Frequently Asked Questions

It's a bead pattern design tool. You use it to create, edit, and export bead weaving patterns — peyote, brick stitch, loom, right-angle weave, netting, and more. Think of it as your digital graph paper, but smarter: it counts your beads, tells you the finished size, and can even turn a photograph into a stitchable pattern.

No. Krazy Stitcher is a single file you download and open. It runs in your web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox) — no installation wizard, no app store, no setup.

No. Once you have the file, everything works offline — designing, saving, exporting. The only time you'd go online is if you choose to visit our website for charts, supplies, or updates.

Yes! Think of it like a Word document. Word uses your computer to open files — it doesn't need the internet to do that. Krazy Stitcher works the same way: your browser is just the viewer. Your patterns, your colors, your designs — all saved right on your machine.

Yes. It works in any modern web browser on any device — desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. A larger screen is more comfortable for detailed design work, but it functions on all of them.

Your license covers personal use on up to 3 devices you own — for example, a desktop, a laptop, and a tablet. Need more? Krazy Stitcher is priced low enough that a second license is often the simplest option. Schools, guilds, and other institutions needing multiple seats can inquire about quantity pricing at info@krazystitcher.com.

Yes — and since there's nothing to install, it's actually a great fit for a shared lab. One thing worth knowing: most lab and library computers reset the browser between logins for privacy, and Krazy Stitcher saves your license and your patterns to that browser, on that machine, not to any account or the cloud. If your lab does this, export your pattern (or your whole library, via Backup All) to your network drive or a USB stick before logging off, then load it back in the same way next time — the same file-based approach beaders already use to move patterns between their own devices. For a license covering multiple lab computers, schools, guilds, and other institutions can inquire about quantity pricing at info@krazystitcher.com.

Not at all. If you can use email and browse the web, you can use Krazy Stitcher. It was designed to feel like your beading table, not a computer lab. And we have a Beginner's Guide that walks you through your first pattern step by step.

On your computer, in your web browser's local storage. They never leave your device. You can also export them as .ks project files to back them up, move them to another computer, or save them to a USB drive.

We strongly recommend exporting your patterns regularly. Every edition — Base, Pro, and Studio — includes a one-click Backup All button that saves your entire library (patterns, custom palettes, and inventory) as a single .ksbackup file, plus a matching Restore button to load it back in. Pro and Studio add Enhanced Backup with version history and optional folder auto-backup on top of this.

Click Backup All to save your whole library as one .ksbackup file, then move that file to the other device any way you like: save it straight into a cloud-synced folder (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive) so it shows up automatically on your other computers, email it to yourself, or copy it over on a USB drive. On the new device, open Krazy Stitcher and click Restore, then pick the .ksbackup file — your patterns, palettes, and inventory load right in. This also works across tiers: it's how you bring your patterns along if you upgrade from Base to Pro or Studio on a different computer. Krazy Stitcher never uploads anything on its own; the cloud folder is just a delivery mechanism you already control. To bring over just one pattern you saved as a .ksp or .ks file, copy that file to the new computer and open it with Import Pattern (Load File in Base); a password-protected .ksp asks for its password.

Only where you saved them. Krazy Stitcher keeps your patterns inside your browser, not as files, so a .ksp file exists only once you create one with Share → Download .ksp File or with Archive. It goes wherever your browser saves downloads — usually your Downloads folder. If you can't find it, check your browser's download list (Ctrl+J in Chrome and Edge).

Yes. Export your pattern as a PDF, PNG image, or .ks project file and send it however you like — email, text, Facebook message, carrier pigeon.

Yes. Export your pattern as an image (PNG or JPG) from your old software, then import it into Krazy Stitcher using the photo import tool. The Studio edition can also import BeadTool and CSV files directly. See our Switch guide for step-by-step instructions.

PDF patterns (for printing), PNG images (for sharing), word charts (for row-by-row stitching instructions), and .ks project files (for backup and reopening later). Pro and Studio also support SVG export.

Use the 1 Cell tool. It is in the row of tools down the left side of the screen, just below Pick, and its button shows a small pencil and the number 1. Click the tool, then click the bead you want to change. A small window opens that shows the colors in your pattern, each with its symbol. Click the one you want and only that bead changes. To leave without changing anything, click Close or press the Esc key. This works the same way in Base, Pro, and Studio.

A shortcut that works with any tool: press the right mouse button on a bead, or hold the Alt key and click it. On a touch screen, choose the 1 Cell tool and tap the bead.

You can also press the key for the symbol you want (for example A, 7 or @) instead of clicking it. To clear a bead, click Empty this cell. If the color you are drawing with is not in the pattern yet, it appears as a + button so you can use it on this bead. Undo takes back the change, one bead at a time.

Tick Highlight the chosen symbol on the chart. It is in the panel on the right side of the screen, just above the Used in Pattern list. Then choose a color: click it in the Used in Pattern list or the palette, or click a bead on the chart with the Pick tool. Every other bead fades back, and every bead of the chosen color gets a bright magenta outline, so you can see where that color is, including stray single beads that may need changing.

