Make a diamond painting pattern from your photo.
Turn a favorite photo into a numbered DMC chart. Choose the grid size and colors, compare round or square drills, and download a printable pattern with a complete drill list.
- No account required
- Photos stay in your browser
- PNG & printable PDF
Your diamond painting pattern
Start with a favorite photo
A portrait, pet, illustration, or landscape with a clear subject works best.
How to make a custom diamond painting from a photo
Choose a photo, compare settings, then keep your final chart and drill list together.
- 01
Choose and upload your photo
- Upload a JPG, PNG, or WebP image under 15 MB by choosing or dropping the file.
- Crop so one clear subject fills much of the frame.
- The tool uses that crop’s proportions to set the chart height, so review the image before converting.
- 02
Set the number of drills across
- Choose 30 to 150 drills across; each chart cell represents one drill.
- Start at 80, then compare a smaller and a larger grid in the preview.
- Raising the width also raises the height for the same photo, adding detail and increasing the total number of drills.
- 03
Compare a few color limits
- Choose a maximum of 5 to 60 DMC colors; the chart may use fewer.
- Start around 20 to 30 for a photo, then lower the limit if the result looks scattered.
- Raise it if important shadows merge, and compare the preview before buying materials.
- 04
Download the chart and drill list
- Save a PNG for a visual preview or a PDF for the numbered working chart.
- The PDF includes an overview, chart sections, and a DMC shopping list with exact counts.
- Keep the exported chart and its list together because a new conversion can change the markers and quantities.
Choose an image that stays readable as a drill pattern
Start with a clear subject
- Look for a recognizable outline, clear lighting, and contrast between the subject and its surroundings.
- Crop close enough that the important subject receives many cells in the final grid.
- A pet photographed across a room will lose detail; a close crop of the same pet gives the converter more to work with.
- Check the preview from a normal viewing distance, because small features that look obvious when zoomed in may disappear in the finished piece.
Check the details that matter
- For a portrait, inspect the eyes, mouth, and hairline in the preview.
- If they merge into similar-colored cells, crop closer or increase the grid width.
- More colors cannot recover a facial feature that occupies less than one cell.
- For a landscape, choose the shapes that should remain recognizable, such as a mountain silhouette, building, tree, or the line between water and sky.
Simplify busy images
- Logos and simple illustrations often work at smaller sizes because their edges are already clear.
- Foliage, reflections, patterned clothing, and textured backgrounds usually need a wider grid.
- Remove an unnecessary border or choose a simpler frame before uploading.
- Transparent PNG areas become white canvas in this tool, so add your intended background to the source image first if white is not suitable.
Find the right diamond painting grid size
More cells, more detail
- Grid width controls the resolution of your diamond painting chart.
- A wider grid has more room for edges, shading, and small features, but it also creates a larger placement project.
- For a square image, doubling the width doubles the height and multiplies the drill count by four.
- A 40 × 40 chart has 1,600 cells; an 80 × 80 chart has 6,400.
- That difference is useful to understand before choosing a detailed design as a first project.
Compare the actual drill count
- The table below compares the available width shortcuts for a square source.
- These are starting points to try, rather than promises that every photo will look good at a particular size.
- A rectangular photo produces a rectangular chart with a different total.
- The live preview shows the actual width, height, and drill count for your uploaded image.
- Use those values when comparing versions and planning your materials.
| Width setting | Square grid | Total drills | What to try |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 drills | 40 × 40 | 1,600 | Try a bold icon, simple silhouette, or small illustration. |
| 60 drills | 60 × 60 | 3,600 | Compare clean character art and subjects with strong outlines. |
| 80 drills | 80 × 80 | 6,400 | A useful first preview for a close pet photo or simple portrait. |
| 100 drills | 100 × 100 | 10,000 | Try this when small features need more room than the 80-drill version. |
| 120 drills | 120 × 120 | 14,400 | Compare more detailed subjects and wider ranges of shading. |
| 150 drills | 150 × 150 | 22,500 | The widest setting; review the larger drill count before committing. |
- The tool measures the chart in drills.
- To plan a physical canvas, use the spacing specified by your canvas or drill supplier.
- Multiply the number of drills across by that spacing to estimate the image width, then allow for any border separately.
- Do the same for the height.
- If an uploaded picture would produce more than 180 rows, choose a smaller width or crop the image before trying again.
- This keeps the chart within the supported workspace.
Balance color detail with a chart you can follow
Set a useful color limit
- Start with 20 to 30 colors for a photo and fewer for an illustration with flat fills.
- Raise the limit if important shadows merge; lower it if the drill list or preview becomes too scattered.
- Check whether neighboring areas remain distinct and whether small patches still form a recognizable shape.
- The finished chart can use fewer colors than the selected maximum because several source shades may resolve to the same DMC color.
