What happens to your EXP file
Every needle point lands in the same place in the JEF file as in the EXP 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 | Choose them first |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
EXP stores no colours, and JEF needs one for each stop. Hoopbench starts with stand-in colours, so set your own under Colour stops before you download. Each becomes the nearest thread in the Janome chart.
Long moves
Both formats move at most 12.7 mm per record, so nothing needs splitting.
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 .exp 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.
- Pick your thread colours under Colour stops, because EXP doesn't hold them.
- 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 EXP
EXP is the expanded format from Melco, also widely used with Bernina. It has no header at all: the file is simply two bytes per stitch, with control codes for jumps, trims and colour changes.
Thread colours, the design name and the size summary, because there is no header to hold them.
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.