Your first portrait
From a favorite face to your first stitch.
Start with a clear photo and a small set of choices. Check the eyes before you reach for the needle.
1. Choose and crop
Use soft light and a sharp face. Crop close enough that eyes and nose occupy several grid cells. Rotate if needed. Transparent PNG regions remain unstitched; ordinary photo backgrounds remain filled.
2. Pick the workload
Choose 80, 100, 120 or 160 stitches wide. Height follows the crop ratio. Doubling both dimensions means approximately four times the stitches in a filled design. More stitches can separate features, but cannot fix a blurred source.
3. Balance detail and colors
Try 12–16 colors first, or 24 for more shading. Begin with dithering Off. Compare the uncleaned chart with cleanup enabled: a smaller confetti count is useful only if the likeness survives.
4. Read and edit
Use Color to judge shading and Symbols to judge stitch changes. Zoom into eyes, nose and unusual fur patches. Select a palette color and paint one cell, or erase a cell to leave fabric showing. Undo and redo let you correct edits.
5. Plan and download
The design size assumes one full cross over one Aida square: stitches ÷ fabric count gives inches. Allow extra fabric for finishing. Save JSON as a data backup, download a color key, and print the symbol chart.
Frequently asked questions
Do you send a kit or a finished portrait?
No. You receive digital chart files only. Fabric, floss, hoops and stitching are not included.
Are my photos uploaded?
Photo decoding, adjustment and conversion run inside your browser. This version has no photo-upload API, account or cloud library. The web host receives ordinary requests for pages and assets.
Are these DMC thread colors?
No. This first version exports an RGB palette, symbols and actual stitch counts. Compare the swatches with a physical thread card before buying floss.
Does cropping remove the background?
No. Cropping keeps a rectangular region. Existing transparent pixels remain empty, and the eraser can remove individual chart cells. Automatic background removal is not included.
How do I get a PDF?
Download PDF to receive a multi-page symbol chart with a color key and numbered chart tiles. Color PNG, SVG, JSON project data and a CSV color key are also available.
Can I buy a pattern now?
Payments are not enabled. The listed prices are proposed test prices; preview exports are currently free.