How it works
- Type your words. Enter up to 40 characters and press Enter for a new line.
- Pick the lettering style. Choose Basic 5×7, Serif 7×9, Tiny 3×5, Bold 6×7, Outline 7×9 or Big 10×14, then Horizontal, Stacked or Sideways layout.
- Frame and colour it. Add a single, double, dotted, checker, zigzag, hearts, stars or diamonds border, and choose text, background and border threads from the DMC or Anchor chart. Leave the background empty to keep the fabric showing.
- Download the chart. Save a PDF with a colour key and skein estimates, or copy the share link.
Tips for a great cross stitch pattern from text
Leave the background empty. Unlike beads or bracelet knots, cross stitch has fabric behind it, so the background colour is usually best left blank. You save thread and the letters stand out crisply against white or cream Aida.
Open up the letter spacing for serif fonts. Serif 7×9 letters have small feet that can almost touch at the default spacing. Adding one extra stitch between letters makes names such as “William” much easier to read from across a room.
Pick a thread with real contrast. Mid-tone colours that look strong on screen can disappear on cream fabric. A dark navy, deep red or forest green reads well from a distance; pastels suit a coloured fabric better than a white one. The DMC to Anchor converter helps if your stash is mostly one brand.
Backstitch is optional, not built in. The chart is made of full cross stitches. If you like an outline, open the chart in the editor and draw backstitch around the letters with the backstitch tool, or stitch one by hand once the crosses are done; it is a common finishing touch on samplers.
Plan room for a date. On birth and wedding samplers the date usually sits on its own line beneath the name. Use line spacing to leave two or three empty rows between them so the lines do not feel cramped.
Use the border to set the frame size. Padding controls the space between the text and the border. If you are fitting a hoop or a ready-made card mount, set a fixed width so the finished chart matches the opening, then let the padding centre the words.
Stitch from the middle. Find the centre arrows on the PDF, fold your fabric in quarters to find its centre, and start there. Lettering that drifts off-centre by a few stitches is very noticeable once framed.
Using the chart
The PDF gives you the lettering on gridded pages with a bold line every ten stitches and the stitch numbers along each edge, plus a colour key with skein estimates and the nearest code in the other brand. If you want to add a small motif beside the name, such as a flower or a pair of initials in a frame, open the result in the cross stitch editor and draw it in before you print.
What you get
| Sizes | 20–400 stitches wide from a photo; editor up to 2,000 × 2,000 |
|---|---|
| Colours | 2–120, 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, OXS |
| 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 many letters can I type?
Up to 40 characters, across as many lines as you like. That is enough for a full name and a date, or a short line from a poem split over two or three rows.
Which font should I use for a small name?
Tiny 3×5 keeps lettering compact for bookmarks, ornaments and the edge of a larger design. Basic 5×7 is the most legible all-rounder, and Serif 7×9 suits samplers and keepsakes where the name is the centrepiece. All six alphabets were drawn in-house for this tool. Five of them include accented letters (É, Ñ, Ø, Ž and more) and Cyrillic capitals; Tiny 3×5 writes accented letters without their marks.
Can I stitch the text vertically?
Yes. Stacked places each letter above the next, which works for a narrow bell-pull or bookmark. Sideways rotates the whole line by 90 degrees so it reads along a long strip.
Is there a way to send someone the exact same lettering?
Every pattern has a share link that rebuilds the text, font, layout, border and colours exactly, so a friend can open it and download their own copy.
Can I add the name to a bigger chart I already have?
Generate the lettering here, then open it in the editor and adjust it there. For combining two charts, many stitchers simply print both and stitch the name in the space they have planned, counting from the centre arrows on each chart.
What fabric count works best for lettering?
14-count Aida is the easiest to count for beginners. Serif lettering also looks lovely on 28-count evenweave stitched over two, which gives the same 14 stitches per inch with a softer look.
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