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Import as cross-stitch

Cross-stitch turns a pixel-art image into stitched crosses, with each distinct image color becoming its own stitched layer. It's one of the three Auto-digitize methods; the others are Photostitch (for photos) and Auto-Trace (for logos and flat clip art).

Or paint one yourself

This page is the one-pass import: a picture in, stitches out. If you want a grid you own and keep editing, make a pixel sprite instead. A sprite can also be stitched as mini-satin or a tatami fill, and you can repaint any cell at any time.

How to open it​

Click Auto-digitize in the tool rail's Automation group (or File → Import → Auto-digitize…), then pick Cross-stitch from the method chooser. You can also Shift-drag an image straight onto the canvas.

Accepted image types: PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP, up to 128×128 px source pixels; larger images are rejected rather than converted, since cross-stitch works pixel-for-pixel.

The dialog​

Drop or pick your pixel-art image; a live preview regenerates automatically as you adjust settings, with a Stitch / Realistic look toggle. Options:

  • Stitch size: the side length of one cross, in millimetres (slider and number field; default 1.2 mm, minimum 0.5 mm, maximum 3 mm). Smaller packs more detail into the same area; larger makes a bigger, chunkier design.
  • Design size: shown live as width × height in mm, with a warning if it's larger than your current hoop.
  • Discard unused palette colours: after adding the design, drop palette colors it doesn't use (handy on a blank project, where the three starter colors would otherwise stick around). Colors the design does use are always added.
  • Match colours to my threads…: add the design, then open Design palettes to map each color to one of your owned thread charts.

Click Add to design when you're happy with the preview.

To keep the thread count down, reduce the image's colors in an external editor before importing.

Exporting​

You can create and preview a cross-stitch design for free. Exporting or publishing a design that includes auto-digitized content needs Pro. See Free vs. Pro.

Many colors = many thread changes

Each distinct color is a separate stitched layer, so pixel art with hundreds of colors makes a design with hundreds of thread changes. Simplify the image's colors first if that's not what you want.