Free online PHC to BMP converter

A Brother embroidery design in PHC format may need to be supplied as a plain image for cataloging, printing, editing, or software that accepts bitmap artwork. Converting it to BMP renders the stitch design as pixels; it does not create another machine-ready embroidery file.

What the PHC format is

PHC is a Brother embroidery design format used by Brother embroidery machines and Brother PE-Design. It stores stitch information such as stitch coordinates, thread colors, sequencing, and machine instructions. You typically encounter PHC files when working with older Brother designs or files exported from Brother embroidery software.

What the BMP format is

BMP is an uncompressed bitmap image format supported by Windows and many graphics, printing, cataloging, and embroidery-design applications. It is useful for showing a design preview, preparing reference artwork, or importing a raster image into software that cannot read PHC. BMP preserves the visible appearance as pixels but does not preserve stitches, thread changes, trims, underlay, or machine settings.

How to convert PHC to BMP

1. Make a copy of the original .phc file so the source remains unchanged.
2. Open the converter on 101convert.com, upload the PHC file, and select BMP as the output format.
3. Start the conversion and download the resulting .bmp file when processing finishes.
4. Open the BMP in an image viewer and check that the entire design, thread colors, and orientation are correct.

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. If the PHC file is not accepted, open it first in a compatible Brother PE-Design version, then use that program's preview or image-export command if available before saving the raster image as BMP.

Quality and limitations

The output resolution controls how sharply small stitches and narrow details appear. Use the original design's intended proportions and avoid enlarging the BMP after conversion, because scaling can blur individual stitch details.

A BMP is a visual representation only. It cannot normally be loaded into an embroidery machine to reproduce the design. To keep editable stitch data or create a machine file, open the PHC in compatible embroidery software and export to the format required by the machine, such as PES, rather than converting it to BMP.

BMP files are usually much larger than compressed image formats because standard BMP data is commonly uncompressed. Use a 24-bit color setting when accurate thread-color display matters, but remember that screen colors are only approximations of the actual thread.