Free online SVGZ to PES converter

A Brother or Baby Lock embroidery machine may require a PES file, while artwork supplied by a designer often arrives as compressed SVGZ. Converting it requires embroidery digitizing because SVGZ contains vector shapes, not stitch instructions.

What the SVGZ format is

SVGZ is a gzip-compressed Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file. It stores paths, fills, strokes, text, and other vector elements at a smaller size than an uncompressed SVG. Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDRAW, and other graphics programs can create or export SVGZ files.

In machine embroidery work, SVGZ is usually the source artwork for a logo, badge, lettering layout, or applique shape. It does not contain needle penetrations, stitch types, stitch order, thread changes, underlay, density, pull compensation, trims, or hoop settings.

What the PES format is

PES is a machine-embroidery design format associated mainly with Brother and Baby Lock machines and software. A PES file contains ordered stitch commands, thread-change information, color assignments, and embroidery design metadata such as hoop or machine compatibility.

PES is useful when the finished design must be loaded into compatible embroidery software or transferred to a Brother or Baby Lock machine. Its advantage is direct machine-oriented data; its limitation is that it is not a general-purpose vector format and cannot preserve editable SVG objects.

How to actually convert SVGZ to PES

Use Ink/Stitch with Inkscape for a free desktop workflow. Ink/Stitch digitizes SVG artwork and exports embroidery formats including PES.

1. Make a backup of the original design.svgz.
2. Open the file in Inkscape. If it does not open correctly, decompress it first with gzip -dk design.svgz on macOS or Linux, or use 7-Zip on Windows. This creates design.svg.
3. Remove unsupported artwork before digitizing. Convert text to paths with Path → Object to Path, simplify excessive nodes, and avoid filters, masks, gradients, transparency effects, and embedded raster images unless you plan to recreate them as embroidery objects.
4. Install Ink/Stitch, then assign an embroidery stitch type to every object. Use fill stitches for broad areas, satin columns for narrow borders and lettering, and running stitches for outlines or fine details.
5. Set the design size, stitch density, underlay, pull compensation, stitch direction, start and end points, trims, and thread colors in Ink/Stitch. Set the intended hoop dimensions before exporting so the design does not exceed the machine's sewing area.
6. Run Ink/Stitch's simulator and inspect stitch order, jumps, trims, color changes, and areas where columns may become too wide or fills too dense.
7. Choose File → Export or Ink/Stitch's embroidery export command, select PES, choose the required PES version or machine profile when offered, and save the result as design.pes.
8. Open the PES file in the target machine's software, such as Brother PE-Design, and verify hoop size, thread sequence, stitch count, and design dimensions before transferring it. A test sew on comparable fabric is the final compatibility check.

For a quick conversion without installing software, 101convert.com can convert files online for free. An automatically generated PES file may lack suitable stitch directions, density, underlay, trims, or thread sequencing, so it should be simulated and test-stitched before production.

Quality and compatibility limitations

There is no lossless one-to-one conversion from SVGZ to PES: the source describes geometry, while the target describes needle movement. Two digitizers can produce different stitch counts, textures, sewing times, and results from the same SVGZ artwork.

Very small details may disappear because embroidery has a practical minimum feature size determined by thread thickness, fabric, stabilizer, needle, and machine accuracy. Large filled regions can produce puckering if density, underlay, or pull compensation is unsuitable. Satin columns that are too wide should be split or changed to fill stitches.

PES version and hoop support vary between machines and software. If the exported file is rejected, re-export for an older PES version or a compatible machine profile, and confirm that the design fits the selected hoop. Preserve the editable SVGZ and the Ink/Stitch project because PES does not retain the original vector structure or digitizing settings.