Perler bead pattern maker

How to make a Perler bead pattern from a photo

1. Choose the bead brand. In the studio, set Bead brand to Perler, Hama (Midi 5 mm) or Artkal (S and J series, 5 mm). The pattern only uses colors that brand sells, under its own codes.
2. Upload a photo. Drop it on Start with your image (PNG, JPG or WebP, up to 20 MB). It is converted in your browser and never uploaded.
3. Set the width. Pattern width is the number of beads across, from 20 to 300. A large square pegboard holds 29 beads across, so 58 is two boards wide and 87 is three.
4. Set the number of colors. Maximum colors goes from 2 to 48. Each color is another bag of beads, so start low and raise it if the preview needs it.
5. Remove the background if you want a cut-out shape. Remove a plain background leaves the pegs around the subject empty, so the finished piece is the shape of the subject. Transparent areas of a PNG are left empty as well.
6. Clean up. Clean up stray stitches removes single beads whose color no neighbor shares. Fix eyes, outlines and lettering with the pencil.
7. Set the pegboard. Pegboard is the large square, 29 × 29, by default. You can set a custom size if your boards differ.
8. Download. The PDF has one page per pegboard, numbered, with a symbol for every bead, and a key with each color's code and exact bead count.

Bead brands and color codes

The pattern lists each bead by the maker's own code and name, so you can order the right bags.

• Perler uses item numbers, such as 80-19001 for White (perler.com). Codes like "P01" found on some sites are not Perler's.
• Hama numbers its colors from 01 to 125, and the number is the same for Mini, Midi and Maxi beads (hama.dk). The "H01" style is a fan convention, not Hama's. The studio uses the Midi (5 mm) range.
• Artkal uses codes such as S01, from its S series and its newer J series (Artkal color chart). Artkal publishes codes but not color names, so the pattern shows codes only.

The colors on screen are approximate. None of the three makers publishes color values for its beads; their charts are photographs. The Perler and Hama colors come from the community list maxcleme/beadcolors (MIT license). The Artkal colors were sampled from Artkal's own color chart image. Some newer colors have no color value yet and are left out of the matching. Compare a few real beads before you buy large quantities.

Pegboards and finished size

Hama's large square Midi pegboard has 841 pegs, which is 29 × 29, and the boards connect (hama.dk). Perler does not publish a peg count; its large square pegboard is 5.7 inches across and interlocks, and four boards snap together to 11.375 inches (perler.com). That fits the same 29 × 29 grid at about 5 mm per peg. Artkal's large square 5 mm board is 14.5 cm and linkable (Artkal).

A Perler bead is 5.07 mm high and 4.77 mm wide (perler.com) and a Hama Midi bead is 5 × 5 mm (hama.dk), so the finished piece is about 5 mm per bead in both directions. The grid is square, which means one pixel of a photo becomes one bead with no stretching.

Widths that are a multiple of 29 use whole boards. Any other width leaves the last board in each row partly empty, which is fine; the PDF shows where the design ends.

Pixel art to beads

Sprites and pixel art are the easiest images to turn into bead patterns because they already are grids. Set Pattern width to the image's width in pixels and turn on Keep pixel art crisp so the edges are not smoothed. Each pixel becomes one bead in the nearest color the brand sells. Keep transparent backgrounds transparent so only the sprite is placed on the board.

How to iron fuse beads

Each maker gives its own instructions, and they do not agree on everything: Hama says to keep the iron moving the whole time, while Artkal says to hold it in place for 2 to 3 seconds. Follow the instructions for the beads you are using. Ironing should be done by an adult.

Perler

• Start at a medium setting with a dry iron and no steam, and adjust up or down as needed (Perler FAQ).
• Always use ironing paper; never put the iron directly on the beads or pegboard.
• Make a small test patch first to practice timing, motion and pressure.
• Iron all areas evenly, including the edges, with a slow circular or back-and-forth motion and firm, even pressure. Do not press too hard.
• If the bead holes start closing, turn the heat down. Too much heat can also warp the pegboard.
• Let it cool before lifting the paper, then lift it slowly. Iron both sides.

Hama

• Place Hama ironing paper over the design and move the iron in smooth, circular movements for a few seconds, keeping it moving the whole time (Hama instructions).
• Stop when the colors of the beads show clearly through the paper. Do not overheat the beads or touch the pegboard with the iron.
• Use the cotton setting for Midi beads, and test a small motif first because irons vary.
• Let it cool for a few minutes before removing it from the pegboard, and place it under a book until it is completely cool.

Artkal

• Set the iron to medium heat, between 160 and 180 °C, and cover the beads completely with ironing paper or ironing film (Artkal).
• Hold the iron in place for about 2 to 3 seconds.
• Peel off the paper, flip the design and iron the other side.
• Let it cool under a book or something heavy so it stays flat.

What you get

• A printable PDF: one page per pegboard with board numbers and a symbol for every bead, plus a key with each color's code, name and exact bead count.
• A chart image (PNG), a bead list (CSV) with codes, names and counts, and an editable project file.

No watermark, no account, and no premium tier.

Related

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• How it worksHow the conversion and counts are done.

Perler is a trademark of Advantus, Corp.; Hama is a trademark of Malte Haaning Plastic A/S; Artkal is a trademark of its owner. Stitchpaper is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.