Convert a photo to a cross stitch pattern
Upload a photo, choose how wide and how many colors, and get a counted cross stitch chart matched to DMC floss, with a printable PDF and a thread list. It runs in your browser, so the photo is never uploaded anywhere.
Open the studio and upload a photo
How to make a cross stitch pattern from a photo
- Choose the right photo. Sharp, evenly lit, one clear subject, plain background. A face that fills the frame converts far better than a full-body shot with scenery.
- Upload it. In the pattern studio, click Upload a photo (PNG, JPG or WebP). Conversion happens on your device in a background worker.
- Set the stitch width. This is the number of stitches across. 100 stitches on 14-count Aida is about 7 inches (18 cm) wide. Use the fabric calculator to check the finished size before you commit.
- Set the color count. Start at 20 to 30. Portraits usually need 25 to 40 for believable skin tones; logos, pixel art and line drawings can be done in 5 to 12. Every extra color is another skein and more thread changes.
- Turn on the options that fit your image. Preserve pixel-art edges keeps sprites crisp instead of blurring them. Remove plain background drops a connected flat background so you stitch only the subject.
- Clean up. Use Clean isolated stitches to remove single stray stitches ("confetti"), then merge near-identical colors from the thread palette. Zoom in and fix eyes, lettering and outlines with the pencil.
- Download. Export a PDF with a tiled symbol chart and DMC key, a stitched-preview PNG, a CSV thread list, or an editable project file to come back to later.
What makes a photo convert well
- Contrast. The converter clusters colors in a perceptual (Lab) color space. Images with distinct light and dark areas hold their shape at low color counts; flat, hazy images turn to mush.
- Crop tight. Every stitch you spend on background is a stitch you can't spend on the subject. Crop before uploading so the subject fills the frame.
- Resolution barely matters. A 100-stitch pattern only needs about 100 pixels across. A phone photo is plenty. What matters is what's in the frame.
- Avoid gradients and bokeh. Soft, blurred backgrounds become noisy patches of similar colors. A plain wall or the background-removal option is easier to stitch.
Choosing size and color count
| Subject | Stitch width | Colors | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet or person portrait | 120–200 | 25–40 | Faces need smooth tonal steps; fewer colors make skin look posterized. |
| Logo, icon, text | 40–100 | 3–8 | Flat colors, hard edges. Turn on pixel-art mode. |
| Pixel-art sprite | Native size | As drawn | Pixel-art mode maps 1 pixel to 1 stitch with no smoothing. |
| Landscape or scene | 150–300 | 30–48 | Lots of detail; expect a long project and many color changes. |
| Quick gift, card, ornament | 40–70 | 8–15 | An evening or a weekend to stitch. |
The studio supports up to 300 × 300 stitches and 48 colors per pattern. If your subject needs more than that, it is probably a candidate for a smaller crop.
Pixel art to cross stitch
Sprites and pixel art are the easiest images to convert because they already are stitch charts. Upload the PNG at its native size, set the stitch width to the image's pixel width, and enable Preserve pixel-art edges. Each pixel becomes exactly one stitch and each color is matched to its nearest DMC floss. Keep transparent backgrounds transparent so only the sprite is charted.
What you get
- A paginated PDF chart with symbols, a 10-stitch bold grid and a DMC thread key.
- A thread list (CSV) with stitch counts and an estimated skein usage per color. The estimate assumes two strands and full crosses; see how the estimate works.
- A stitched preview PNG showing how the finished piece will look on your chosen fabric color.
- An editable project file you can re-open in the studio later.
Honest limits. The DMC color values are community RGB approximations, not a calibrated catalog, so check a swatch under daylight before buying 40 skeins. Only full cross stitches are generated: no backstitch or fractional stitches yet. Only convert photos you have the right to use.
Frequently asked questions
Is the photo uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs in a web worker inside your browser. Nothing is sent to Stitchpaper or anyone else, which is also why there is no account.
How many colors should a photo cross stitch pattern have?
Between 20 and 40 for a photographic portrait. Below 20 skin and fur look blocky; above 40 you spend most of your time changing threads for tiny gains in likeness. Try 24, 32 and 40 and compare the previews before deciding.
Why does my pattern have lots of single stitches in odd colors?
That is "confetti": pixels that landed nearest to a color that none of their neighbors use. Use Clean isolated stitches, then merge similar colors, then hand-fix what remains. Cropping tighter and lowering the color count before converting reduces it most.
Can I convert a photo for free without a watermark?
Yes. Every export is free and unwatermarked. There is no premium tier.
What fabric count should I use for a photo?
14-count Aida is the usual choice: 100 stitches is about 7 inches. For a smaller finished piece with the same detail, use 16 or 18 count. The Aida count guide explains the trade-offs.