What happens to your PES file
Moving between the two big home brands. The stitches do not change. Each thread is matched from the Brother chart to the nearest in the Janome list, and the names will differ, so match by eye against your own spools. The Janome hoop code is set from the design size, but check it against your own hoops.
| Stitch positions | Identical, to 0.1 mm |
|---|---|
| Colour stops | Same number, same order |
| Thread colours | Matched to the Janome chart |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
PES and JEF each use their own fixed thread list, so each thread is matched to the nearest in the Janome chart. Neighbouring stops stay different, and the names will change. Match by eye against your own spools if the exact shade matters.
Long moves
JEF moves at most 12.7 mm per record, against 204.7 mm in PES. Longer moves are split into a chain of jumps, and a stitch longer than 12.7 mm becomes jumps followed by one stitch. Every needle point stays in the same place.
Trims
JEF has no trim record. Trims are dropped from the file and the machine cuts when a jump is long enough, usually about 3 mm or more.
Before you stitch
- Open the .pes file above and watch it sew, so you know the file is sound and in the order you expect.
- Choose your hoop under Hoop fit. The check uses the design's real size, not the file's header.
- Download the .jef file, and stitch a test piece on matching fabric and stabiliser.
Converting doesn't resize a design or change its density. If a design needs to be much bigger or smaller, use digitising software, as stretching stitches without recalculating them can leave gaps or heavy spots.
About PES
PES is the Brother and Baby Lock format and probably the most common home embroidery file. Inside it is a PEC block, which is the part the machine actually sews, and in newer versions a list of exact thread colours for design software.
On the machine itself, anything beyond the Brother chart: its screen shows the nearest of those 64 colours.
About JEF
JEF is the Janome format. Its header records the hoop it expects, the stitch count, and a colour for each stop as a slot in a fixed Janome thread list.
The JEF file is for Janome machines, and Elna machines that read JEF. Any Janome or Elna machine that reads JEF.
If you need a cut after a very short jump, a JEF machine may not make it. Inspect the jumps before you run it.