Thread OrderDST colors
Why does my DST file show the wrong colors?
A DST file stores stitches and where the thread changes, but not which colors. Every program and machine fills in its own default colors, so the preview rarely matches the design you bought.
Open the file below and set each stop's swatch to the spool you will use; the preview, the color sort and the run sheet then use your colors.
Run sheet
| Stop | Thread | Needle | Stitches | Before you start it |
|---|
Worked example
The sample flower on this page has 8 stops in three threads: green (stem and two leaves), pink (three petals) and gold (bee and center). If you open a plain DST of the same flower, its 8 stops show 8 different placeholder colors. Set stem and leaves to green, petals to pink and bee and center to gold, and Join same threads takes it from 7 color changes to 2.
Where to find the real colors
The seller's color chart or the PDF that came with the design usually lists the thread for each stop in order. Match each stop to that list.
Questions
Will the edited DST keep my colors?
No, the format has no place for them. Print the run sheet to keep them.
Do other formats store colors?
Some, such as PES, store thread colors. DST does not.
Why do stops of the same color sew separately?
The digitizer set that order. Join same threads groups them where it is safe.