DMC Pattern Maker

Cross Stitch Pattern Maker

Turn any picture into a DMC floss chart. Every setting updates live, free and with no sign-up.

Now showing: Loading sample

Photo prep

Background: Off

Pixel art: Off

Fine tuning
Color tools
DMC colors used (0)
No color
Grid
120 × 120 stitches
Stitches
0
DMC colors
0
Skeins to buy
0
Finished size
8.57 × 8.57 in
21.8 × 21.8 cm
FREE Watermarked preview and basic sizes
PRO Print-ready files, no watermark
Cut fabric
14.57 × 14.57 in
37.0 × 37.0 cm
Frame
14 in hoop
Stitching time
0 hours
Unstitched cells
0
Islands under 10
0
Stitches merged
0
Edits · backstitch lines
0 · 0
Printable pattern bookEarly Launch Price · 50% Off $4.99 $9.99 See Pro

Open one and edit it

Finished examples

Each one opens in the studio above with its real settings, ready to change.

Steps

How it works

  1. Pick a pictureUpload a photo, drawing or sprite, or open a sample. The file stays in your browser.
  2. Set fabric and sizeChoose Aida or linen, then a width in stitches, inches or centimetres. Finished size, cut size and hoop update as you type.
  3. Choose your colorsCap the DMC palette from 8 to 90 colors, add dithering if the picture needs it, and merge confetti stitches.
  4. Edit stitch by stitchZoom in, fix eyes and edges with the pencil, swap any DMC number and add backstitch lines.
  5. ExportTake the free watermarked preview and size summary, or unlock the printable pattern book and tablet files.

Use cases

What people make with it

Pet portraitsA 120 × 120 chart at 28 colors finishes at 8.57 in on 14 ct. Open the photo tool
Pixel art and spritesEvery pixel becomes one stitch, and transparency stays bare fabric. Open the pixel tool
Wedding and family samplersAdd a backstitch border, then print the chart at home. Read the picture guide
Stitching from a tabletExport real-text symbols and an .oxs project. Open the tablet tool
Planning fabric and flossWork out what to cut and buy before you start. Open the calculator
Selling digital patternsSell charts of art you own, with a mockup and bobbin labels. See what is in the PDF

Reference

Fabric count quick table

Pick the count first: it sets the finished size, the strands and the needle.

FabricStitches/inStrandsTapestry needle100 stitches
Aida 11 ct112–3#229.09 in / 23.1 cm
Aida 14 ct142#247.14 in / 18.1 cm
Aida 16 ct162#24 or #266.25 in / 15.9 cm
Aida 18 ct181–2#265.56 in / 14.1 cm
Aida 22 ct (Hardanger)221–2#26 or #284.55 in / 11.5 cm
Evenweave/Linen 28 ct over 2142#267.14 in / 18.1 cm
Evenweave/Linen 32 ct over 2162#26 or #286.25 in / 15.9 cm

Linen is worked over two threads, so 28 ct stitches like 14 and 32 ct like 16. The calculator page gives the same figures for any stitch count, including the fabric to cut.

Reference

Chart sheets by design size

Each sheet holds 50 × 70 stitches at 3.6 mm per square.

Design sizeSheets across × downSheets per versionPDF pages, up to 40 colors
40 × 401 × 114
64 × 642 × 126
100 × 1003 × 2614
120 × 1203 × 2614
140 × 903 × 2614
140 × 1403 × 3920
200 × 2005 × 31532
300 × 3007 × 53572

This printable cross stitch pattern maker works out sheets before you pay, and the Pro panel above shows them for your own design. See the custom cross stitch pattern PDF guide for what each page holds.

Guides

Confetti cleanup and tablet export

Why confetti matters

A single stray stitch means cutting a thread, starting it and burying the end, all for one cross. Photos create thousands of these. The cleanup merges small islands into a neighboring color without adding colors. The picture conversion guide has measured results for all four samples.

Printed charts and tablet charts

This cross stitch symbol chart generator gives up to 90 colors a unique shape that stays readable in black ink. For tablets, the Pattern Keeper compatible PDF generator keeps those symbols as real text, so a reader app can follow them.

