Brother embroidery machines are one of the most popular choices for home embroiderers worldwide. Their PE-series and Innov-ís machines are known for ease of use, a large built-in design library, and excellent value. Getting your own custom designs onto a Brother machine requires a PES file — here's how to create one for free.
What File Format Does Brother Use?
Brother embroidery machines use the PES format (.pes files). Babylock machines — which share Brother's platform — also use PES. Some Brother machines also accept DST and a few other formats, but PES is always the best choice for Brother machines as it includes color information.
Popular Brother Machine Models
| Model | Hoop Size | Design Memory |
|---|---|---|
| Brother PE800 | 130 × 180 mm | 138 built-in designs |
| Brother PE535 | 130 × 180 mm | 80 built-in designs |
| Brother SE700 | 200 × 130 mm | 138 built-in designs |
| Brother Innov-ís NQ1400E | 300 × 200 mm | 200 built-in designs |
| Brother Luminaire XP3 | 300 × 200 mm | 635 built-in designs |
Creating and Loading a Custom PES File
- 1Go to sewflow.com/image for image designs, or sewflow.com/text for text.
- 2Upload your image or type your text.
- 3Set size to fit within your machine's hoop dimensions.
- 4Select PES as the output format.
- 5Download the .pes file.
- 6Copy it to a USB stick.
- 7Insert the USB into your Brother machine.
- 8Select the USB icon on the machine's screen, choose your design, and follow prompts.
Create a PES file for your Brother machine for free:
Open Image to Embroidery →Babylock Owners
Babylock machines (Destiny, Flourish, Solaris, etc.) use PES files just like Brother machines — the same file will work on both. Babylock machines often have slightly larger hoops, so you can set your design dimensions up to the Babylock machine's maximum hoop size.