DST has no trim command. Here's how your machine still cuts

DST is the most widely read machine format, but it only knows a handful of commands: stitch, jump, colour change and stop. There's no dedicated trim code. Machines and software agree on a workaround: a short run of jumps in a row means "cut the thread here".

The jump-to-trim setting

Most commercial controllers have a setting along the lines of jump code to trim or trim after N jumps. Our DST files write each trim as three jump codes, which is also the default in common open-source embroidery tools. With your machine set to 3, every trim happens exactly where we planned it.

• Set lower than 3 and the machine may also cut on ordinary long moves.
• Set higher than 3 (or trims switched off) and it won't cut, leaving long connecting threads to clip by hand.

Colour changes add a few more

Our files also trim at every colour change. A long move straight after a colour change is written as several jumps in a row too, so an extra cut there is normal and harmless.

Check your machine in five minutes

1. Find the trim setting in your controller's machine parameters (often listed under jump or trim).
2. Load a small design with a few separate pieces in one colour, such as a test swatch.
3. Watch the first moves: you want a clean cut before each jump between pieces, and no cut inside a single shape.

Formats that mark trims directly

Some formats, such as PES, can flag a trim explicitly, so the setting matters less there. Every design from us comes in DST, PES, JEF, EXP, VP3 and XXX, so use whichever your machine reads best.