If you've ever tried to use a photo straight off your iPhone, you may have hit a wall: modern iPhones save images in HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) format, which many tools — including embroidery converters — can't open directly. The good news is that converting a HEIC photo for embroidery takes just one extra step.
Step 1: Convert HEIC to JPG or PNG
SewFlow accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, WebP, TIFF, and SVG — so you first need to turn your HEIC into one of these. The simplest options:
- •On iPhone: open the Photos app, tap Share, choose 'Copy Photo', then paste into a note or email — iOS converts it to JPG automatically. Or take a screenshot of the photo (screenshots save as PNG).
- •On iPhone permanently: Settings → Camera → Formats → choose 'Most Compatible' so future photos save as JPG.
- •On Mac: open the HEIC in Preview, then File → Export and choose JPEG or PNG.
- •On Windows: open in Photos and 'Save as' a JPG, or use the built-in HEIF extension.
Step 2: Convert the JPG/PNG to Embroidery
- 1Open sewflow.com/image and upload your newly converted JPG or PNG.
- 2Remove the background to isolate your subject.
- 3Set your design size and choose JEF, DST, or PES.
- 4Preview the stitches and download your file.
Got your JPG ready? Convert it now:
Open Image to Embroidery →Quick Tip
The screenshot trick is the fastest HEIC workaround — open the photo full-screen, take a screenshot, and crop it. Screenshots are PNGs and upload to SewFlow instantly.