What is a DST file and how to open it (online, phone or Mac)

If someone sends you an embroidery design, there is a good chance it is a .dst file. Here is what that means.

What a DST file is

DST stands for Data Stitch Tajima. It is a format that started with Tajima machines and that, according to the EduTech Wiki, became widespread because of Tajima’s dominance in the industry in the 1990s. Today most commercial multi-needle machines read it.

A DST file is a list of movements for the machine: stitch here, jump there, stop for a color change, end. It has:

A 512-byte header with the design name, the stitch count, the number of color changes and the design’s extents.
The stitches, each one stored as a short move from the previous point, in tenths of a millimeter.

Why DST has no colors

The DST format doesn’t store thread colors. It only records where the machine has to stop and change color. That is why the same file appears in different colors in different programs: each one picks its own palette. The real colors are the ones you thread on the machine, usually from a thread chart the digitizer sends with the file.

Trims are a similar story. DST has no separate “trim” command: a trim is usually signaled as a short series of jumps that the machine interprets as a cut.

How to open a DST file

You don’t need to install digitizing software just to look at a file.

In your browser (Windows, Mac, phone): our free embroidery viewer opens DST files and shows the stitches being sewn, with the stitch count, colors and design size. The file is read on your device and is not uploaded.
On the machine: load it by USB or the machine’s own software.
In embroidery software: programs like Wilcom or Embird open DST, but you only need them to edit or digitize.

Can you edit or convert a DST?

DST stores stitches, not shapes. Resizing it more than a little changes the density and can ruin the result, and converting it to another format keeps the stitches but doesn’t add information it never had, like colors. For real changes, ask for the original design file or have it digitized again.

If your machine reads a different format, see our guide to embroidery file formats.

The figures and examples in this guide are estimates for reference only. Your costs, machine and market set your real price.

Frequently asked questions

What does DST stand for?

Data Stitch Tajima. It is a stitch format that started with Tajima machines and is now read by most commercial embroidery machines.

Why does my DST file show different colors?

DST files don’t store thread colors, only where the machine stops to change color. Every program fills in its own colors, so the same file looks different from one app to another.

How do I open a DST file without software?

Use an online embroidery viewer that runs in your browser. Ours opens DST, PES, JEF, EXP and VP3 files on Windows, Mac, tablet or phone, and the file is not uploaded to our servers.

Can I edit a DST file?

Only in a limited way. DST stores stitches, not shapes, so resizing it changes the stitch density. For real changes you need the original design file or a new digitizing.

Related guides

How to price embroidery by stitch countHow to work out what to charge for machine embroidery: machine time from the stitch count, your cost per hour, materials and margin, checked against published per-1,000-stitch rates.

Embroidery price per 1,000 stitches: a pricing chartWhat published guides say about embroidery prices per 1,000 stitches, a chart of price per piece by stitch count, and how to find your own rate from your costs.

How much to charge for embroidery on hats, shirts and namesTypical stitch counts for names, cap fronts, left-chest logos and back designs, how long each takes on the machine, and how to turn that into a price per piece.