Longarm quilting file formats, and how to convert them
Digital pantographs come as a ZIP with a dozen files because every quilting system reads its own format. Here's which one your machine needs, and what to do when you only have the wrong one.
Which file does my machine read?
| System | Use | Also reads |
|---|---|---|
| Gammill Statler Stitcher | QLI | DXF through Creative Studio |
| Handi Quilter Pro-Stitcher | HQF (newer versions: HQV) | QLI, TXT |
| IntelliQuilter | IQP | DXF |
| Innova AutoPilot | PAT | DXF |
| Bernina Q-matic | BQM | through Art & Stitch |
| CompuQuilter | QLI (older: CQP) | |
| APQS Quilt Path | QLI | |
| QBot / 4QB, PC Quilter | PLT | |
| QuiltEZ Quilt Manager | QCC | DXF |
| Side Saddle | SSD |
When your system reads more than one, use its own format first and DXF as the fallback: DXF is universal, but each system has to interpret it.
What's inside these files
Almost all of them are a list of points the needle travels through, in inches, starting at 0,0:
- QLI is a small motion-control program (a subset of the Galil DMC language) in thousandths of an inch, with straight moves and arcs.
- HQF lists straight segments, TXT, SSD and QCC list points, and CQP uses pen-up / pen-down points.
- PAT and BQM are G-code, the language of CNC machines, with lines and arcs.
- PLT is HPGL, an old plotter language, at 1016 units per inch.
- IQP is a small binary file of point coordinates centred on the design.
- DXF is the AutoCAD drawing format: polylines and arcs, usually in inches.
That's why a pantograph converts cleanly between them: it's the same line written in different ways.
How to convert a pantograph to another format
- Open PantoMaker and choose Open file.
- Drop in the file you have: QLI, DXF, HQF, TXT, IQP, PAT, BQM, CQP, PLT, QCC, SSD, or an SVG.
- Check the size and the whole-quilt preview.
- Download the format your machine reads, or the ZIP with all of them.
Everything happens in your browser, so the file isn't uploaded anywhere. Converting needs PantoMaker Pro (one payment); the preview is free, and the built-in designs download free in every format so you can check your machine reads PantoMaker files first.
Please respect the designer's license. Most allow converting a pattern you bought for your own machine, but not sharing the converted files.
Troubleshooting
- The pattern doesn't show up on the machine: check the folder your system imports from, and that the file extension is exactly what it expects.
- It's the wrong size: DXF files can be in inches or millimetres. Resize in your quilting software, or set the size in PantoMaker and export again.
- Rows don't join: the start and end must be at the same height. PantoMaker levels them when it makes the repeat.