Decide whether to dither
- Dithering places different colors in nearby cells to suggest an in-between tone.
- Try it on a gradual sky or shaded face when broad areas look banded.
- Turn it off if the pattern becomes speckled or requires too many frequent color changes.
- For a solid logo or simple illustration, start without dithering so you can inspect the large color regions clearly.
Compare one change at a time
- Keep the width fixed while you compare two color limits.
- Then keep the better color limit fixed while you compare dithering on and off.
- Change only one control at a time so you can identify what improved the result.
- Export the preferred version before continuing to experiment; new settings rebuild the chart and can change its numbered markers.
Compare round and square diamond drills
What the preview changes
- The round and square controls change how the drills appear in the preview.
- Use them to compare the visual spacing of the two shapes before choosing your materials.
- The underlying chart remains a rectangular arrangement of cells, and the color codes and counts stay the same when you switch the preview shape.
- The PDF uses square chart cells so the number markers remain easy to read on paper.
Match drills to the canvas
- Choose the physical drill shape together with the canvas that will hold it.
- The preview is a visual reference, so it does not establish the spacing, adhesive, or printing requirements of a particular canvas.
- If you are ordering a custom canvas or preparing one yourself, confirm those details with the supplier.
- Keep your chart dimensions available when discussing the project so the planned canvas and the chosen drill layout agree.
| View | Appearance | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Square preview | Colored squares with a narrow visible separation. | Inspect continuous shapes, edges, and the grid structure. |
| Round preview | Colored circles with white space around each drill. | Compare how gaps affect the appearance of small features. |
| Printable chart | Square numbered cells, regardless of preview shape. | Follow cell positions and match markers to the drill list. |
Follow the numbered chart one section at a time
Match each marker to a color
- A number inside a chart cell points to a color entry in that pattern’s key; it is not the DMC code.
- Find the matching marker in the key, read its DMC code, and place that color in the cell.
- For example, marker 5 could mean DMC 351 in one chart and a different code in another.
- Keep the key from the same export beside the printed grid, especially if you have generated several versions.
Find the next section
- The PDF splits larger designs into sections of up to 30 columns by 30 rows.
- Sections at the right or bottom edge can be smaller.
- Read each page’s section number and printed row and column ranges before moving on.
- Those coordinates show where the page belongs in the whole design and help you avoid repeating a similar-looking background area.
Keep your place on the canvas
- Check that the top of the overview and the top of your canvas face the same direction.
- Compare printed row and column ranges as you move between sections, rather than relying only on color.
- Keep completed pages in order or mark your current location with a pencil note.
- The overview remains a useful reference when a section is hard to recognize on its own.
Choose a PNG preview or a printable PDF chart
PNG for a quick visual
- The two download formats serve different parts of the workflow.
- The PNG captures the rendered pattern with the selected round or square preview.
- Turn on number markers before downloading if you want those labels in the PNG.
- At smaller preview scales, labels may not be displayed in the browser, while the exported PNG has more room for them.
- The PDF includes numbered cells automatically, along with the overview and materials pages, so it is the more complete working reference.
PDF for a working chart
- Before printing the whole PDF, print one section and check that the markers and coordinates are comfortable to read.
- The chart pages are references rather than a guarantee of a physically sized adhesive canvas.
- Your printer settings can change the scale, so do not assume that a printed cell matches the dimensions of your drills.
- If you need a canvas at a specific physical size, prepare that separately using the grid dimensions and the spacing required by your materials.
Use the drill list to organize your project
Count drills and allow for spares
- The drill list shows how many cells use each color in the final chart.
- Those counts describe the pattern exactly, but they do not include spare drills for spills, damaged pieces, or sorting mistakes.
- Decide on your spare allowance before ordering.
- As a simple planning example, a chart count of 600 with a ten percent allowance becomes 660 drills.
- Use your supplier’s pack sizes when deciding the quantity to buy, and keep the original chart count available for reference.
Label colors for the final chart
- Sort your materials by the codes in the final list, then label each container with both its DMC code and the chart marker.
- This lets you find a color from either the shopping list or the printed grid.
- Check the containers again if you regenerate the design, because the marker assigned to a code can change.
- Keeping several versions open at once makes it easy to mix a new chart with an older set of labels.
