How it works
- Add your image. Drop or paste a photo, logo or doodle; most image formats work, including iPhone HEIC.
- Choose width and colours. Set the knots across (5–40) and the maximum number of floss colours (2–8), then DMC or Anchor.
- Review the bracelet. The Realistic view shows rows of knots at their true proportions; tap a colour in the key to see where it is used.
- Download. The PDF includes the chart, colour key, string counts and written row-by-row instructions.
Tips for a great alpha pattern from a photo
Choose a picture that works at bracelet width. Eighteen knots across is not much space. Simple, bold subjects such as a single flower, a heart, a fruit slice, a pet’s silhouette or a flag-style stripe come out well; a group photo or a busy landscape will not. Crop right in to the subject before adjusting anything else.
Start with fewer colours than you think. Every colour in an alpha pattern is a working string you carry along and pick up when needed. Three or four colours are comfortable for most makers, and the default of 4 is a good place to begin. If shading looks patchy, try “merge colours used fewer than N times” before adding another colour.
Give the motif a plain background. Every cell of an alpha bracelet is a knot, so there is no such thing as an empty background; it has to be tied in some colour. A photo with a calm, even backdrop turns into long runs of a single colour that are quick to knot, and the motif stands out. If the backdrop is busy, generate anyway and then use replace colour in the editor to turn the stray background shades into one.
Clean up single knots. A lone knot of a colour in the middle of another colour is fiddly to tie. Confetti cleanup at Medium or Strong merges these into their neighbours, and the stitchability score will usually rise as it does.
Use exact colours for pixel art. If you have already drawn your design in a few flat colours, tick “Preserve exact colours” and set the width to your drawing’s width so nothing gets blended.
Work out the length before cutting. A typical knot row is about 2 mm tall, so a 16 cm wrist with a little ease needs roughly 80 to 85 rows. A single motif is often shorter than that, and many makers repeat it or add plain rows between repeats. The bracelet length calculator gives rows, string counts and cut lengths for your wrist.
Check which way up it will be. Row 1 is at the top and you knot down the chart, so the bracelet comes out exactly as the chart looks when you hold the starting end at the top. If you want the image to face the other way on your wrist, rotate the photo before you start.
New to the technique? The alpha bracelet basics guide explains base strings, working strings and the knots you will use.
What you get
| Sizes | 5–40 knots wide from a photo; editor up to 2,000 × 2,000 |
|---|---|
| Colours | 2–8, matched by CIEDE2000 colour difference |
| Palettes | DMC, Anchor |
| Downloads | PDF (cover, colour key, numbered chart pages, optional colour pages), PNG, SVG, shopping list CSV, .cpat project |
| Files accepted | JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, AVIF, iPhone HEIC; .cpat and OXS patterns; PDFs made by CraftPatterns |
| Privacy | Runs in your browser. Images are never uploaded. |
| Price | Free — no sign-up, no watermark |
How it compares with other free tools
What you can expect here, every time — no tiers, no trial.
| Free printable PDF | Yes, with no watermark |
|---|---|
| Sign-up needed | No |
| Image uploaded to a server | No — processed on your device |
| Editor | Yes — pencil, fill, line, rectangle, mirror, undo |
| Progress tracker | Yes — free, works offline |
| Switch the same pattern to another craft | Yes — one tap |
Frequently asked questions
How wide can an alpha pattern be?
From 5 to 40 knots across, with 18 as the default. Most wearable bracelets sit between 10 and 24 knots; wider settings suit bookmarks, keychain straps, guitar straps and wall hangings.
How many strings do I need?
You need one base string per knot across, so an 18-knot pattern takes 18 base strings, plus one working string per colour. The pattern lists both, along with a cut length for the base strings of about the pattern length plus 30 cm for tying on and finishing.
Why does my pattern look stretched compared with the photo?
It should not. An alpha knot is a little taller than it is wide, roughly 1.3 mm by 2 mm in six-strand floss, so the generator allows for that ratio when it shrinks your photo. The chart and Realistic views draw knots at their true shape so you see the proportions you will actually get.
Where do I start reading the written instructions?
Row 1 is the top row of the chart, the end nearest the knot you tie at the start. Each row lists the colours knot by knot, so you can tick off rows on paper or in the stitch tracker.
Which thread works best?
Six-strand embroidery floss is the usual choice. The tool matches colours to DMC® or Anchor® floss and shows the nearest code in the other brand, so you can use whichever skeins you have.
Can I use only a few colours?
Yes, and it is a good idea. The limit runs from 2 to 8 colours with 4 as the default, because each extra colour is another working string to manage in every row.
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