Photo to embroidery pattern
Turn a photo of a pet, a home or a loved one into clean line art you can stitch: a pattern for hand embroidery and redwork, or the outline for a machine embroidery file.
Detail
Line weight
Clean-up
View
Line color
Made in your browser; your photo isn't uploaded. Free account needed to download.
Line art, not a filter
Three detail levels
Bold outlines for beginners, fine lines for detailed work.
Line weight
Thin, medium or thick lines for different stitches and sizes.
Clean-up
Removes specks and texture so only the shapes you stitch remain.
In-hoop preview
See it on linen in a wooden hoop before you start.
Mirror for transfers
Flip the pattern for heat transfer pens.
Machine file
Send the outline to the digitizer for running and satin stitches.
Better patterns from photos
- Crop to the subject and use a photo with good light.
- Start with Bold detail; switch to Medium or Fine for faces and fur.
- Raise clean-up if the background adds stray lines.
- Backstitch or stem stitch works for most lines; add satin stitch for eyes and noses.
Free account
Start digitizing in under a minute
Create a free account to digitize any image, try every setting and watch it sew. Choose a plan only when you want to download files.
- Digitize and preview any image
- Realistic stitch preview and sew-out
- Download free ready-made designs
- No credit card needed
Questions
The quickest way to see what it does with your artwork is to try it. With a free account, digitizing and previewing cost nothing and take about a minute.
How do I turn a photo into an embroidery pattern?
Upload the photo, choose the detail and line weight, and the tool traces its outlines into clean line art. Download it as a pattern to transfer onto fabric for hand embroidery, or send the outline to the digitizer to make a machine file.
What photos work best?
Clear subjects with strong edges: pets, houses, flowers, portraits with good light and a plain background. Busy backgrounds add stray lines, so crop to the subject and raise the clean-up.
How do I transfer the pattern to fabric?
Print it at the size you want, then trace it with a water-soluble pen over a light box or window, or use a heat transfer pen on a mirrored print and iron it on. The mirror option flips it for that.
Can I make a machine embroidery file from it?
Yes. Make a machine file sends the line art to the digitizer, which turns the lines into running and satin stitches at the size you choose, ready for DST, PES, JEF and more.
Is it free?
Yes. Making patterns is free and runs in your browser; your photo isn't uploaded. Downloading the pattern needs a free account.
More tools
Keep going
GuideHow to turn a photo into embroideryWhich photos stitch well, how to simplify one to flat colors, how big to stitch it, pet portraits, and what an automatic digitizer will and won't do.Read the guide
GuideHow to embroider handwritingChoosing the writing, scanning or photographing it, cleaning up the strokes, size and line thickness, running, bean or satin, blankets, pillows, aprons and other keepsakes, and making the file.Read the guide
GuideMachine embroidery for beginnersWhat to buy, what to stitch first and how to hoop, back and thread it, from an unboxed machine to a clean first sew-out.Read the guide
Free previewEmbroidery file converterConvert PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3 and XXX files to any other machine format.Open
Free toolEmbroidery file viewerOpen DST, PES, JEF and more in your browser: stitch preview, colors, size and stitch count.Open
Free previewText to embroidery fileType a name or monogram, pick a font and download a ready-to-sew lettering file.Open
Want it stitched by your machine?
Send the outline to the digitizer and get a ready-to-sew file in seconds.