Sprite Stitch Board!

Hello all,
I am interested in finding a program where I can make patterns to print. Currently I make my own patterns using graph paper. (Draw, color them, then follow). I know there are free online programs where you can turn a photo into a pattern, which I've used from time to time, but I always end up tweaking the pattern anyway because I don't always like what it spits out.

What programs are out there where I can design my own pattern, assign colors or change colors as I want (This is important to me) and print the pattern? I know I'd have to buy a program, I haven't found any free ones that work like I'd like them to. Please let me know what everyone's suggestions are!

Thank you!
Steph

The most popular free program on the forum is KG Chart here: http://www.iktsoft.net/kgchart-en/

There is a paid version too, but I haven't used it so I can't tell you what it is like. KG Chart tends to skew darker than the source image, so you may want to play with the image before hand in a graphics program first, but it's trial and error.

It's quite easy to use, you can easily change colours or design your own and you get a stitch count for each colour, which is nice.

I used KG Chart for a long time, but since then I've moved to PCStitch. Like KG Chart, you'll still want to eyeball the colors yourself, but the interface is much better. The free version allows you to print (for example, to PDF with CutePDF), but you can't save your pattern without the full version. PCStitch is occasionally discounted, though; I got my copy for half off.

The free version of PC stitch wouldn't let me print No saving, printing or exporting. However it also seems to distinguish colour areas much better than KGChart, so I'm currently balancing a strange hybrid system of KG, PC and Paint, depending on the pattern.

Oh, I thought it did - I never used the free version, so I'm probably misremembering what I've heard about it.

Thanks everyone! I'll check those two out. I expect I'll have to buy a program to get what I want.

I've personally used myphotostitch.com for some of my projects, you can print images, however, I always end up tweaking the end product manually (with a marker or whiteout). It doesn't allow you to change its design, but its kinda neat. And you can print the design. Can't save though.

stephyw2001 wrote:
I've personally used myphotostitch.com for some of my projects, you can print images, however, I always end up tweaking the end product manually (with a marker or whiteout). It doesn't allow you to change its design, but its kinda neat. And you can print the design. Can't save though.

That made me crazy about myphotostitch, I got one pattern finished and wasn't satisfied to I tried the free version of pcstitch. I love it and got the full version, It's way worth your time and money to make the switch to the full version of pc stitch! Right now I'm trying to figure out how to make the pattern I created into pdf so I can post them here. If anyone has suggestion I'm all ears on that one!

Download CutePDF and you can set it as your printer. Then when you say to print something, change it from your default printer to CutePDF and it will pop up a save window (instead of actually printing something).

Cool thanks!

if CutePDF decides to be unreliable (we have a history), doPDF works well and has been so far reliable.