Convert OFM to DST

A shop may need a DST file when a Tajima-compatible machine, production partner, or customer workflow cannot open Melco .ofm designs. The conversion creates a widely accepted stitch file for production, while the original OFM should be retained for editing.

What the OFM format is

OFM is a proprietary Melco embroidery-design format used in Melco DesignShop and related Melco production workflows. Depending on the DesignShop version and how the design was created, it can retain stitch data, color sequence, design properties, and editable embroidery objects.

OFM support outside Melco software is limited. A file with an .ofm extension is not interchangeable with other embroidery formats merely by renaming it.

What the DST format is

DST is Tajima's established embroidery stitch format. It stores stitch coordinates, jumps, color-change stops, and a small text header, and it is accepted by many commercial embroidery machines and software packages.

DST is compact and broadly transferable, but it is not an editable master format. It does not provide standardized thread-brand or palette information, object properties, lettering, artwork, density settings, underlay settings, or reliable hoop-placement data. Color stops may remain, but the receiving operator must assign the actual thread colors.

Converting with Melco DesignShop

Melco DesignShop is the preferred option because it natively opens OFM files. Use the export or save command available in the installed DesignShop release; menu labels vary by version.

1. Copy the source file to a working folder and preserve the original, for example logo.ofm.
2. Open the OFM file in DesignShop and verify its dimensions, orientation, stitch order, color sequence, stitch count, trims, and hoop fit.
3. Make any required edits before export. Object-level edits may not be possible after saving as DST.
4. Use File → Save As or the version's machine-file export command, select Tajima DST (*.dst), and save a separate file such as LOGO01.DST.
5. Reopen the DST in DesignShop or a stitch-file viewer and inspect the stitch simulation before machine transfer.

Commercial embroidery applications such as Wilcom EmbroideryStudio may provide OFM import and DST export, but support varies by product edition and release. Confirm that the exact installed version lists Melco OFM as an import format before relying on it. If it imports the file, open it, check the design, then use its DST save or export command.

Online conversion is usually unsuitable for OFM because browser services rarely document dependable support for this proprietary format. Use one only when it explicitly lists .ofm input and DST output, identifies the conversion engine, and permits a stitch preview; do not upload customer artwork or proprietary designs without authorization. For production files, native Melco software or a verified commercial embroidery application is safer.

Production and compatibility checks

A correct conversion does not guarantee identical sew-out behavior. DST has no universally interpreted trim command; software may encode trims as jump sequences, and machine settings can handle those sequences differently. Check trims, long jumps, tie-offs, color stops, appliqué steps, and any specialty stitching in simulation and on a test sew-out.

Provide a separate production sheet or thread chart showing the intended needle order, thread colors, and placement. The DST header can indicate the number of color changes, but it does not reliably transfer a usable thread chart between systems.

Check the target machine's maximum design size, stitch-count limits, maximum stitch and jump lengths, and required transfer method. Older controls can reject long filenames or special characters, so use a short ASCII filename such as LOGO01.DST when required.