đź“– Editor Tutorial

Turn any image intoa pattern you can build

Follow the current editor from image upload and background removal through manual cleanup, review, and PNG download.

Open the editorView all steps

Editor map

Get to know the four editor areas

🧰

Left toolbar

Upload or reset an image, undo and redo edits, then use pan, brush, fill, eraser, eyedropper, mirror, and rotate tools.

🧩

Center canvas

Preview and edit the fuse bead design. Use the mouse wheel to zoom and the pan tool to move around the canvas.

⚙️

Right settings panel

Choose a brand, set dimensions and display options, remove backgrounds or empty space, and optimize colors.

đź“‹

Materials list

Review color codes, bead counts, totals, and estimated bag quantities. You can also highlight or replace colors in bulk.

7 steps

The complete workflow

Follow the steps in order on your first visit, then return to any section whenever you need a refresher.

01

Get started

Upload an image and generate a pattern automatically

Open the editor and click Upload Image at the top of the left toolbar. The image is pixelated automatically and matched to the selected brand palette—there is no separate Generate button.

  • Supported formats: JPG, JPEG, PNG, WebP, and GIF; maximum file size: 20 MB
  • Uploading another image clears the editing state from the previous image
  • Images with a clear subject, complete outline, and simple background usually work best
Tip: The editor preserves the image proportions when calculating the initial grid. The longest side is limited to 200 cells.
02

Palette and size

Choose the fuse bead brand you use

Select a brand in the right panel. Switching brands remaps every cell to a verified color code from the new palette.

  • Available palettes: Perler, Artkal S (5 mm), Artkal A (2.6 mm), Hama, and MARD
  • Set width and height independently from 5 to 200 cells; rectangular patterns are supported
  • Enable aspect-ratio lock to update the other dimension from the original image ratio
Tip: Larger grids preserve more detail but also require larger pegboards, more beads, and more assembly time.
03

Image preprocessing

Remove the background and empty space

Use Image Optimization in the right panel to enable preprocessing. Every change regenerates the pattern from the original image.

  • Remove Background detects and removes background regions connected to an image edge
  • Increase Color Tolerance for shadows or JPEG noise; reduce it if part of the subject disappears
  • Remove Empty Space crops transparent areas; Preserve Margin keeps breathing room around the subject
Tip: Remove the background before trimming empty space, because empty-space detection relies mainly on transparency.
04

Color optimization

Control noise and color count

Use Noise Reduction and Maximum Colors in the right panel when a pattern contains scattered pixels or too many shades. You can also run one-click denoising from the materials list.

  • Higher noise reduction replaces isolated color blocks with nearby dominant colors
  • A lower color limit reduces the number of bead colors you need to purchase
  • The materials list updates bead counts, total colors, and estimated bag quantities in real time
Tip: Increase noise reduction gradually for faces, text, and small patterns so important outlines are not simplified away.
05

Manual editing

Fine-tune individual cells

Choose a color under Current Color, then paint directly on the canvas. The eyedropper can sample a color from any existing cell.

  • Pan moves the canvas; Brush paints continuously; Fill updates connected cells; Eraser clears cells; Eyedropper samples a color code
  • Use Undo and Redo to restore edits, or mirror and rotate the pattern to adjust the composition
  • Use the eye button in the materials list to highlight a color and Replace to change every matching cell
Tip: The mouse wheel zooms around the pointer. Display options control grid lines, labels on all four sides, and in-cell color codes.
06

Save

Save a draft, publish, or keep a private pattern

Enter a title, then save a draft or submit the pattern for publication. Members can also save private patterns. You must be signed in to save.

  • Drafts appear under Profile → Drafts and are visible only to the author
  • Submitted patterns appear under Profile → My Patterns with a Pending Review status
  • Private patterns appear under Profile → Private Patterns, remain author-only, skip review, and become read-only after saving
  • Authors can open and download their own PNG while review is pending; other users cannot view it
Tip: Public patterns appear in the gallery only after approval. Private patterns are never listed publicly or added to the review queue.
07

Export and build

Download the PNG and follow the materials list

The PNG includes the bead grid, labels on all four sides, and color-code statistics, making it suitable for saving, viewing, or printing.

  • Members can select Export PNG directly in the editor
  • After saving, open the pattern details page to download the pre-generated PNG
  • Downloading your own pattern does not use the public download quota, even while review is pending or after rejection
Tip: You must sign in to download public patterns. Free accounts have a quota for other authors' approved patterns; members have unlimited downloads.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the editor without logging in?+

Yes. Uploading, generation, resizing, color optimization, and manual editing work without an account. You must sign in to save, publish, export, or download a PNG.

Why does Remove Background erase part of the subject?+

The subject may be too close in color to the background, or Color Tolerance may be too high. Lower the tolerance first. If the subject touches an image edge, turn off background removal and use a PNG with transparency instead.

How many patterns can free users save?+

Free accounts can create up to three patterns. Published, draft, and deleted patterns all count toward the quota. Members can create and save unlimited patterns. Finished projects do not consume this quota, but uploading or editing them requires membership.

Will the original image I upload be saved to the server?+

While editing, the source image is cached only in this browser's IndexedDB for recovery and regeneration. Saving uploads the generated pattern data, thumbnail, and PNG—not the original file.

Why is the pattern to be reviewed not publicly displayed?+

New and updated public patterns enter Pending Review. The author can open, view, and download them from My Patterns, but other users cannot see them until approval.

Make your first pattern now

Editing does not require an account—upload an image and start creating.

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