New to perler beads, or to this tool? Start here — make a color-coded pattern in 3 steps, then place it. All free ✨
STEP 1-3
Make your bead pattern in 3 steps
1
Upload an image
Tap Upload and pick a photo or design — people, pets, cartoons, logos all work. No image? Try a sample, or browse the Gallery.
2
Move two sliders
Beads wide = detail (more = clearer, more beads) Max colors = easier to buy (fewer = simpler) Not sure? Use the defaults and generate one to see.
3
Export the pattern
Tap Save pattern to get a color-coded grid + bead count per color. Print it, or follow it on your phone, bead by bead.
PICK A STYLE
Which one is your photo? Just match it
Real photos turn muddy when beaded directly, so AI redraws them into something that actually beads well. In each pair below, the left is the AI image and the right is the real chart it becomes — find yours and start.
📌 The one-line cheat sheet (send this straight to a customer)
Already have an image (cartoon / AI / sticker / object)want fewer beads, easy build→🪄 Mini charm
A real photowant it to look good, hair and face sharp→🧸 Chibi
A full-body photokeep the pose and whole outfit→🧍 Full-body doll
A real photomust fit exactly one 52×52 board→🎯 52-cell subject
💡 Not sure? Pick Chibi — it works for solo portraits, couples, pets and family photos. Safest place to start.
SETTINGS
Beads wide and max colors — what numbers should I use?
Below is the same photo run at different settings by the site's own engine, live. One look tells you which way to go.
① Beads wide = sharpness + finished size + workload
📐 How to choose: decide the finished size first. With 5mm beads one cell is 5mm — 32 wide is about 16cm (keychain/coaster), 52 wide is about 26cm (exactly one standard pegboard), 64 wide is about 32cm (needs joined boards). For a face to read clearly, use 48 or more.
② Max colors = likeness + how annoying the shopping gets
🎨 How to choose: fewer colors are cheaper to buy and easier to place, but you lose shading. 12–20 colors is the sweet spot for most people; under 8 suits simple charms, over 24 only pays off on large portraits.
EDIT
Not happy with one spot? Fix it cell by cell
The sliders work on the whole image. When only one area bothers you — hair colour is off, stray dots on the face, you want to add blush — open the editor and fix those cells directly. Click “Continue editing” on any chart to get in; when you are done you can export or share straight from there, no need to start over.
🖌️ Brush / eraser
Tap a cell to change it, or hold and drag to paint. Erased cells become empty (no bead goes there) — handy for cleaning stray dots along edges.
🔁 Replace a whole colour
The most useful tool. Tap any colour in the chart and every cell of that code changes at once — for example swapping a hard-to-buy shade for one you already own.
😊 Face parts
Built-in blush, eyes, a smiling mouth, hearts and more — one tap to stamp them on. On small charts the face blurs easily; parts are the fastest fix.
✂️ Crop / mirror / clear background
Trim the edges, flip horizontally, or clear a flat background in one click. Clearing the background first is the quickest way to save beads.
📦 Save your own parts
Select eyes, hair accessories or a signature you drew and save them — next time you can stamp them onto a new chart instead of redrawing.
💾 Finish right there
The editor exports the HD chart and creates a guest link on the spot. Edits save into My Projects automatically, so you can always come back.
🎯 When it is worth opening: when the result is already close and only one or two spots bother you. If the whole thing looks muddy, go back and raise the bead width or pick another style — much faster than fixing cell by cell.
READ THE CHART
What do all those letters and numbers mean?
Here is what an exported chart looks like. The numbers around the edge are coordinates, the codes inside each cell are bead colors, and the thicker lines mark pegboard boundaries. Understand these four things and you can start.
① Coordinates (blue numbers on all four sides)
They run along every edge so you never lose your place. Locate by coordinate instead of counting cell by cell — it is far faster.
② Color codes (letters + numbers in each cell)
Codes like H6 or G18: the letter is the color family, the number is the shade. Order beads by these codes — on-screen color is only an approximation.
③ Thick divider lines
Drawn every 52 cells. For charts larger than one board, build board by board and join them at the end — that prevents a single misplaced row from ruining everything.
④ Color list at the bottom
Exactly how many beads of each color you need. Add about 10% extra on your main colors for mistakes and loss.
AVOID
5 mistakes beginners make most
😵 The face turns to mush
A real photo beaded directly has too few cells for a face. Fix: convert to an AI chibi first, or push beads wide to 48+.
🧺 Bead shopping becomes a nightmare
Max colors set too high gives you 30+ codes, many used just a few times. Fix: drop to 12–20 and stray colors merge into near matches.
📏 It ends up way too big
64 wide is about 32cm — four standard boards. Fix: decide where it will hang first, then set the width: 32 ≈ 16cm, 52 ≈ 26cm.
🔀 Everything shifts halfway through
Ignoring board lines means one wrong cell throws off the rest. Fix: build section by section along the thick lines and re-check coordinates after each one.
🔥 Over-ironed and warped
Too hot or too long and beads collapse and yellow. Fix: medium heat, use the parchment, keep moving, stop as soon as edges fuse, then flip and repeat.
HOW TO
Got the pattern — how to place it?
1
Get your beads
Check the color list under the pattern (each color × count) and buy the matching bead colors.
2
Place the beads
One cell = one bead. Place beads on the pegboard by cell and color.
3
Iron to set
Cover with ironing paper, iron at medium heat, both sides, until the beads fuse and set 🎉
💡 Tip: start with a small / low-color design — higher success, less frustration.
COST
What does it cost? How long? What do I buy?
💰 What it costs
Making charts, exporting HD files and creating guest links are free forever — unlimited, no signup.
Only the AI step (chibi / full-body doll / mini charm) is paid, at $1.99 per image, cheaper in packs.
A failed generation never charges, and re-tuning settings on an image you already made costs nothing extra.
⏱️ How long
AI image: about 20–40 seconds (up to 3 minutes on a slow connection — no image means no charge).
Turning a normal picture into a chart: a few seconds, computed on your own device. The photo never leaves your browser.
Beading it for real: one 52×52 board is about 2,700 beads — roughly 3–6 hours once you find the rhythm. A 48-wide charm takes about an hour.
🧺 What to buy
Beads: order by the color codes on the chart. The list at the bottom says how many of each — add about 10% on main colors.
Pegboard: a 52×52 chart fits exactly one standard square board; larger charts split along the thick lines.
Parchment + iron: medium heat, keep the iron moving, stop as soon as the edges fuse.