What this tool does
This tool turns a photo or drawing into a fuse bead pattern (Perler beads, Hama beads, melty beads). Choose from seven bead ranges — Perler, Hama Midi and Artkal S at 5 mm, and Perler Mini, Hama Mini, Artkal C and MARD at about 2.6 mm — and every color comes from that brand's color chart. Clear, glitter, glow-in-the-dark, pearl and metallic beads look very different from the screen once ironed, so they are left out unless you turn them on.
Colors are matched by how different they look to the eye. When you limit the number of colors, the tool starts from every bead color the picture needs and drops, one at a time, the color whose loss hurts the picture least; this keeps more detail than simply keeping the most used colors. Single stray beads take the color around them, and colors used by fewer than three beads are merged into the nearest color, so you don't buy a whole bag for two beads.
Each color in the list shows the bead code, its name, the count, and the count with 10% spare. The pattern PDF is drawn at actual size: with 5 mm beads each page holds one 29 × 29 pegboard, with 2.6 mm minis several boards share a page. Lay a clear pegboard on the paper and fill it in. Boards are named A1, A2 and so on, with row and column numbers along the edges; bigger pieces join up easily.
How to use it
- Press "Choose photo" or drop a photo on the box, or try the sample picture first.
- Pick the bead brand you have — check whether they are 5 mm beads or 2.6 mm minis.
- Choose the width in pegboards (one board is 29 beads) or in beads, and the number of colors. Turn on Clear the background to leave the background unbeaded.
- Check the preview and the color list; touch up squares by hand if you like.
- Press Save pattern PDF and print at actual size (100%). Measure the check bar at the bottom of the page; if it is right, lay the pegboard on top and start.
How many pegboards?
A large square pegboard for 5 mm beads holds 29 by 29 beads, 841 in all. One board makes a piece about 14.5 cm (5.7 in) wide; two boards make about 29 cm. Mini bead boards vary by brand and size (the small Hama mini board is 28 across), so type the pegs across your board and the pattern follows it. Photos with faces need at least two boards across to be recognizable, while characters and logos look fine on one.
Twelve to twenty-four colors suit most photos. More colors look closer to the photo but mean more bead colors to buy. The spare column adds 10% for beads that roll away or go in the wrong place.
Printing at actual size
In the pattern PDF one square is the size of one bead, 5 mm for standard beads. The print dialog's default, fit to page, shrinks the page slightly, so choose 100% or actual size. The check bar under the chart is ten squares long; measure it with a ruler to see whether the scale is right.
If your pegboard's spacing differs slightly, adjust the square size in steps of 0.1 mm and print again. Tape the clear pegboard over the paper and you can follow the pattern bead by bead.
When a page has room under the chart, it lists the beads that page needs, color by color, so you can count them out page by page. Tick the boxes in the color key at the front as you buy.
Where the bead colors come from
Bead codes, names and color values come from a color list collected and published by fuse bead hobbyists under the MIT license. They are matched by eye to real beads rather than supplied by the makers, so screen and bead can differ a little, and batches vary. Use the codes when you buy.
Brand names are used only to say which bead chart is meant. Perler, Hama, Artkal and MARD are trademarks of their owners; this site is not connected to any bead maker.
Your data
Your photo is read and converted inside this browser and is never sent anywhere. The bead color list is fetched once from this site, and only your settings are remembered in this browser.
Questions and answers
The printed squares are smaller than my pegboard.
The print dialog is set to fit to page. Print at actual size or 100% and measure the check bar. If it still drifts, change the square size by 0.1 mm and print again.
My bead brand isn't listed.
Most 5 mm beads fit Perler, Hama and Artkal boards, so pick the closest chart. Codes and names will differ, so match the colors in the list to the beads you have.
How many beads should I buy?
The color list shows the count for each color and the count with 10% spare. Copy color list pastes both into a spreadsheet.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Reading the photo, making the pattern and building the PDF all happen inside your browser.
