EXP to HRZ Converter

Export embroidery EXP files as HRZ images online

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Niche Format Support

Convertio handles even uncommon formats like HRZ. Transform your EXP embroidery designs for specialized radio imaging applications.

No Downloads Required

Everything runs in your web browser. Upload the EXP file and receive HRZ output without installing anything.

Privacy Protected

Uploaded EXP files are deleted after conversion. HRZ outputs are automatically purged from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert EXP to HRZ

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

EXP (Melco) is a machine embroidery file format developed by Melco, a company founded in 1972 that pioneered the commercial embroidery industry. The format stores stitch data as a series of relative coordinate movements using a compact binary structure, with each record encoding the needle's horizontal and vertical displacement along with control flags for stitch type, color changes, and machine stops. EXP files use a straightforward sequential layout — stitch records follow one after another without complex headers or nested structures, making the format reliable and fast to process on embroidery machine controllers. Melco developed the format for their commercial multi-head embroidery machines, widely deployed in contract embroidery shops, uniform manufacturers, and promotional product companies. One advantage is efficiency for commercial production — the lean binary structure minimizes file size and loading time, important when operators run hundreds of designs daily on multi-head machines. The format's association with Melco's professional-grade equipment gives it credibility in the commercial embroidery sector, where reliability and speed are prioritized. Most professional digitizing software — including Wilcom, Pulse, and Hatch — supports EXP export, ensuring designs from any major platform can target Melco equipment. While EXP lacks embedded thread color metadata, its simplicity and industry acceptance have sustained its use across decades of commercial embroidery production.
Initial release: 1985
HRZ is a simple raster image format associated with slow-scan television (SSTV), a method of transmitting still images over radio frequencies used by amateur radio operators since the late 1950s when Copthorne Macdonald pioneered the technology. HRZ files store images at a fixed resolution of 256x240 pixels in raw RGB format, with each pixel represented as three bytes (red, green, blue) at 8 bits per channel, producing uncompressed files of exactly 184,320 bytes. The format has no header, no metadata, and no compression — the file is simply a sequential dump of raw pixel data in row-major order. This extreme simplicity reflects the format's origins in the amateur radio community, where SSTV images are transmitted as audio tones encoding luminance and chrominance values over narrow-bandwidth HF (shortwave) radio channels. The fixed 256x240 resolution corresponds to common SSTV transmission modes, and HRZ files serve as the digital capture or storage medium for received SSTV transmissions. One advantage is the format's zero-overhead structure: with no parsing, decompression, or metadata processing required, HRZ files can be read by any program capable of reading raw pixel data with known dimensions — a single function call in virtually any programming language. The format's connection to amateur radio SSTV culture is another notable aspect: HRZ files document a unique form of image communication where operators transmit photographs over thousands of miles using nothing but radio waves and audio encoding, a practice that continues today alongside digital modes. HRZ files can be opened by ImageMagick, GIMP, and specialized SSTV software.
Developer: SSTV Community
Initial release: 1985

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert EXP to HRZ?

HRZ is a simple image format used in amateur radio slow-scan television. Converting EXP to HRZ adapts embroidery designs for this niche application.

What programs open HRZ files?

HRZ files open in specialized SSTV software and some image editors like IrfanView and XnView that support this format.

Is HRZ a common format?

HRZ is a niche format with limited mainstream use. It serves specific needs in ham radio image transmission.

How fast is the conversion?

EXP to HRZ conversion completes in seconds on cloud servers. No waiting or local software required.

Does the converter cost money?

Basic conversions on Convertio are free. Premium plans provide higher limits for professional needs.