What happens to your VP3 file
Moving from a Viking or Pfaff to a Brother. VP3 stores exact colours and names, and PES version 6 can carry them for design software, but the Brother machine screen will show the nearest of its 64 thread slots.
| Stitch positions | Identical, to 0.1 mm |
|---|---|
| Colour stops | Same number, same order |
| Thread colours | Matched to the Brother and Baby Lock chart |
| Size and density | Unchanged |
Thread colours
VP3 stores real colours, and PES needs a thread from a fixed chart. Each colour moves to the nearest in the Brother and Baby Lock chart, so close shades can land on the same or a slightly different thread.
Long moves
PES can move 204.7 mm in one record and VP3 only 12.7 mm, so everything fits. Chains of jumps from the VP3 file stay as jumps.
Trims
PES marks moves with a trim flag, so each trimmed move carries across. Brother machines cut on these moves, depending on the machine's own settings.
Before you stitch
- Open the .vp3 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 .pes 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 VP3
VP3 is the shared format for current Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff machines. Each colour block stores its own start point and a full thread record, including the colour, catalogue number and description.
Separate jump records. VP3 travels in long moves, so a jump reads back as a long move and a fresh needle down.
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.
The PES file is for Brother and Baby Lock home machines, and many other machines and programs that accept it. Any Brother or Baby Lock machine. Hoopbench writes PES version 6, and version 1 if very old software needs it.
Brother machines only have a few hoop sizes, and a design that overhangs the hoop usually will not load. Check the size before you transfer it.