Free online PES to EXP converter

A Brother or Baby Lock machine may produce a .pes design when the receiving machine or controller requires Melco .exp. Converting it makes the stitch data usable in an EXP-based workflow without manually digitizing the design again.

What the PES format is

PES is a machine-embroidery format associated with Brother and Baby Lock machines and software. A PES file can contain stitch commands, color-change information, thread data, hoop settings, design dimensions, and, depending on its version and source software, editable objects such as lettering, fills, and appliqué elements.

Brother and Baby Lock machines, PE-Design, Hatch Embroidery, Embird, Wilcom, and Ink/Stitch can create or work with PES files. A downloaded design may also use PES even if it was digitized in different software.

What the EXP format is

EXP is the Melco expanded-stitch format used by compatible Melco equipment, controllers, and embroidery software. It primarily stores needle movements and machine commands, including jumps and color-change or stop positions where supported by the particular EXP implementation.

EXP is useful when the target machine specifically accepts the Melco format. It is a relatively simple machine-output format, so it normally carries less design metadata and fewer editable object properties than PES. Thread color names, brand assignments, and exact color values are generally not preserved reliably in EXP.

How to convert PES to EXP

Use embroidery software that can read PES and write EXP. Hatch Embroidery, Wilcom, Embird, and Ink/Stitch are examples; available import and export formats depend on the software version and license.

1. Open the original .pes file in the embroidery program.
2. Check the preview, hoop size, design dimensions, stitch count, sequence, jumps, trims, and color-change positions. Correct any problem while the design is still in an editable format.
3. Choose File → Export, File → Save As, or the equivalent machine-format command.
4. Select EXP or Melco EXP. If the program offers multiple EXP variants, choose the one specified by the target machine or controller.
5. Save with a new name such as design.exp; keep the original PES file unchanged.
6. Reopen the exported EXP in the embroidery program or the machine’s transfer software. Confirm the hoop placement, stitch sequence, color-change or stop positions, and any trim behavior before sewing.

In Ink/Stitch, import the PES design into its supported workspace and use its embroidery export command to select EXP. In Embird, open the design in Editor and use its save or export function. Hatch and Wilcom provide EXP through their machine-format export dialogs; exact menu names vary by release.

Using 101convert.com

The built-in converter on 101convert.com can convert a PES file to EXP for free without installing software: upload the PES file, choose EXP as the target, start the conversion, and download the result. Open the downloaded file in embroidery software before transferring it to a machine, especially when the design contains many color changes, jumps, or trims.

Quality and compatibility limits

Changing .pes to .exp by renaming the extension does not convert the file. PES and EXP use different internal encodings, so a renamed file may be rejected or interpreted incorrectly.

Exporting to EXP reduces the design to machine-level stitch data. Editable PES objects, lettering settings, appliqué instructions, underlay controls, fabric settings, thread-brand assignments, and other digitizing metadata may be discarded. Make any lettering, resizing, density, or underlay changes before exporting.

The stitch geometry is not automatically improved by conversion. Scaling, rotating, or changing density after digitizing can cause distorted fills, poor registration, excessive density, or unsuitable stitch lengths; substantial changes may require redigitizing.

EXP compatibility varies between machines. The target may require a particular hoop convention, file-naming rule, trim interpretation, or method for identifying color changes. Match the thread stops to the thread set loaded on the machine, verify the design fits the selected hoop, and test an unfamiliar conversion on sample or inexpensive fabric before production.