A DST file is Tajima's embroidery format and the de facto standard on commercial multi-needle machines: Tajima, Barudan, Ricoma, SWF and most others read it. It holds the stitches, jumps and color-change stops for a design, but not the thread colors. To get one from a logo, the artwork has to be digitized (turned into stitches) and saved as DST; renaming a JPG won't work.
| Quick facts | DST |
|---|---|
| Made for | Tajima machines; now read by most commercial brands |
| Thread colors | Not stored. Only the stops where the thread changes |
| Longest move | 12.1 mm (about 0.48 in) in each direction; longer moves become several jumps |
| Trims | No trim command; written as a short run of jumps |
| How to get one | Digitize a logo or lettering; every SatinSmith download includes DST |
Inside a DST file
A DST is about as plain as a stitch file gets. A 512-byte header at the start holds a short design name, the stitch count, the number of color changes and the design's extents. After that, every needle move is packed into 3 bytes: how far the needle travels left or right and up or down, in steps of 0.1 mm, and whether the move is a stitch, a jump or a color stop.
- Stitches and jumps. Each move is stored relative to the one before and can travel at most 12.1 mm (121 steps of 0.1 mm) in each direction. Longer moves are split into several jumps, and in practice 12.1 mm is treated as the longest stitch a DST can hold.
- Color-change stops. The file says when to change thread, not which thread. On a multi-needle machine, the operator assigns a needle to each stop.
- Trims, written as jumps. DST has no separate cut command. Trims are typically written as a few jumps in a row that the machine is set to treat as a cut.
- No colors and no shapes. There's no thread list and no editable satin columns or fill areas, only finished stitches.
Why DST became the standard
Because the format is so simple, nearly every commercial machine and embroidery program reads it, and shops trade designs as DST. A file made for a Tajima will usually run on a Ricoma or SWF unchanged. Barudan has its own U01 format and Melco has EXP, but machines from both brands typically read DST too.
The trade-off is that colors are set at the machine every time, and resizing is limited: scaling a DST spreads the same stitches out or squeezes them together. A common rule of thumb is to stay within about 10 to 20 percent and remake the file for anything bigger. If a home machine takes PES, use that instead, because it carries colors. Our DST vs PES comparison goes deeper.
How to make a DST file from a logo
Add your artwork
In the studio, choose Image to upload a PNG, JPG or WebP logo, or Lettering to type a name.
Set the size and fabric
Left chest (90 mm, 3.5 in wide) and Cap front (55 mm, 2.2 in wide) are the everyday shop sizes, or choose Custom for an exact width. For structured hats, the Cap fabric setting sews from the center outwards.
Watch it sew and read the checks
Play the preview, then open Checks. Stitches over 12.1 mm are flagged because they go past the DST limit, and stitches over 7 mm because they can snag when worn.
Download and hand over the production sheet
Unlock the design and pick your machine, such as Tajima, or take all 8 formats as a .zip. Then open the Production sheet and give it to the operator: it lists the thread colors the DST can't carry.
The full walk-through is in how to turn a logo into an embroidery file. Logos, badges and lettering in a few solid colors give a clean, sewable DST in minutes; tiny text or a detailed crest is still a job for a professional digitizer. Sew a test piece before the run.
Getting a DST onto the machine
Most current commercial machines take a USB stick: copy the DST across, plug it in and load it from the design menu. Some also accept designs over a network through the maker's own software, and some older ones still use a floppy drive or a floppy emulator.
Common DST problems
- The colors look wrong on screen. The machine or viewer fills in its own colors because the file has none. Set each needle from the thread list; see thread colors and the production sheet.
- Loops or snags on the finished piece. The format allows 12.1 mm stitches, but anything over about 7 mm can catch on a garment that gets worn and washed.
- The machine trims too often, or not at all. Trims ride on jump codes, so check how many jumps in a row your machine is set to treat as a trim.
Questions
Why does my DST file show the wrong colors?
DST doesn't store thread colors, only the points where the color changes. Every viewer and machine shows its own defaults for those sections. Go by the thread list that came with the design.
How do I open a DST file for free?
Use the free DST viewer in your browser. It plays the design stitch by stitch and checks stitch length, density and hoop fit, with no sign-up, and the file isn't uploaded anywhere. The steps are in how to open a DST file for free.
How big can a DST design be?
In practice the limit is the machine's sewing field, not the file. Commercial frames are often larger than home hoops, so check the model and frame you'll use before you settle on a large size such as a jacket back. SatinSmith designs can be anywhere from 20 to 300 mm (0.8 to 11.8 in) wide.
Can a home embroidery machine sew a DST?
Some can, but most home machines work best with their own format, which also carries colors. If yours takes PES, JEF or VP3, use that instead.