Artkal Bead Pattern Maker
Turn any photo into an Artkal bead pattern. Every bead is matched against the 96-color Artkal A-series card — the 2.6mm hard bead — so the codes and the bead count are the ones you will actually buy.
Upload any picture and turn it into a bead pattern automatically.
P pen · E eraser · F fill · I pick color · Ctrl+Z undo · Ctrl+Shift+Z redo
Canvas size
Resizing keeps your artwork anchored at the top-left corner.
Bead colors
Black
A34
Appearance
Your pattern stays in your browser until you share it.
How it works
- 1
Upload your image
Drop in a photo, a drawing or a logo. Conversion happens in your browser; the image is never sent anywhere.
- 2
Pick a width in beads
At 2.6mm a bead grid gets small quickly, so the wider presets earn their keep here — 58, 87 and 116 beads across are all still reasonable to peg.
- 3
Read off the A-series codes
The materials list prints every Artkal code from A01 to A96 with its color name and bead count, ready to match against the boxed sets.
Working with the Artkal A-series card
MakePixel matches your image against 96 Artkal A-series colors — the widest bead palette on this site, and the smallest bead.
The A means the 2.6mm hard bead
Artkal splits its range by letter, and the letter identifies the bead rather than the color: A is the 2.6mm hard bead carried here, C is the 2.6mm soft bead, S is the 5mm soft bead and R is the 5mm hard bead. Codes on this page run A01 to A96, and the materials list prints the code with the color name beside it.
2.6mm changes the finished size, not the grid
A 29-bead-wide design is about 14.5cm in a 5mm midi bead and about 7.5cm in Artkal A — roughly a quarter of the area for the same pattern. That is why the A series suits keyrings, pins and detailed sprite work more than wall pieces, and why the wider presets on this page are worth using.
The widest card here, including four skin tones
At 96 colors this is the largest palette the site carries, ahead of Perler's 88 and Hama's 78. Some of that width goes somewhere genuinely useful: the A series is the only range here with four named skin tones — Skin, Light Skin, Medium Skin and Deep Skin — which shows in portrait and character work.
Artkal compared with Perler and Hama
Against Perler the size gap matters more than the color gap. A Perler midi bead is 5mm to Artkal A's 2.6mm, so the same grid comes out roughly twice as wide, and an Artkal A design will not sit on a Perler board — the pegs are spaced for the larger bead. Perler's card is the narrower of the two as well, at 88 colors against 96. The Perler Bead Pattern Maker converts the same image against the midi range if you want to see both sizes before committing, and switches between all five ranges — Perler, Hama, Artkal, Nabbi and Mard — recalculating the bead count each time.
Hama sits in the same 5mm midi class as Perler, so the same caveat applies: the grid is portable between them, the finished piece is not. Hama's card is the narrowest of the three here at 78 colors, and they are numbered rather than named. The Hama Bead Pattern Maker is the one to use if what is in your drawer is Hama.
Looking for ready-made patterns?
This page converts your own image. If you would rather start from something already drawn, the small Perler bead patterns library opens each design in the editor, where you can re-match it to the Artkal card.
Artkal bead pattern FAQ
What does the A in A01 stand for?
The bead, not the color. Artkal groups its range by a letter that identifies the bead type and then numbers the colors within it. A is the 2.6mm hard bead, so A01 is the first color of the A series. This page carries the A series only, A01 through A96.
What is the difference between Artkal A, C, S and R?
A and C are both 2.6mm: A is the hard bead, C is the softer one that fuses at a lower iron temperature. S and R are the 5mm sizes, soft and hard respectively. Colors are numbered separately within each series, so an A code does not translate to an S code. If you have 5mm Artkal, use the Perler or Hama page as the closer size match and treat the codes as a guide.
Why does Artkal have more colors than Perler or Hama?
The A series is simply a larger published card: 96 colors here, against Perler's 88 and Hama's 78. A wider card means less merging of close shades, so photographic gradients and skin tones come out smoother. It also means a longer shopping list, which is why the color cap in the Materials panel is worth using on this page in particular.
Can I peg Artkal beads on a Perler or Hama board?
Not the A series. At 2.6mm it needs a mini pegboard; Perler and Hama midi boards are spaced for a 5mm bead, so the beads will not seat. Artkal's 5mm S and R series do fit a standard midi board, but this page is matched to the A card.
How big is a 29-bead-wide pattern in Artkal A?
About 7.5cm across, against roughly 14.5cm for the same grid in a 5mm midi bead. Because the beads are small, most people go wider here than they would in midi: 58 beads is about 15cm and 116 beads about 30cm.
Can I take an Artkal design to Perler or Hama beads?
The grid yes, the size no. Switch the brand selector and the pattern is re-matched against that manufacturer's colors bead for bead, but a 5mm bead makes the finished piece close to twice as wide in each direction. Check the centimeter figure before you start pegging.
Artkal® is a trademark of its respective owner. MakePixel is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Perler, Hama, Artkal or any other bead manufacturer. The color swatches shown here are on-screen approximations curated by MakePixel; real beads vary by batch and by lighting, so check a physical color card before you buy.