Format guide · Janome SEW

Open SEW embroidery files on a Mac

SEW is an older Janome format. Its stitch data matches JEF's; the header and its 79-color palette differ.

Commonly used with: older Janome machines.

What Satinsmith does with SEW

Open and preview SEW files free. Save a design as SEW with any export: the free plan includes five exports a month, and paid plans are unlimited. Converting many files at once needs Studio.

    Satinsmith runs on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later. Download it free.

    What the format stores

    • Extensions: .sew. Maker: Janome.
    • Stores thread colors: yes.
    • Trims: no. Stops: no.
    • Longest single stitch the format can store: 12.7 mm.

    Try your own file

    Add a folder with your SEW files to the free Satinsmith library to preview them before you rely on a workflow. The library lesson shows the steps with practice files.

    Before you sew

    Check your machine's manual for the formats and versions it accepts. Satinsmith checks files in software, reports what an export changes, and does not test files on machines. Known limits.