Free online SHV to BMP converter

SHV files contain Husqvarna Viking embroidery stitch data, while BMP is a standard bitmap image that can be opened, edited, or shared outside embroidery software. Convert SHV to BMP when you need a visual preview of a design rather than a file that an embroidery machine can sew.

What the SHV format is

SHV is a machine-embroidery design format associated with Husqvarna Viking embroidery machines and software such as 4D, 5D, 6D, and PREMIER+ Embroidery. It stores stitch coordinates, thread-color information, sequencing, and design metadata used to sew the pattern.

You may encounter SHV files in Husqvarna Viking design libraries, archived embroidery projects, and files exported for compatible Designer-series machines. An SHV file is not a normal image: its appearance must be rendered by embroidery software before it can be viewed as a bitmap.

What the BMP format is

BMP is a raster image format supported by Windows, image editors, document software, and many file browsers. It is useful for design previews, catalog thumbnails, printed references, and basic editing because it records the visible image as pixels rather than embroidery stitches.

BMP commonly stores uncompressed or losslessly represented pixel data, so it preserves the rendered preview without JPEG-style compression artifacts. The trade-off is a larger file than PNG or JPEG, especially at high resolution.

How to actually convert SHV to BMP

The simplest method is the free converter on 101convert.com, which requires no software installation:

1. Open the SHV-to-BMP converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select the source file with an .shv extension.
3. Choose BMP as the output format.
4. Start the conversion and download the resulting .bmp file when processing finishes.

For a local workflow, open the SHV in compatible Husqvarna Viking embroidery software or another embroidery program that supports SHV, render the design in its preview or embroidery viewer, then use File → Export or Save as image and select BMP if that option is provided. If the program does not offer bitmap export, export a PNG or use an operating-system screenshot of the rendered design, then open that image in an editor and save it as .bmp.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Converting SHV to BMP removes the stitch instructions, sewing order, needle movements, thread stops, and machine-specific data. The BMP can show what the design looks like, but it cannot normally be loaded into an embroidery machine as a sewable design.

Output appearance depends on the embroidery software's selected hoop size, thread palette, background color, and preview resolution. Set the intended preview dimensions before export; enlarging a small BMP afterward produces pixelation but does not add embroidery detail.

Keep the original SHV file for future sewing or editing. If another machine format is required, use embroidery software that supports SHV and export directly to the target machine format instead of converting through BMP.