What is the ART file format?
.art is a project file associated with BERNINA embroidery software. .art embroidery designs can be applied on surfaces using an automated sewing machine. .art files also store information about the technique and type of threads.
.art files require BERNINA ARTlink or compatible software to be used. Unlike machine-ready stitch files such as .dst, .art is BERNINA's native, fully editable format - design objects and outlines are preserved for re-editing. A free version of Bernina software is available that offers functionality limited to viewing and printing the project. .art files may be incompatible across different versions of the program - version is encoded in the extension (.ART60, .ART70, .ART80) - so users must take this into account when downloading .art files from the internet.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWART files are passive design data with no scripting, so they're safe to open in legitimate embroidery software. The real-world cautions are practical, not security: only resize/convert designs in proper software (ARTlink, TrueSizer, Embrilliance) so stitch density is recalculated - simply renaming or crudely scaling a stitch file ruins the embroidery; and download designs from reputable sellers, since pirated/altered design packs are common online. Avoid generic "ART file viewers" advertised for the image .ART format - they won't open a BERNINA design.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEBernina ARTista Embroidery Designaka Bernina ART file, ARTlink design
DEVELOPERBERNINA International AG (with Wilcom, who develop the embroidery engine)since ARTista era; the versioned .ART50/.ART60/.ART70/.ART80 forms arrived with ARTlink 5 onward (mid-2000s+)
CATEGORYEmbroidery Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEProprietary native embroidery design (objects/outlines + stitches + colors), OLE-based, compressed
This extension is also used by…
- AOL / Johnson-Grace compressed image (.art) - A 1990s AOL-era highly compressed raster image format - same extension, completely unrelated to embroidery; rarely seen today.
- Canon Crayola / clip-art and other legacy .art images - Various old graphics programs also used .art for raster artwork; not interchangeable with Bernina designs.
MAGIC BYTES · FILE SIGNATURE
OFFSET
0001020304050607
HEX
D0CF11E0A1B11AE1
ASCII
········
Bernina ART is built on the Microsoft OLE2 / Compound File Binary container, so it begins with the standard CFBF magic D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1. The embroidery design data (objects, stitches, colors, a preview) lives in internal streams and is automatically compressed on save. Version is encoded by the extension itself (.ART50 = ARTlink/Software 5, .ART60 = 6, .ART70 = 7, .ART80 = 8); a bare .ART is the generic/older form. Do NOT confuse with the unrelated AOL/Johnson-Grace .ART compressed image.
Programs that open ART files
Windows4 apps
BERNINA ARTlink
Free Install the free ARTlink, open the .ART/.ART80 design to view, resize, recolor and export it to your machine format.
BERNINA Embroidery Software (DesignWorks/V8/V9)
Paid Open the ART file for full digitizing/editing; export EXP/DST/PES/JEF to stitch.
Wilcom TrueSizer (free)
Free Open/resize the design and convert between embroidery formats (Wilcom is the engine behind Bernina ART).
Embrilliance Essentials
Paid Cross-brand embroidery app that opens many ART designs and converts to DST/PES/JEF etc. 
