What happens to your SEW file
Every needle point lands in the same place in the XXX file as in the SEW file, and Hoopbench reads the new file back to prove it before you save it. The details below are what actually changes between these two formats.
| Stitch positions | Identical, to 0.1 mm |
|---|---|
| Colour stops | Same number, same order |
| Thread colours | Carried exactly |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
SEW holds a slot in a fixed chart, and XXX stores real colour values. The chart colour is carried across as an exact value, so the XXX file looks the same as the SEW preview.
Long moves
XXX moves at most 12.3 mm per record, against 12.7 mm in SEW. Longer moves are split into a chain of jumps, and a stitch longer than 12.3 mm becomes jumps followed by one stitch. Every needle point stays in the same place.
Trims
XXX has a real trim command, so cuts carry across as cuts.
Before you stitch
- Open the .sew 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 .xxx 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 SEW
SEW is an older Janome format. It holds a list of thread slots at the top, about 7.5 KB of header in total, then two bytes per stitch.
Trims and exact colours.
About XXX
XXX is the Singer format. It has a 256 byte header, then stitch records, then a table of real colours after the end marker.
The XXX file is for Singer machines and the software that shipped with them. Singer machines that read XXX.
Singer home machines have long, narrow hoops on several models, so check both the width and height.