DST to OTB Converter

Turn DST embroidery patterns into OTB on-the-air bitmap images

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Online Conversion

No desktop software needed — convert DST embroidery files to OTB bitmaps directly in your browser from any device.

Stitch to Bitmap

Render DST machine instructions as a compact OTB bitmap — a quick way to get a visual preview of embroidery designs.

Cloud Speed

Processing runs on remote servers, delivering OTB results in seconds without taxing your local hardware.

How to convert DST to OTB

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose otb or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your otb file right afterwards

About formats

DST (Tajima) is a machine embroidery file format created by Tajima Industries, one of the world's leading manufacturers of commercial embroidery equipment. The format encodes stitch data as a sequence of relative coordinate movements, with each stitch record containing a horizontal offset, vertical offset, and a command flag indicating the stitch type — normal stitch, jump (move without stitching), color change, or stop. DST files use a compact binary encoding where each stitch occupies three bytes, making the format efficient for storing complex multi-color designs with tens of thousands of stitches. The coordinate system uses 0.1 mm increments with a maximum single-stitch length of 12.1 mm in any direction. DST has become the de facto standard in the commercial embroidery industry — virtually every embroidery machine from any manufacturer can read DST files, making it the most widely supported embroidery format in existence. One advantage is universal machine compatibility: a DST file will run reliably on Tajima, Barudan, SWF, Brother, and Melco machines alike, eliminating format conversion concerns. The minimal file structure is another strength — files are compact, load instantly even on older machine controllers with limited memory, and their simplicity makes them resistant to corruption during transfer. While DST lacks embedded metadata like thread color names and design previews, this limitation is offset by the format's unmatched portability across the global embroidery industry.
Developer: Tajima Industries
Initial release: 1987
OTB (Over-the-Air Bitmap) is a monochrome image format developed by Nokia as part of their Smart Messaging specification in 1997, designed for transmitting small graphics — operator logos, group graphics, and picture messages — to Nokia mobile phones via SMS. OTB files contain 1-bit (black and white) images at small fixed resolutions, typically 72x14 pixels for operator logos and 72x28 pixels for group graphics, encoded in a compact binary format suitable for embedding within the payload of SMS text messages. The format uses a simple structure: a header byte indicating whether the image is an operator logo or group graphic, width and height values, and the raw bitmap data where each bit represents one pixel packed eight per byte. The extremely tight format — designed to fit within a single SMS message (140 bytes maximum payload, shared with addressing overhead) — reflects the severe constraints of mobile communication in the late 1990s. Nokia's Smart Messaging system was one of the first commercial implementations of rich content delivery to mobile phones, and OTB images represented the entire visual content capability of Nokia handsets before MMS and mobile data browsing arrived. One advantage is the format's historical role as a pioneer of mobile visual messaging: OTB images were among the first graphics that ordinary consumers could send to each other's phones, predating MMS, camera phones, and smartphones by nearly a decade. The format's minimal footprint is another characteristic — entire images fit in a few dozen bytes, reflecting an era of extreme bandwidth constraints. OTB files are supported by ImageMagick, various Nokia phone management tools, and specialty mobile format utilities.
Developer: Nokia
Initial release: 1997

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert DST to OTB?

OTB (On-The-Air Bitmap) is used for simple graphic displays. Converting DST creates a compact bitmap preview of the embroidery.

What opens OTB files?

OTB files can be viewed with ImageMagick tools and certain bitmap-capable image viewers that support the format.

Is OTB a high-quality image format?

OTB is designed for minimal bitmaps. It provides a clear outline of the design but is not meant for photo-quality output.

Does the conversion capture the full pattern?

Yes — all DST stitch coordinates render into the OTB bitmap, preserving the embroidery layout within the format constraints.

Can I convert from my phone?

Absolutely — Convertio works in every mobile browser. Upload DST and download OTB without installing any application.

Is DST to OTB free?

Yes — this conversion is available at no cost on Convertio. No signup or payment required.