Make the chart easier to stitch
Find a balance between shading and scattered stitches.
More colors can preserve soft fur. Fewer colors can simplify the work. The right choice is the one that still looks like your pet at the size you want to stitch.
What does the color limit mean?
Choose a maximum of 8, 12, 16 or 24 colors. The median-cut palette is computed from your actual image, so fewer distinct colors may be used. Each filled cell has exactly one palette color.
Dithering adds texture, and work
Dithering spreads color error into neighboring cells, creating small alternating colors. It can suggest smoother tones from a limited palette but often adds scattered stitches. Start with it Off for a first pet portrait.
What is confetti?
A lone stitch with no same-color neighbor above, below, left or right is isolated. Such stitches may be noise, but they may also be an eye glint or a special marking. Fewer isolates do not automatically mean a better portrait.
Cleanup is conservative, not intelligent retouching
Cleanup considers neighboring colors and contrast. It does not know which cell is an eye. Compare the original conversion and cleaned chart at the same size. Restore a cell manually if needed, or use less cleanup.
RGB is a reference, not a floss code
This version does not contain a verified DMC palette. The exported key includes symbols, RGB colors and actual counts. Match with a physical floss card under your stitching light before shopping; screens and printers cannot promise exact thread color.