Image to thread colors

Upload a logo, drawing or photo and see the thread colors it would stitch with, each matched to the closest Brother and Janome embroidery thread, largest areas first.

Or try:

Thread colors

Ignore the background

Thread colors

Largest areas first, each with the closest Brother and Janome thread.

Image	Brother	Janome

Need another brand? See the thread color chart and the Brother to Janome conversion.

How it works

From pixels to a thread list

Same colors as the digitizer
The image is reduced exactly as it would be when you digitize it.
Perceptual matching
Threads are matched by how colors look (CIEDE2000).
Brother and Janome
Codes and names from both thread charts, side by side.
Stitch order
Largest areas first, with the share of the design.
Background ignored
Plain backgrounds are left out, like the digitizer does.
Private
Your image is processed in your browser and never uploaded.

Tips

Getting the colors right

Use the original logo file, not a photo of a shirt, for exact brand colors.
Pick fewer colors to merge near-identical shades and save thread changes.
Check dark navy and black on a thread chart: they look alike on screen.
Test-stitch brand colors on the real fabric before a big order.

Free account

Create a free account to digitize any image, try every setting and watch it sew. Choose a plan only when you want to download files.

Digitize and preview any image
Realistic stitch preview and sew-out
Download free ready-made designs
No credit card needed

FAQ

Questions

The quickest way to see what it does with your artwork is to try it. With a free account, digitizing and previewing cost nothing and take about a minute.

How do I find thread colors for a picture?

Upload the image and the tool reduces it to the few colors it would stitch with, the same way the digitizer does, then finds the closest Brother and Janome thread for each by how the colors look to the eye (CIEDE2000), not just by hex code.

How many thread colors should a design have?

Logos and clip art usually need 2 to 6 colors; illustrations 6 to 10. Every extra color is another thread change, so merge colors that look nearly the same. Auto picks a sensible number for the image.

Why don't the thread colors match my screen exactly?

Threads come in fixed colors and have sheen, so the closest thread can look a little different from a screen color. The match quality shows how close each one is; for brand colors, compare a physical thread chart.

Can I match other thread brands?

This tool matches Brother and Janome thread charts. The thread color chart shows every color in both, with hex values you can compare with other brands' charts.

Is it free?

Yes. Matching colors and copying the list are free; saving the list as a CSV needs a free account.

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