Photo to string art pattern generator

Photo → pin sequence, calculated on your device

🔒 Photo never leaves this browserFree early version
Free early version. Everything runs in your browser; your photo is never uploaded. Thread length is an estimate – see “Calibrate” below. No sign-up, no payment.

1 Photo

Fills the whole circle; edges outside it are cut.
What the algorithm sees (darker = more thread)

2 Board & thread

Calibrate thread estimate estimate

Enter what you will actually use. The estimate = chord lengths scaled to your board diameter + a per-step wrap allowance of π/2 × (nail ø + thread ø). Measure your own board and thread; other generators may show different totals.

Generate a preview to see the estimated thread length.
Load a photo (or the sample) and press Generate preview.
Computed in a Web Worker; lines are drawn as they are found.
Idle.
Steps–
Thread length estimate–chords only – with wrap allowance
Pin spacing–
Compute time–

Thread length is a geometric estimate: chord lengths from the plan, plus an assumed wrap allowance per pin (see Calibrate). It has not been checked against a physical board and may differ from other tools – buy extra thread.

3 Export Free

First steps preview

Pin sequence for the first steps – enough to start a board and judge the result.

Full pack

  • 1:1 pin template, tiled on A4 sheets with alignment marks (print at 100%)
  • Step table with a tick box for every 10 steps
  • Complete pin sequence (.txt)

How it works

  1. Choose a photo (or the generated sample). Crop it to the circle, then adjust zoom, shift and contrast until the preview of "what the algorithm sees" looks right.
  2. Set the number of pins (150, 200 or 300), the maximum number of lines, the line strength, your real board diameter and your thread and nail diameters.
  3. Press Generate preview. The lines are found in your browser and drawn as they appear; you can stop at any time.
  4. Download the first steps as a PDF or text file, or the full pack: a 1:1 pin template tiled on A4 sheets, a step table with tick boxes, and the complete pin sequence.

Frequently asked questions

Is my photo uploaded?

No. Decoding, line search and PDF creation all run in your browser. The site only counts anonymous events and stores a comment or email only if you submit one.

How is the thread length estimated?

The estimate adds up the chord lengths of the plan, scaled to the board diameter you enter, plus a wrap allowance per step of π/2 × (nail diameter + thread diameter). It is a geometric estimate that has not been checked against a physical board, and other generators may show different totals, so buy extra thread. Enter your own thread and nail diameters under "Calibrate thread estimate".

How many pins should I choose?

The tool offers 150, 200 and 300 pins (300 is the default). More pins give the algorithm more possible lines but mean more nails to place and a longer sequence; fewer pins are quicker to build and look coarser. The preview runs locally, so you can generate one for each setting and compare before building.

What board diameter do I enter?

The diameter of the circle through your pins, not the outer size of the board. Measure it in centimetres (the field accepts 10 to 100). It scales the chord lengths, the pin spacing shown on the page and the 1:1 template.

How do I use the printable template?

Print the full pack PDF at 100% (not "fit to page"). The template is split into A4 pages with a 10 mm overlap and alignment crosses; each page has a 50 mm scale bar so you can check the print scale with a ruler. Join the pages, fix them to your board and place a nail at each pin dot. Pin 0 is at 12 o'clock and numbers go clockwise. The step table has a tick box for every 10 steps, and the sequence starts at pin 0.

What do "max lines" and "line strength" do?

"Max lines" caps the number of steps (200 to 4,000, default 3,000). "Line strength" sets how much darkness each line is assumed to add when the tool decides where to draw next. The search can also stop early when additional lines no longer improve the picture.

What are the limits of this early version?

It plans for a round board with a single thread colour (dark on light); there is no colour, square or heart layout. It has been tested mostly with generated images and has not been validated against printed templates or finished boards, so treat the output as a starting point and expect to experiment.

Is it free?

Yes: the first-steps preview and the full pack are both free, with no sign-up. The "paid pack" button only records that you would be interested; nothing can be bought and nothing is charged.