Make a fuse bead pattern from a photo
I fit a photo to square pegboards, match it to Perler colour references and download a numbered PDF chart with bead counts.
Choose an image to start.
Each square board is 29 × 29 pegs. Each board gets its own PDF page.
The photo fits inside the grid without cropping. Empty space and transparency become white before palette matching.
RGB source: maxcleme/beadcolors, Perler references by Perlervault. Screen colours are approximations of physical beads.
| Key | Colour | Beads |
|---|
How to make a bead pattern from a photo
I plan the board layout before choosing bead colours. The preview shows the complete design; the PDF divides it into separate boards with a numbered colour key.
- Choose the photo you want to turn into a fuse bead pattern. A recognisable shape with a plain background is easier to follow on a pegboard.
- Enter boards across and boards down. Each board contributes a square of 29 × 29 pegs, and the photo fits inside the complete board rectangle.
- Set the maximum number of colours and compare dithering on and off. The palette uses Perler colour references rather than arbitrary photo colours.
- Check the bead totals and download the PDF chart. I compare its key with my physical beads before setting out materials for the pattern.
I plan around the beads I can recognise
For a bead pattern I care about more than resemblance to the photo. I want to tell neighbouring shades apart while placing beads. Similar greys can look convincing on a screen yet be awkward to sort on a table. I start with fewer colours and only add shades if they help identify the subject.
I use the chart as a placement guide, with the physical bead colours as the final reference. Lighting, screens and printers all change how a swatch looks. The numbered cells let me follow the pattern even when the printed colour is weak. I keep the whole-pattern preview nearby to check how the separate boards join.
What a board layout produces
The following totals are calculated by the tool from fully filled square boards. White space around a fitted photo still receives beads and is included in the count.
| Boards across × down | Pattern grid | Beads | PDF pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × 1 | 29 × 29 | 841 | 1 |
| 2 × 1 | 58 × 29 | 1682 | 2 |
| 2 × 2 | 58 × 58 | 3364 | 4 |
A photograph needs a board-sized composition
Boards across and down describe the whole rectangle, not repeated copies of the photo. A landscape can run across joined boards, while a portrait can run down them. Increasing the layout adds room for features as well as more beads to place. I check the shape of the arrangement before working on the palette.
The converter keeps the complete photo in proportion and centres it inside the available pegs. It does not stretch faces or cut off the edges. Any spare area begins white, then matches to the selected bead colours. Every peg in the rectangle is filled: there is no empty-peg mask, including for transparent image areas. I crop the photo beforehand when I want the subject to occupy more of the pattern.
Where the Perler colour values come from
The RGB values, colour names and product references come from maxcleme/beadcolors, the Perler dataset credited to Perlervault. I use a fixed revision of that community reference so a saved chart has a traceable palette. It is a screen approximation, not a manufacturer guarantee of a physical colour match or current shop availability.
The tool first matches sampled colours to the bead references, keeps a subset within the requested colour limit, then maps the entire grid to that subset. Reducing the limit can simplify the shopping list, but it can also merge important details. The count beside each reference covers the full pattern. I use the product code and name together when checking what is already in my bead boxes.
Read the PDF as a placement chart
Each board has its own PDF page labelled with its column and row. Start from the top left of the photo and keep that orientation as boards join. The same numbered palette key appears on every page, so a colour keeps its number throughout the design. The key counts describe the complete project rather than the individual page.
Dithering scatters neighbouring colours to suggest intermediate shades. That can help a shaded photograph, but it also creates more isolated beads to place. I prefer flat regions for a straightforward craft pattern. The PDF is a reference chart that can be fitted to paper; it is not a life-size pegboard template. I follow the numbered cells rather than laying a board over the print.
Before I start placing beads
- Check the board arrangement against the space available for the finished piece.
- Compare close shades under the light where the beads will be sorted.
- Use the numbered key if a printed swatch is difficult to distinguish.
- Keep the complete preview visible while assembling neighbouring boards.
Privacy
The image never leaves your device. Your bead pattern, colour counts and PDF are made locally in the browser. I do not need an account or an uploaded photo to create the chart.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a Perler bead pattern from a photo?
Yes. Choose your photo and board layout, then adjust the colour limit. The tool maps the picture to Perler references and provides bead counts. I check physical colours before buying because screen swatches are approximations.
How many beads do I need for the pattern?
The result lists a count for each palette entry and a total for the rectangle. Every peg receives a bead, including the space around a fitted photo. I use those counts as the pattern quantities, before allowing for spares.
How many pages are in the printable PDF chart?
There is a separate chart page for each square board in the arrangement. Each page carries its board column and row and the shared colour key. I join the boards in that order to rebuild the complete photo.
Can I follow the bead chart in black and white?
Each cell has a number that refers to the palette key, alongside its colour fill. I can follow those numbers when the printer cannot reproduce a shade. The key includes bead names and product references as well as counts.
Related tools and guides
- Image Resizer: Resize images by pixels, percentage or longest side.
- Image Cropper: Crop images to exact ratios or popular preset sizes.
- Put your photos together in one image: Join photos side by side, stacked or in a grid, with adjustable gaps and borders.
- Add text to your photo and keep it readable: Put captions on a photo with a gradient, tint or box behind them and a live contrast check.
- EXIF Viewer: Read the camera, settings, date and GPS location stored in a photo, or remove them.
- Blur faces, number plates and details in a photo: Blur or pixelate faces, number plates and other details in a photo.
- Building tools around my photographs: Why I choose local processing for tools that open personal photos.