Free online PNG to PEC converter

A Brother, Baby Lock, or compatible embroidery machine may require a .pec design instead of the original .png artwork. Conversion is needed when the image must become sewable stitch data that embroidery software or the machine can read.

What the PNG format is

PNG is a lossless raster format that stores pixels, color, transparency, and image dimensions. Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, and Inkscape can create or export PNG files; logos, screenshots, scanned artwork, and downloaded graphics commonly use this format.

PNG contains no stitch paths, thread changes, stitch directions, fabric settings, or machine commands. A color region must be interpreted as an embroidery object: a thin line may become a running stitch, a wide border may become a satin column, and a large area may become a fill.

What the PEC format is

PEC is a machine-embroidery format associated primarily with Brother and compatible Baby Lock equipment. It stores digitized stitch coordinates, jumps, color-change information, and design information for sewing; files commonly also include a small preview image.

Its main advantage is compatibility with embroidery software and machines that support the Brother-family .pec format. PEC is not an editable copy of the PNG: it does not preserve the source image's pixels, transparency, gradients, or photographic detail. It is a final stitch format, so keep the original artwork and editable digitizing project.

How to convert a PNG to PEC

For a quick conversion without installing software, use the converter on 101convert.com. Upload the PNG, choose PEC as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting .pec file. Open and simulate the file in embroidery software before sending it to the machine; automatic tracing can produce unsuitable density, stitch directions, or jump stitches.

For manual control, use Inkscape with Ink/Stitch:

1. Prepare the PNG by removing background detail, increasing contrast, and reducing it to a few solid colors. Simple logos generally digitize more reliably than photographs, shadows, and gradients.
2. Import the image through File → Import in Inkscape and use it as a reference. Trace its regions with vector paths rather than treating the bitmap itself as stitch data.
3. Assign stitch types in Ink/Stitch: running stitches for narrow lines, satin columns for suitable borders and lettering, and fill stitches for larger regions. Set thread colors and arrange objects in the intended sewing order.
4. Choose the target hoop and set stitch length, fill density, underlay, pull compensation, trims, and jump handling for the fabric, stabilizer, needle, and thread.
5. Run the Ink/Stitch simulator. Check stitch order, thread changes, gaps, overlaps, isolated fragments, dense areas, and estimated stitch count, then correct the design.
6. Use the Ink/Stitch embroidery or export command, select PEC, and save the output with a .pec extension. Open it in the manufacturer's software and transfer it using the machine's supported connection or storage method.

Desktop applications such as Brother PE-Design, Embird, and Wilcom EmbroideryStudio can import raster artwork, trace or auto-digitize it, and export PEC. Their automatic tools still need manual cleanup because the software cannot determine the correct fabric, stabilizer, thread, needle, stitch direction, or acceptable density from pixels alone.

Quality and compatibility limits

• PNG pixel dimensions do not set the finished embroidery size. Set the design's width and height in the digitizing software and confirm that it fits the machine's hoop.
• Small lettering, thin outlines, gradients, shadows, and photographic details often sew poorly. Simplify them into larger shapes and deliberate stitch regions.
• Overlapping or excessively dense fills can cause thread breaks, puckering, needle damage, and fabric distortion. Use suitable underlay and density settings instead of reproducing every visible pixel.
• PEC color blocks indicate thread changes, not guaranteed thread brands or exact shades. Assign each color to thread available for the target machine.
• PEC support and behavior vary by machine model and software version. Check hoop limits, maximum design dimensions, color-change handling, trim support, and transfer requirements before sewing.
• Test the design on comparable fabric with the intended stabilizer and thread. A design that looks correct on screen may need lower density, wider satin columns, or altered pull compensation after stitching.