How to make a Perler bead pattern from a photo

Kandiverse turns any image into a fuse bead pattern automatically using color matching. Here's exactly how to do it.

Skip the guide — just try it

Upload a photo and get your pattern in under 30 seconds. No login needed.

Step-by-step guide

Open Kandiverse

Go to kandiverse.com on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop. No account needed.

Tap "Upload a Photo"

On the home screen, press the teal "Upload a Photo" button. This opens your device's photo picker or camera.

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Works with any image format: JPG, PNG, HEIC, or WebP.

Choose your image

Pick the photo you want to convert. Clear, well-lit images with simple backgrounds give the cleanest results — but you can use anything.

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Close-up portraits, pet photos, and cartoon characters tend to look especially great.

Crop and frame your subject

Use the crop tool to frame exactly what you want in your pattern. Zoom in to focus on a face or character, or keep the full photo.

Pick your bead brand and board size

Choose Perler, Artkal, or Hama beads — Kandiverse will use that brand's exact color palette for matching. Then pick your board size (smaller = fewer colors, larger = more detail).

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Not sure which size to start with? Try 29×29 for a first project — it fits on one standard pegboard.

Review and tweak your pattern

Kandiverse generates the pattern automatically using color matching. You can swap individual bead colors in the editor, erase beads, or repaint whole areas.

Save and print

When you're happy with the pattern, save it to your account (optional) and export a printable version. The print guide includes a bead count by color so you know exactly what you need.

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You can also share your pattern to the Community gallery so other beaders can use it.

Tips for better results

Simpler backgrounds produce cleaner patterns. If your photo has a busy background, try cropping it tightly around your subject.

Bigger board sizes don't always mean better results — sometimes a 29×29 pattern at high contrast looks sharper than a 58×58 with too many similar colors.

You can tweak any bead color in the editor after generation. Don't worry if the first pass isn't perfect.

Kandiverse will only suggest bead colors from your chosen brand's actual catalog, so you can trust that the colors exist to buy.

Next: read your pattern

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How to read a bead pattern

Understand what the grid colors mean and how to follow a pattern row by row.

Ready to make your pattern?

Free, no account required.

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