EPS to DST Embroidery Converter
Drop a vector artwork file and get a stitch file ready for your embroidery machine. Path tracing and stitch density are handled automatically - no specialist software needed. Everything runs in your browser.
How to convert EPS to DST
- Upload your EPS vector file
- Set stitch density and output dimensions
- Click Convert to DST - paths are traced automatically
- Download the DST file and load it directly into your embroidery machine
Why convert EPS to DST online?
- No expensive software - Wilcom and Hatch cost hundreds. This is free.
- No install - works on any device with a browser
- Tajima DST output - compatible with most commercial embroidery machines
- Private - your design files are never uploaded to any server
Learn more: converting vector art to embroidery stitches
What a DST file stores
DST is a stitch-by-stitch format. It records needle moves, jumps and color changes, not shapes. Hooping Station's guide to the DST format says the header holds the total stitch count, the number of color-change records and the design extents, and that DST stores color-change points but not thread color data.
That is why this converter groups stitches by color and matches each group to the nearest Isacord 40 thread, so you know what to load. PES, by contrast, stores color information in the file, according to the same guide.
Units and scale
DST coordinates are in 0.1 mm units. EPS coordinates are in points (1/72 inch), so the converter multiplies every point by 3.528 (25.4 mm per inch divided by 72 gives 0.3528 mm per point, or 3.528 units of 0.1 mm). All the settings in millimetres are converted to the same units before stitching.
Satin or fill is a width decision
The converter measures each filled shape's narrow dimension along its principal axis. A shape narrower than the satin threshold (6 mm by default) is stitched as satin, and a wider shape gets scan-line fill. Stroked lines always become satin, using the line width as the column width.
Fill rows are 0.4 mm apart by default and no stitch is longer than 3.5 mm. Pull compensation grows the shape by 0.2 mm before filling, to offset the way stitching draws fabric inward.
Underlay applies to fills
Underlay is added only under fill areas, not satin. Edge walk, the default, stitches an outline inset by 0.4 mm. Zigzag runs fill stitches perpendicular to the final direction at double spacing, and you can use both.
Within each color the converter reorders the pieces with a nearest-neighbor pass to cut jump distance. It estimates sewing time as stitches divided by 800 stitches per minute, so a 12,000-stitch design shows 15 minutes.
FAQ
Why does auto-digitizing struggle with gradients and fine text?
The converter reads flat fill and stroke colors from shapes. A gradient has no single color to stitch, and text thinner than the satin threshold becomes a narrow column that may not hold detail. Manual digitizing is still common for both.
How is a color matched to a thread?
Each shape's color is converted to CIE LAB, and the converter picks the nearest thread in a built-in Isacord 40 list by straight-line distance. LAB is used because it tracks perceived color difference better than raw RGB values.
How is the sewing time worked out?
It is the total stitch count divided by 800 stitches per minute, with no allowance for color changes, trims or jumps. Your machine's real speed will differ, so treat the figure as a rough guide.