How many colours should a photo pattern have?
Short answer: for most photo patterns, 10 to 18 colours. Fewer than 8 gives a bold, poster-like look; around 12 keeps faces and fur readable; 18 gives the smoothest shading.
What changes with more colours
- Detail: shading in skin and fur needs several close shades.
- Cost: each colour is at least one skein of thread to buy.
- Work: more colours mean more thread changes while you stitch.
A quick guide
- 2 to 6 colours: silhouettes and bold, graphic designs.
- 8 to 12: pets and simple portraits on a plain background.
- 12 to 18: detailed portraits, skin tones, wedding photos.
In PatternMyPhoto, move the colours slider and the preview updates at once, so you can see where detail starts to appear.
Turn your own photo into a patternUpload a photo, choose the size and colours, and see the full pattern before you pay. Your photo never leaves your device.Make my pattern
Questions people ask
Why does my pattern look blotchy?
Usually too few colours for the shading in the photo. Add a few and compare.
What is the most colours PatternMyPhoto uses?
Up to 18 DMC colours per pattern.
More guides
- Turn a photo of your dog into a cross-stitch pattern
- Turn a photo of your cat into a cross-stitch pattern
- A pet memorial cross-stitch from your own photo
- Turn a wedding photo into a cross-stitch pattern
- A cross-stitch pattern from a baby photo
- A family portrait cross-stitch from your photo
- Turn a photo of a house into a cross-stitch pattern
- Which photos make good cross-stitch patterns?
- How big will my cross-stitch be?
- 14, 16 or 18-count Aida: which should you use?
- How your photo's colours become DMC thread numbers