macOS1 app
Embrilliance Essentials
Paid Mac-native embroidery software to open ART designs and convert/export to machine formats. Technical details
deep spec| Container format | OLE2 / Compound File Binary (CFBF) - identical container type to legacy .doc/.xls files; file begins with magic bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 |
| File purpose | BERNINA's native, fully editable embroidery design format; stores design objects, outlines, generated stitches, thread/color data, and an embedded preview image |
| Encoding | Binary (OLE2 compound streams), little-endian |
| Compression | Design data automatically compressed on save and decompressed on open, reducing file size for USB storage and email transfer |
| Version encoding | Version carried in the file extension: .ART50 (ARTlink 5), .ART60 (v6), .ART70 (v7), .ART80 (v8); bare .ART is the older generic form |
| Grade system | Grades A-D describe how much editable object data is retained: Grade A = full design objects and outlines; lower grades preserve stitches but with reduced or no re-editable object data |
| Typical file size | Tens of KB to a few MB depending on stitch count and embedded preview artwork |
| Hoop/dimension limits | Bounded by the selected target hoop size (e.g. standard 150×150 mm through Maxi/Jumbo hoops); not a pixel-based raster dimension |
| Thread data | Thread palette stored as RGB entries referencing commercial thread ranges (e.g. Madeira, Robison-Anton); stitch technique properties (fill, satin, run) stored per design object |
| Machine output | Export to .exp for Bernina machines, or .dst, .pes, .jef, .hus for other brands; .art itself is not sent directly to the sewing machine |
| Platform | Windows only (BERNINA ARTlink / Embroidery Software; Wilcom engine) |
| Developer | BERNINA International AG; embroidery engine developed in partnership with Wilcom, who also supply the underlying design processing technology |
| Released | ARTista era; the versioned .ART50/.ART60/.ART70/.ART80 forms arrived with ARTlink 5 onward (mid-2000s+) |
| Latest version | ART80 (BERNINA ARTlink 8 / Embroidery Software 8); newer suites use the related EXP/EMB workflow |
| Specification | docs.fileformat.com |
ART conversions
Possible
.ART .DSTGUIDE
Yes - open the ART file in BERNINA ARTlink or Wilcom TrueSizer (both free) and export as DST.
How to convert
.ART .PESGUIDE
Yes - open the ART file in Wilcom TrueSizer (free) or BERNINA Embroidery Software and export as PES.
How to convert
.ART .HUSGUIDE
Yes - open the ART file in Wilcom TrueSizer (free) or Embrilliance Essentials and export to HUS.
How to convert
.ART .SVGGUIDE
You can export design outlines from a Bernina ART file to SVG using Wilcom TrueSizer (free) or Embrilliance…
How to convert
.ART .EXPGUIDE
Yes - open the ART file in the free BERNINA ARTlink software and export directly to EXP.
How to convert
.ART .JEFGUIDE
Yes - open the ART file in Wilcom TrueSizer (free) or Embrilliance Essentials and export as JEF.
How to convert
.ART .JPGGUIDE
Yes, you can export a BERNINA ART file as a JPG image - the fastest route is the free BERNINA ARTlink…
How to convert
.ART .PDFGUIDE
Yes - open the ART file in BERNINA ARTlink or BERNINA Embroidery Software and print the design worksheet to…
How to convert
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about ART files.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ART file?
In embroidery it's a BERNINA ARTista design - the native, editable format of BERNINA's embroidery software, holding outlines, stitches and thread colors. (The extension is also used by an unrelated old AOL image format.)
How do I open a BERNINA ART file?
Use BERNINA's free ARTlink to view, resize and export it, or the full BERNINA Embroidery Software to edit it. Wilcom TrueSizer and Embrilliance can also open many ART designs.
What do .ART50, .ART60, .ART70 and .ART80 mean?
They mark the BERNINA software version that saved the design: ARTlink/Software 5 makes .ART50, 6 makes .ART60, 7 makes .ART70 and 8 makes .ART80. A bare .ART is the older/base form.
How do I convert an ART design to stitch on my machine?
Open it in ARTlink/BERNINA software and export to your machine format - EXP for Bernina, or DST/PES/JEF/HUS for other brands. Always convert in software so the stitch data is regenerated.
Can I just rename an ART file to DST or PES?
No. Embroidery formats are different internally; renaming corrupts the file. You must export/convert through embroidery software that recalculates the stitches for the target machine.
Why does my ART design stitch out wrong after resizing?
Because scaling a finished design without recalculating stitch density distorts it. Resize the editable ART in BERNINA software (or TrueSizer/Embrilliance), which regenerates the stitches at the new size.
References
1fileformat.com - ART (Bernina ARTlink) formatdocs.fileformat.com
2BERNINA Blog - formats, extensions and files (Software V8)blog.bernina.com
