Are you ready to take your embroidery game to the next level with your BERNINA machine?

Well, let's talk about using the EXP format! Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it sounds.

First, let's break it down by which machines use the EXP format. If you have a BERNINA 830, 780, 750, or 580 machine, you'll need to use the EXP format for your designs. The good news is, the BERNINA 630 and 640 machines also read the EXP format.

Now, let's talk about the two different types of EXP formats. The first is the Melco EXP, which is a commercial format that doesn't include thread colors. That means the software will choose default colors, which could end up making your design a funky color combo. Not ideal!

The second type of EXP format is the BERNINA USB EXP, which is the non-commercial (home machine) format that includes thread colors that match the color chart. This is the one you want to use for your BERNINA machine. And lucky for you, most of Embroideres design library offer the Melco EXP format and many of their newer collections include the BERNINA USB EXP format.

Now, when using the BERNINA USB EXP format, you'll actually need to save three files for each design: the EXP file (the design itself), the INF file (the thread colors), and the BMP file (the picture that shows up on the 830 machine). So be sure to copy all three files to your BERNINA Personal Design USB stick when using a collection that offers the BERNINA USB EXP format.

But what if you need the BERNINA USB EXP format and it's not available? No worries! Simply open the ART format in your BERNINA software and save it to a BERNINA USB EXP file. Just remember to include the BMP and INF files with the EXP file when copying designs from the hard drive to USB or a CD.

One last thing to keep in mind: if you save your design to the Melco EXP format, it will only save the EXP format (without thread colors). So be sure to use the BERNINA USB EXP format if you want the correct thread colors to show up in your design.

So there you have it, folks! Now you're ready to tackle the EXP format with your BERNINA machine and create some seriously stunning designs of machine embroidery. Happy stitching!

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