Cross stitch pattern generator: turn a photo into a chart
This cross stitch pattern generator turns a photo into a chart: choose the image, set the width in stitches and the number of colours, and you get a pattern with a symbol per colour, a grid marked every ten squares and the stitch count per colour – plus the finished size on Aida. The image is not uploaded.
Source: Wikipedia – Cross-stitch. Updated: .
How it is calculated
How the photo becomes a chart
- Choose an image, drop it in or paste it with Ctrl + V.
- Set the width in stitches. More stitches mean more detail – and more work.
- Choose the number of colours. Ten to fifteen are enough for most designs.
- Save the chart as a PNG, print it and stitch square by square.
How to read the chart
Each square is one cross stitch, and the symbol in it stands for the thread colour in the key. The thin lines separate stitches; the bold lines mark every ten squares so you can find your place when counting. The key gives each colour’s code and stitch count so you can estimate the thread you need.
How big will the stitching be?
The size depends on the Aida count, that is, stitches per inch (2.54 cm). On 14-count Aida that is about 5.5 stitches per centimetre: 70 stitches wide come to roughly 12.7 cm. Add a few centimetres of margin on each side when cutting the fabric.
Colours and thread
The palette is calculated from the photo. The colour codes show the shade on screen; match thread best with your maker’s shade card. The image stays on your device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a cross stitch pattern from a photo?
Choose the photo, set width in stitches and the number of colours, and save the chart as PNG. Symbols and key show which colour belongs in which square.
How many stitches and colours make sense?
To start, about 60 to 100 stitches wide and 10 to 15 colours. More colours add detail but make stitching more work.
How big will the finished piece be?
The tool calculates the area for your Aida count. On 14-count Aida it is about 5.5 stitches per centimetre.
What do the symbols mean?
Each symbol stands for one thread colour. The key under the chart gives colour code and stitch count per symbol.
What does “Smooth out single stitches” do?
Isolated stitches of another colour are matched to their surroundings. The pattern gets calmer and easier to stitch.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser; the image never leaves your device.
Sources and legal basis
- Wikipedia – Cross-stitch
- Wikipedia – K-means clustering (palette from the photo)
- ITU-T T.81 / ISO/IEC 10918-1 – JPEG
- W3C – Portable Network Graphics (PNG) Specification
- Google for Developers – An image format for the Web (WebP)
- AOMedia – AV1 Image File Format (AVIF)
- MDN – Image file type and format guide
- MDN – HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob()
- Open-source licenses of the libraries used (MIT, LGPL-3.0)
As of: · Editorial policy
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