Used by
Commercial multi-needle machines from Tajima and most other makers, and some home machines.
What it keeps
Stitch positions, jumps, colour stops, and the design name up to 16 characters.
What it can't hold
Thread colours and thread names. A DST only says "stop and change thread here".
What to watch for
Each record moves at most 12.1 mm, so a long move is written as a chain of jumps. Three or more jumps in a row is the usual signal for a trim, and many machines act on it.
Best for
Sending a design to a shop, or keeping a master copy that any commercial machine can read.