FAQ

Common questions

Is this cross stitch pattern maker free?

Yes. Uploading, cropping, background removal, all seven fabrics, 8 to 90 colors, dithering, confetti cleanup, every editing tool and all three views are free with no sign-up and no limit. Free exports are a watermarked screen preview PNG up to 1000 px and a size summary TXT. Printable charts need a plan.

Is my photo uploaded anywhere?

No. Your image is processed only in your browser. Pro exports send the stitch grid (color numbers and positions), never the picture, and nothing is stored after the file is returned.

How many DMC colors should I use for a pet portrait?

Start at 24 to 32. The Corgi sample at 120 × 120 stitches uses 27 colors with a cap of 28 and keeps its fur shading. Below 16 colors, soft tones start to band. Above 40, you buy more skeins for changes most people cannot see at arm’s length.

What does "remove confetti stitches" do?

Confetti stitches are tiny islands of one color that make you start and end a thread for a stitch or two. The cleanup merges every island under your chosen size, from 2 to 10 stitches, into its most common neighbor color. On the Corgi sample, a setting of 10 takes small islands from 2,283 to 0.

Which fabric count should I pick: 11, 14, 16, 18 or 22?

14 ct is the usual starting point: easy to see and widely sold. 11 ct is larger and kinder to the eyes, with 3 strands. 16 and 18 ct give finer detail in a smaller piece. 22 ct is Hardanger, usually worked with 1 strand, and it shrinks a 100-stitch design to 4.55 in.

How do I stitch on 28 or 32 count linen over two?

Work each cross over two fabric threads, so 28 ct behaves like 14 stitches per inch and 32 ct like 16. Pick Evenweave/Linen in the Fabric list and the studio divides the count for you. A 120-stitch width finishes at 8.57 in on 28 ct over two.

How big will my finished cross stitch be?

Divide stitches by stitches per inch: 100 stitches on 14 ct is 7.14 in (18.1 cm). The studio also adds your framing margin of 2, 2.5 or 3 inches per side, so a 120 × 120 design on 14 ct needs 14.57 × 14.57 in of fabric.

How much DMC floss do I need, and how many skeins?

The estimate uses (2√2 + 2) × stitch pitch × 1.5 per stitch, scaled by your strands out of the six in a skein. On 14 ct with 2 strands, one 8 m skein covers about 1,826 full stitches. Skeins round up, and 3 strands use 1.5 times the floss.

Does the PDF work with Pattern Keeper?

The Pattern Keeper pack is built for Pattern Keeper and Markup R-XP: symbols are real text in an embedded font, chart pages hold no images, and there is one DMC legend. Neither app has reviewed or endorsed it, so check that the legend matched after you import.

What is an .oxs file and which apps open it?

OXS is Open Cross Stitch, an XML project format that stores the palette, every full stitch and any backstitch lines. Chart programs that read OXS can open or edit your pattern without the PDF. Support varies from app to app, so check your app’s import list first.

What is the 2-stitch overlap on each page?

Each printed sheet holds 50 × 70 stitches. Where two sheets join, the last 2 columns or rows repeat in gray on the next sheet, so you can find your place without guessing. A 100 × 100 design takes 6 sheets per version.

Can I print the chart in black and white?

Yes. The pattern book has a Color + Symbol version and a High-Contrast B&W version. Up to 90 colors get unique shapes that read without color, and the B&W pages use no color fills, so a laser printer handles them well.

What do I get with the $4.99 7-day pass?

One payment, no renewal, and 7 days of unlimited pattern book PDFs, Pattern Keeper + OXS packs and seller packs. That is less than one $5.99 pattern at Stitchmate or StitchThis. Monthly at $7.99 and Lifetime at $19.99 unlock the same exports for longer.

Can I sell patterns I make here on Etsy?

Yes, on every plan and with no royalty, as long as you own the source image or have the rights to use it. The seller pack adds a 300 DPI mockup, bobbin labels and an SVG chart. Do not sell charts of characters, logos or photos you do not own.

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