Choose another color to move the highlight, or untick the box to turn it off. The box starts unticked, and the browser remembers your choice. The highlight only changes what you see on the screen. It does not change your pattern, and it does not appear in exported pictures or printouts.

The chart on screen looks like the printed chart. Every bead fills its whole cell in its true color, with a thin dark grid line between beads, and the symbol sits directly on the colored cell. Krazy Stitcher picks black or white for each symbol, whichever stands out more against that color, so a symbol is black on light and middle shades and white on dark ones. Printouts use the same choice.

If one symbol is hard to follow, click its color in Used in Pattern and tick Highlight the chosen symbol on the chart. Every cell of that symbol gets a pink ring while the other cells stay visible in softer color. If you would rather work from black symbols on white, use the B&W Chart button in the toolbar.

The heavier lines mark every 10th row and every 10th column, so you can count beads and find your place without counting from the edge. Each one is a dark line with a light edge, so it shows up over both light and dark bead colors.

They are part of the grid, so they appear only when the Grid box in the row of buttons across the top is ticked, and they fade as you slide the Opacity slider toward 0. If you cannot see them, check both. They are also left out when you zoom so far out that each bead is only a few pixels wide.

Every color in your pattern has its own symbol. This works the same way in Base, Pro, and Studio. There are two ways to change one:

From the Bead Count window: click Counts in the row of buttons across the top. In the window that opens, click the little square at the start of the row for that color.

From the color list: find the list headed Used in Pattern on the right side of the screen. Point at the little square for that color and press the right mouse button.

A small window opens that shows all the symbols. Click the one you want. A small dot on a symbol means another color already has it; if you click one of those, the two colors trade symbols. To leave without changing anything, click Close or press the Esc key. Your choice is saved with the pattern.

Yes. Open the small symbol window for that color (see the question above) and click Automatic. The color gets the symbol the program would have given it on its own. The Automatic button stays gray until you have chosen a symbol for that color. You can also take back the change with the Undo button or Ctrl+Z on the keyboard. If you traded symbols with another color, one Undo puts both colors back. Undo takes back the most recent thing you did first, so if you have done other work since then, use Automatic instead (and if you traded symbols, do the same for the other color too).

Yes. Krazy Stitcher has a symbol style called Easy to read. It uses numbers, letters and keyboard symbols (such as 1, A, @ and g) instead of small pictures, which many beaders find quicker to follow while stitching. It works the same way in Base, Pro, and Studio. The style is chosen for each pattern, so your other patterns do not change.

To switch a pattern: in Base, click Symbols in the row of buttons across the top. In Pro and Studio, click Counts. In the window that opens, find Symbols for this pattern and choose Easy to read. You can also find the same choice in the small symbol window (see the question above about changing the symbol for a color). To go back, choose Classic shapes. If you want every new pattern to start with Easy to read, tick Use Easy to read symbols for new patterns in the same place.

The program uses the clearest symbols first: the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10, many capital and small letters, and keyboard symbols such as @ # $ & ( ) / + ?. Letters and numbers that can be mistaken for each other when you turn a chart (for example 6 and 9, or b and q) come later, and the shapes come last, so a pattern with many colors still gets a different symbol for every color. Switching a pattern’s style resets any symbols you picked by hand for that pattern, and Undo brings them back.

If you share a pattern with someone who uses an older version of Krazy Stitcher, they will see the Classic shapes instead, and any letters or numbers you picked by hand will be replaced.

It depends on the symbol style you pick for the pattern. Classic shapes has 118 different shapes, so a pattern can have up to 118 colors before any symbol has to be used a second time. Easy to read has 196 different symbols in all (numbers, letters, keyboard symbols and the shapes), so it goes further. Unless you choose your own, the symbols are handed out in the order the colors first appear when you read the pattern from left to right, starting with the top row.

Three of the older symbols (a crosshair, a curved line, and a half-circle outline) were replaced with clearer shapes on October 7, 2026, so those three look different in patterns made before that date. All the other symbols are the same as before. If you would rather have a different symbol on a color, you can choose one yourself.

Click Backup All (available in Base, Pro, and Studio) to save your entire pattern library as one .ksbackup file, and save it to a folder you control — your Documents folder, a cloud-synced folder, or a USB drive. Click Restore any time to load it back in. You can also export an individual pattern as a PDF, PNG, or project file if you just want to back up one design.

In Pro and Studio, click Reduce Colors in the toolbar. The number you type is the number of colors you want to end up with, not the number to remove: type 62 to finish with 62 colors. The label shows how many colors the pattern has now (for example “pattern has 64 now”), and the preview tells you the result before you commit, such as “exactly 62 colors — 2 colors merged away.” The default method, Merge Closest Colors, combines the rarest, most alike colors first and keeps only colors that are already in your pattern. Click Apply to do it, or Undo (Ctrl+Z) to bring every color back. Bayer Matrix Dithering is the other choice: it makes a textured pattern with an approximate number of colors.

