The editor is a blank needlepoint canvas on your screen. Draw a geometric cushion, a monogram with a motif, a Christmas ornament or a repeating border, or open a photo-based chart and perfect the details before you buy thread.
How it works
- Start a grid or open a file. Choose the width and height in stitches, or open a .cpat, OXS or CraftPatterns PDF.
- Add colours. Search DMC® or Anchor numbers, names or families, or switch to wool shades; the colour well finds the nearest to any colour.
- Draw and edit. Pencil, eraser, fill, colour picker, lines, rectangles and mirroring, with unlimited undo.
- Export. PDF with thread amounts, PNG, SVG, OXS, a CSV shopping list or a .cpat project.
Tips for designing needlepoint in the editor
Design on the mesh you will stitch. Set the canvas mesh in the advanced options first. The size line under the controls then shows the real finished size, so you can draw a 4-inch ornament or a 14-inch cushion at the right stitch count from the start.
Build symmetrical designs with mirroring. Many needlepoint classics are symmetrical: florals, medallions, Bargello-inspired diamonds and Christmas ornaments. Turn on both mirrors and draw one quarter; the editor completes the rest.
Outline, then fill. Draw outlines with the line tool in a single dark colour, then use fill inside each shape. It is quicker than pencilling every stitch and keeps edges continuous.
Keep colour areas stitchable. A colour used for only a handful of isolated stitches means many starts and stops on the back. Look at the counts in the key; merge colours with very small counts or redraw them as connected areas.
Leave the background until last. Draw the motif first, then fill the background in one colour. If you plan to work the background in a decorative stitch, leave it empty in the chart and note it on the printout.
Check the realistic view. It renders slanted tent stitches over canvas threads, which shows how lines and edges will look once stitched.
When you are ready to stitch
Download the PDF, mount your canvas on a frame, and open the chart in the stitch tracker to mark off stitches on your phone or tablet as you work.
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, 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
How big can a needlepoint design be?
Any size up to 2,000 × 2,000 stitches, which is far larger than most canvases. Large grids stay fast because only the visible part is drawn.
Can I open a chart I made elsewhere?
Yes. Open .cpat files, OXS files from other chart software, or a PDF made on CraftPatterns, which has the editable project embedded inside it. You can also drop in a photo to convert.
Is my work saved?
It autosaves to your browser as you go. After ten minutes the editor reminds you to download a backup .cpat file, because clearing your browser data would delete the autosave.
Which keyboard shortcuts are there?
B pencil, E eraser, G fill, I colour picker, L line, R rectangle, O ellipse, S select, [ and ] for brush size, H and V for mirroring, 1 to 9 to pick colours from the key, X to step to the next colour, and Ctrl or Cmd with Z to undo.
Can I swap one colour for another everywhere?
Yes. Select a colour in the key and choose Replace to swap it for any colour in the palette, or Merge to fold it into another colour already in the chart.
Does the editor work for cross stitch too?
It does. The same chart can be switched to cross stitch or any other craft in one tap, with colours and materials recalculated.
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