stitch count, design size, rotation, thread sequence, and thread colors. Assign colors manually if the imported file does not contain usable color information.
3. Use the program's preview, print, or image-export function to render the design. Menu names vary; look under File → Export, File → Save as image, or Print preview.
4. Choose TIFF when the software offers it. If it exports only PNG or another raster format, save a lossless PNG first and convert it with ImageMagick:

magick design.png -compress LZW design.tif

For an exact physical-size proof, set the embroidery design's intended width and height before rendering, then choose a resolution such as 300 dpi for ordinary printing or 600 dpi for detailed archival output.

Quality and compatibility limitations

The TIFF cannot preserve the original EXP stitch path, trims, jumps, needle penetrations, machine commands, or editable embroidery objects. Keep the original EXP file alongside the TIFF whenever the design may later be resized, recolored, or stitched.

EXP files frequently provide incomplete color metadata, so a TIFF generated without reviewing the thread palette may show incorrect colors. Rendering software also differs in how it draws stitch width, underlay, pull compensation, jump stitches, and trims; the TIFF is a software preview, not proof of the exact sewn result.

Use a transparent background only if the exporting program and target application support it; otherwise select white or another fixed background. TIFF files can be much larger than PNG files, especially at 600 dpi, but LZW compression reduces size without reducing image quality.