A custom latch hook rug is a big, tactile project, and the planning is the part most people find hardest. This tool turns your photo into a knot-by-knot chart for real rug canvas, tells you how big it will be, and counts every yarn piece so you can order once.
How it works
- Choose a photo. Pick, drop or paste an image; nothing is uploaded.
- Set the size and colours. Width in knots and a maximum number of colours from our generic yarn shades.
- Choose your canvas. 3.75 or 5 holes per inch in the advanced options; the rug size follows.
- Download. PDF chart with knot counts and packs per colour, PNG, SVG, CSV shopping list and the .cpat project.
Tips for a great latch hook pattern from a photo
Think big shapes. Latch hook pile is soft and shaggy, so a pet portrait reads best when it fills the rug and the background is simple. Crop tightly and remove a busy background in the advanced options, then fill it with a single colour.
Limit the palette. Eight to twelve colours suit most rugs. Every extra colour is another bag of yarn and another set of colour changes, and similar shades blend into one in the pile anyway. If the chart shows several colours with only a few knots, use “merge colours used fewer than N times”.
Clean up the confetti. A single knot of a stray colour is almost invisible in the finished pile but still costs time. Medium or Strong cleanup removes most of them while keeping deliberate highlights such as a pet’s eye.
Thicken thin lines. Whiskers, outlines and lettering one knot wide disappear. After converting, press Edit and widen important lines to two knots with the line tool.
Plan your edge. Leave a border of plain canvas around the chart for binding. A solid border colour in the chart, two or three knots wide, also gives the rug a finished look.
Use the pile preview. Switch between the chart and the realistic view. If the subject is clear in the pile preview at a small size, it will be clear on the floor.
Before you start hooking
Mark every tenth hole on your canvas to match the bold lines on the chart, and work row by row from the bottom so the pile lies the same way. The stitch tracker keeps your place across sessions.
What you get
| Sizes | 20–200 knots wide from a photo; editor up to 2,000 × 2,000 |
|---|---|
| Colours | 2–30, matched by CIEDE2000 colour difference |
| Palettes | Generic yarn (48 named yarn shades) |
| 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
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser and the photo stays on your device.
What size will my rug be?
Divide the width in knots by the canvas holes per inch. A 90-knot-wide chart is 24 inches (61 cm) on 3.75-hole canvas and 18 inches (46 cm) on 5-hole canvas. The finished size appears under the controls.
How much yarn do I need?
One pre-cut piece per knot. The colour key lists pieces per colour with 5 percent spare and the number of 320-piece packs; check the pack size of the yarn you buy.
Why does the preview look fluffy?
The realistic view imitates the cut pile of a latch hook rug, where each tuft spills over its neighbours. It is a good guide to how much detail will survive in yarn.
Which photos work best?
Bold subjects with clear shapes and strong colour contrast: a pet against a plain wall, a simple logo you have drawn, a flower or a landscape with a few large areas. Fine detail is lost in the pile.
Can I change colours after converting?
Yes. Press Edit to replace a colour everywhere, merge two shades, or redraw an area by hand; counts update instantly.
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