How to use the pattern maker

Choose a photo

Click Choose Image or drag a photo onto it (JPG, PNG, WebP). The pattern appears right away and changes by itself whenever you change a setting — there is no "make" button.

Best photos: one clear subject, good light, a plain background, cropped close to the subject.

1Paper

Start with the paper you will print on: Letter (most US printers) or A4, portrait or landscape. Everything after this is planned on that paper — big patterns are split over several sheets by themselves. Free PDFs are A4; Pro PDFs work with every paper size.

2Size & fabric

Press Small, Medium or Large (50, 80 or 130 stitches across). The line under your photo shows the finished size, e.g. 80×80 stitches · 14.5×14.5 cm at 14ct.

Stitch width / height

Stitches across and down. More = more detail and a bigger piece. Keep Keep the photo's shape on.

Fabric (Aida count)

Holes per inch; 14 is the standard. A higher count makes the same pattern smaller. Plan fabric with the size calculator.

3Colors & detail

Press Simple (10 colors), Balanced (20) or Detailed (36). Every color is a real DMC thread. Number of colors sets the most threads allowed.

More options: Tidy single stitches removes lonely stitches that are slow to sew, Smooth grainy areas evens out texture, Smallest color patch merges tiny patches into the color around them.

4Chart look

Color + symbols (the default) is the usual printed pattern: color squares with a symbol in each, so similar shades never get mixed up. Color is color only; Symbols and B&W save ink on black-and-white printers.

More options: symbol style, a bold line every 10 stitches, thin grid lines, numbers every 10 stitches along the edges (the arrows mark the centre — start stitching there) and a frame.

5Thread list

Every DMC color in your pattern with its symbol and stitch count. Click a thread to highlight it in the preview. Check colors on the DMC color chart.

6What goes in the PDF

Tick what you want: cover page, thread list, stitch counts, your original photo, finished size, page numbers. Switch the preview to PDF pages to see every sheet exactly as it prints.

More options: margins, and the size of each printed square (bigger is easier on the eyes but needs more pages).

Download

Press Download PDF (always at the bottom of the screen). The window shows both versions side by side:

Free PDF

Up to 20 colors, A4 paper, a light watermark, for personal use. A short wait, supported by ads.

Pro PDF

Up to 80 colors, any paper size, a sharp vector PDF without watermark, and you may sell what you make. Buy this download or 24 hours unlimited right there — the PDF downloads as soon as the payment goes through. See how passes work.

If your settings go past the free limits, the free side tells you exactly what to change.

The Pro editor

For hands-on fixes — free to try, your photo and settings come with you. Downloads are SAMPLE PDFs until you have a pass.

Paint & erase

Fix single stitches by hand — tidy an eye, remove a stray color, swap one thread for another.

Grayscale & black-only

Monochrome patterns, and a saturation boost for dull photos.

Grid lines & your watermark

Thicker or darker grid lines, your own shop name as a watermark, no ficklestudio26 footer.