EXP File Format: What It Is and Which Machines Read It
An EXP file is the Melco stitch format read by Melco and Bernina embroidery machines. Like a DST file, it stores the stitch path without the thread colors, so a color chart ships alongside it. Every order we deliver includes it, along with the six other formats your shop might run.
What is a EXP file?
An EXP file is a stitch file in the Melco Expanded format. It tells a Melco or Bernina machine where the needle moves, in what order, and when to trim or change color. It does not store the thread colors themselves. It stores the stitch path.
EXP is the native format for Melco commercial machines, and Bernina machines read it for stitching. Because it does not embed color, it behaves like DST: the file runs anywhere that reads it, and the color assignment comes from a separate chart.
| Extension | .exp |
|---|---|
| Machine brand | Melco and Bernina |
| Stores color | No, separate color chart |
| Stores | Stitch coordinates, jumps, trims, color-change commands |
| Included with your order | Every order, no extra charge |
What an EXP file leaves out
An EXP file stores the stitch path, jumps, trims, and color-change commands, but not the thread colors. That assignment lives in a separate color chart, which is why one ships with every EXP file we deliver. This is the same behavior as DST, and it is why an EXP file runs cleanly across different machines without carrying a machine’s own color list with it.
Which machines read EXP files?
EXP is the Melco Expanded format, read by Melco and Bernina machines. Reading the file is not the same as running it cleanly. Hoop size and design area still have to match, which is why we build every file to your placement, not just your format.
| Brand | EXP support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Melco | Native | EXP is Melco’s Expanded format |
| Bernina | Reads for stitching | Bernina machines stitch from EXP files |
| Melco Amaya, Bravo and EMT | Native | Commercial models read EXP directly |
How to open a EXP file
You can open a EXP file without owning digitizing software. Melco and Bernina machines load it directly from a USB drive. To check a file before it reaches the machine, that is, to see the stitch path, the color sequence, and the design size, use a browser-based viewer.
Every file we deliver can be checked this way before you run it, so a placement or sizing problem shows up on screen instead of on fabric.
Preview an embroidery file freeConverting artwork to a EXP file
Yes, artwork can become a EXP file, but not by automatic conversion. Auto-digitizing software traces an image’s outline and assigns generic stitch settings without judging fabric, size, or placement. The result reads as a valid EXP file and still puckers, gaps, or runs the wrong direction on the machine.
Start from your artwork:
Any image to embroideryEXP compared with the other formats we deliver
We deliver seven embroidery formats. Here is how EXP compares to the rest, by machine family and whether the format stores color inside the file.
| Format | Machine brand | Stores color |
|---|---|---|
| DST | Tajima and most commercial machines | No, separate color chart |
| PES | Brother, Babylock | Yes |
| JEF | Janome | Yes |
| EXP | Melco, Bernina | No, separate color chart |
| VP3 | Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff | Yes |
| XXX | Singer | Yes |
| ART | Bernina | Yes |
Every one of these seven formats is included with your order, regardless of which one you need. See the full format guide for machine-by-machine detail.
The EXP file you receive from us
Every order includes your EXP file, a color chart, and the six other formats we deliver, so your file works whether it heads to your own machine or a subcontractor’s.
Left-chest logos, polos, caps
Vertical designs, badges, detailed artwork
Jacket backs, large designs, event logos
Free unlimited revisions. Invoiced on delivery, no upfront payment. Your first order is $5 on simple jobs, standard pricing applies from the second order onward.
EXP is also a generic export extension
Some software saves an unrelated “export” file with a .exp extension that has nothing to do with embroidery. An embroidery EXP file is specifically the Melco Expanded stitch format. If your .exp file did not come from embroidery software, it will not load on an embroidery machine and we cannot stitch from it.
Other formats we deliver
Frequently asked questions
What is an EXP file?
An EXP file is a Melco-format stitch file read by Melco and Bernina machines. Like a DST file, it stores the stitch path without thread colors, so a color chart is supplied separately.
What program opens an EXP file?
Melco and Bernina machines open an EXP file directly. To preview one on a computer, use a browser-based embroidery file viewer rather than an image program.
Does an EXP file contain thread colors?
No. An EXP file stores the stitch path and machine commands but not the thread colors. The color assignment ships in a separate chart with every file.
Is an EXP file the same as an ART file?
No. EXP is the Melco stitch format that Bernina machines stitch from. ART is Bernina’s own editable software design format. See our ART file page for the difference.