Common pattern problems and settings to try
Use the preview to catch a problem before printing or buying supplies. Compare a single change at a time so you can see whether it improves the part of the image that matters to you.
| What you see | Possible cause | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| The subject looks hard to recognize | It occupies too few cells or blends into the background. | Crop closer, try a wider grid, and compare the major outlines first. |
| The chart looks speckled | Many small shades or dithering create frequent color changes. | Turn dithering off for comparison, then try a lower color limit. |
| Shadows merge into one flat area | The selected palette is too small for the source shading. | Raise the color limit while keeping the width fixed. |
| The chart contains too many drills | Increasing the width also increased the height. | Compare a smaller width and check the new total beneath the preview. |
| A transparent background appears white | The tool treats transparent pixels as white canvas. | Prepare the intended background in your image editor before uploading. |
| The image is too tall to convert | Its aspect ratio would produce more than 180 rows. | Use a smaller width or crop the source to a less narrow composition. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn a photo into a diamond painting pattern?
Upload a JPG, PNG, or WebP, set the grid width, and choose the maximum number of colors. Review the generated pattern before downloading it. The PNG gives you a rendered image; the PDF includes an overview, numbered sections, and a DMC drill list. Use the final list and its matching chart together when preparing your project.
Is the diamond painting pattern maker free?
Yes. You can upload an image, compare settings, and download PNG or PDF files without an account. The tool processes your source in the browser. You still need to obtain the physical drills, canvas, and other materials separately if you want to turn the digital chart into a finished diamond painting.
What image formats can I upload?
The upload control accepts JPG, PNG, and WebP images up to 15 MB. If a file will not open, try exporting it from your photo editor in one of those formats. A clear crop is more useful than simply choosing the largest file. Transparent PNG areas become white cells in the generated pattern.
Does my image get uploaded to Meltbead?
No. Image conversion happens locally in your browser, and the source photo is not uploaded to Meltbead by this tool. Use the download controls to keep the generated output. The page does not provide an account library or a project save feature, so download the version you want before leaving it.
Can I make a diamond painting of my pet?
Yes. Start with a clear photo where the pet fills much of the frame. Review the eyes, nose, ears, and outline after conversion. If those features disappear, try a closer crop or a wider grid. Compare a few color limits once the shape is recognizable, then export the version you prefer.
What grid size should I choose for a portrait?
There is no width that works for every portrait. Start with a close crop at 80 drills across, then compare 100 or 120 if the facial features need more space. Watch the total count as you increase the width. The live preview helps you decide whether the extra detail justifies the larger placement project.
Why does the chart use fewer colors than my maximum?
The color setting is an upper limit. Some source shades can map to the same reference color, so the finished palette may contain fewer entries than the chosen maximum. Look at the actual number below the preview and the drill list. You do not need to purchase colors that are absent from the final chart.
What do the numbers inside the chart mean?
They identify entries in that chart’s color key. Each numbered entry has a DMC code and a drill count. The marker number is a short label for reading the grid; it is not the DMC code printed on your materials. Markers may change after conversion settings change, so use the key belonging to the same export.
Can I use round or square drills?
The tool offers both shapes in the preview. Switching between them changes the rendering while preserving the grid positions and color counts. The PDF uses square numbered cells for readability. Choose physical drills and a suitable canvas together, using the supplier’s spacing requirements when planning the actual dimensions of the finished image.
Can I choose the canvas size in centimeters?
The current width control measures drills rather than centimeters. The height follows the uploaded image’s proportions. To estimate a physical size, multiply each grid dimension by the spacing specified for your materials. Allow for a border separately. Confirm the resulting dimensions with your canvas supplier if you are ordering a custom surface.
Does the PDF include the drill quantities?
Yes. The shopping list includes each used color code and the number of drills required by that chart. Counts do not include an extra allowance. Add whatever spares suit your project and order in the pack sizes available from your supplier. Keep the list from the same PDF as the chart you plan to follow.
How are large patterns split for printing?
The PDF divides the chart into sections of up to 30 × 30 cells. Edge sections can be smaller. Each section is numbered and labeled with its row and column ranges. Those coordinates connect the page to the full pattern, while the overview gives you a complete visual reference before you start placing drills.
Should I turn dithering on?
Try both options on the same photo. Dithering can suggest smoother tonal changes by placing different colors next to each other, but it can also make the chart look more scattered. Keep the grid size and color limit fixed while comparing. For a flat logo or illustration, turning it off is a useful starting point.
Can I edit individual drills in this tool?
The current version converts your source image and lets you adjust width, color limit, dithering, and preview shape. It does not include a brush for changing individual cells. If a small detail needs correction, edit the source image in your usual image editor, upload that revised version, and compare the generated result again.
Can I print the PNG instead of the PDF?
You can print a PNG, but the PDF is more useful for following a larger pattern because it includes numbered sections, coordinates, and a matching list. The PNG is especially useful for a quick visual reference. Neither download automatically creates a physically calibrated adhesive canvas; check your print and material dimensions separately.
Will my pattern be here when I return?
This tool does not currently save a project for a later session. Download the PNG or PDF when you have a version you want to keep, and retain your original photo if you may want to convert it again. Give each exported version a clear filename so you can recognize its grid size and color settings.