None — a .ksbackup file is a data file made by Backup All and only Krazy Stitcher reads it. If you double-click it, Windows will ask which app to use; close that box. To get your patterns back, open Krazy Stitcher, click Restore, and choose the file. Your patterns, custom palettes and inventory load right in, and anything already in Krazy Stitcher is kept (a pattern that exists in both places is replaced by the backup copy).

In Pro and Studio, look for the Saved Patterns list in the right-hand panel (scroll down below the color palette). Click a pattern in that list to open it. Base has the same Saved Patterns list. If you need an earlier version of the pattern you have open, click Version History (Pro and Studio) and choose a snapshot; Krazy Stitcher saves one every time you click Save, every 20 minutes while you work, and when you switch patterns. If a big edit goes wrong, try Undo (Ctrl+Z) first.

Yes. Open Bead Shape (in Base it is under Tools; in Pro and Studio under Analyze, next to Size). Choose Match my beads and pick your bead, such as 11/0 Miyuki Delica, and the chart draws each bead in that bead’s real proportions. Pro and Studio also have Custom, where you type your own height to width. The shape is used on screen and in PDF, printed and picture exports; your design and bead counts do not change.

If you tick Use this shape for new patterns, new patterns start with that shape and a message tells you so. To go back, open Bead Shape and click Reset to Square: the open pattern goes back to square beads and new patterns start square again. While a pattern is not square, a Bead shape label shows at the bottom of the screen as a reminder.

Really. You pay once, it's yours forever. No monthly fees, no annual renewals, no "your subscription has expired" messages. The version you buy is yours to keep and use as long as you want.

Base ($19.95 intro) has 22 stitch types and all the essential tools — it's everything most beaders need.

Pro ($34.95) adds 3 more stitch types (Ladder Stitch, Albion Stitch and Bead Crochet Rope — 25 total), 3D realistic preview, bead inventory tracking, cost estimation, Color Reduction, 300 DPI export, Enhanced Backup, and row-by-row work tracking.

Studio ($59.95) adds color harmony tools, a template library, multi-pattern workspace, Batch Export, and the ability to import from BeadTool and CSV formats.

See the full feature comparison →

Yes. You only pay the difference between editions, and all your existing patterns carry over. Nothing is lost.

Click "Activate Free Trial" on the trial page. Your trial start date is saved on your device — no account, no email, no credit card. You get full access to the Base edition for 60 days. After that, the design tools lock but your patterns are still there. Purchase a license key and everything unlocks instantly.

We offer a 60-day free trial so you can try everything before you spend a penny. If you purchase and aren't satisfied, contact us within 30 days at info@krazystitcher.com for a full refund. The details are on our Terms & Refund Policy page.

Payment is handled through a secure checkout. We accept major credit cards and PayPal. Your payment information is never stored on our servers.

Three places to look:

1. About, on a computer where Krazy Stitcher is already unlocked. Click About and use Copy key under Your license. It shows your edition and the last 4 characters of the key.

2. Your Gumroad receipt email. Search your email for “Gumroad” or “Krazy Stitcher”; the key is in the receipt.

3. Your Gumroad Library. Sign in at gumroad.com with the email you bought with and open Library.

Still stuck? Email info@krazystitcher.com with the email address you bought with.

Your browser is showing an older saved copy of the app. Add ?v=2 to the end of the web address — for example https://krazystitcher.com/KrazyStitcherStudio.html?v=2 (or KrazyStitcherPro.html?v=2, or KrazyStitcher.html?v=2 for Base) — and press Enter. The license screen and the latest version will appear.

If that doesn't work, click Backup All first to protect your patterns, then clear this site's data in your browser settings (search “krazystitcher” under Cookies and site data) and reload. This can happen on each computer you use, so try it on any computer that shows the old version.

Make sure you're opening it with a web browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox. On most computers, you can right-click the file, choose "Open with," and select your browser. If it opens as code or text, your computer is trying to open it in a text editor instead. If you're still stuck, email us at info@krazystitcher.com and we'll walk you through it.

A few things to try:

Increase contrast and brightness of your photo before importing — bead patterns need stronger value contrast than regular photos.

Reduce the number of colors — 12 to 20 usually looks better than 30+. Fewer colors means less "confetti" (stray beads).

Try different Dithering and Quantization settings — Floyd-Steinberg dithering works best for photos with gradients; for designs with flat areas of solid color, set Dithering to None and try K-Means under Quantization.

Crop tight on the part of the photo that matters. The less background noise, the better the conversion.

Yes. Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo, Ctrl+Y (or Cmd+Y) to redo. You can undo multiple steps.

Small screens compress the view, which can make colors look slightly different. The pattern data is identical — the display just looks different at smaller sizes. For the most accurate color view, use a desktop or laptop screen. The exported PDF will always match the pattern you designed.

Browser data clearing can remove locally stored patterns. This is why we strongly recommend exporting your patterns regularly as .ks project files. If you have .ks backups, you can re-import them. If you used the Pro/Studio backup feature, restore from your backup file. Unfortunately, patterns stored only in browser local storage cannot be recovered once the data is cleared.

Email us at info@krazystitcher.com with a description of what's happening. If you can, include what browser you're using, what device you're on, and a screenshot of the problem. We usually reply within 24 hours.