Free online tools that do one job well
Kitforu builds small, fast tools for hobbies and everyday tasks. No sign-up, no clutter — open a tool and get it done in your browser.
Pixel Beads
Turn a photo into a fuse bead pattern for Perler, Hama, Artkal and other pegboard beads.
- Choose board size and crop your image
- Colour-matched palette with bead counts per colour
- Optional dithering for smoother gradients
- Download a printable PNG grid
- Works in 9 languages, right in your browser
What is Pixel Beads?
Fuse beads (sold as Perler, Hama, Artkal and other brands) are small plastic beads you place on a pegboard and then iron so they melt together into a flat picture. The hard part is planning: deciding which colour goes on which peg. Pixel Beads does that planning for you. It shrinks a photo to the exact size of your board, maps every pixel to the nearest available bead colour, and gives you a grid you can follow peg by peg, plus a shopping list of how many beads of each colour you need.
How it works
- Add a picture. Upload a photo or drawing, or try the built-in sample image.
- Pick a board size and crop. Common sizes such as 29×29, 52×52 or 100×100 pegs; crop to the part of the picture you want.
- Choose colours. Use a demo palette or Perler / Hama / Artkal-style colour sets, limit the number of colours, and turn on dithering if you want smoother gradients.
- Build it. Highlight one colour at a time while placing beads, then download the grid as a PNG or print it to PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pixel Beads free?
Yes. It is free to use with no account or sign-up.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. The image is processed in your browser on your own device; we do not store your pictures on a server.
Are the brand colours exact?
No. Brand palettes are community RGB approximations, and real beads vary between batches. Check the colours against the beads you actually own.
What does dithering do?
Dithering mixes neighbouring bead colours to suggest shades that are not in your palette. It gives smoother gradients but a more speckled look and more colour changes to place.
Which board size should I choose?
A single small square board (29×29) suits simple icons and characters. Photos and detailed art usually need 52×52 or larger, or several boards joined together.
More free tools are on the way.