BlockPixelArt

Pixel art grid maker

Drop in an image, choose how many squares across it should be, and download a chart with the grid drawn into the file — not just shown on screen.

Drop an image here

Or choose a file. Your image is processed in your browser and never uploaded.

How to use it

  1. Load the image and set the grid size

    Pixel size decides how coarse the grid is: larger values mean fewer, bigger squares. The Output panel keeps showing the real dimensions, so you can dial in a chart that matches the board or fabric you actually own.

  2. Turn on the grid

    This page opens with the grid already on, both on screen and in the export. Grid lines are drawn in two tones — dark over light areas, light over dark — so they stay readable no matter what colour the square underneath is.

  3. Cut the palette down to what you can buy

    A chart with 200 shades is not a chart. Pick a preset or extract a small palette, and every square collapses to a colour you can match to a real bead, thread, or block.

  4. Export at Large with “Include grid”

    Grid lines need room. Small writes one file pixel per square, so lines cannot exist there — the toggle is disabled and says so. Large upscales each square enough for a line to fit and prints cleanly.

What people use it for

  • Perler and Hama bead patterns

    One square is one bead. Set the grid so the width matches your pegboard count, keep the palette to the bead colours you have, and work straight off the printout instead of squinting at a screen.

  • Cross-stitch and needlepoint charts

    Stitch counts are grid counts. Getting the square count right before you start is the whole job, and this shows you the finished picture at that count rather than making you imagine it.

  • Drawing pixel art by hand

    Print the chart, put it beside your paper or tablet, and copy square by square. It is also the fastest way to learn how few pixels a readable shape actually needs.

  • Minecraft and other block builds

    A printed grid is a block-placement plan. Count squares along a row, place that many blocks, move to the next row — no counting on a phone screen that keeps sleeping.

  • Teaching coordinates and resolution

    A grid with visible squares makes “resolution” something you can point at. Halve the square count and the picture visibly loses information, which is a lesson that survives without a projector.

Why this one

  • The grid goes into the file, not just the preview

    Most converters draw grid lines on screen and then hand you a clean image, which is useless if the whole point was to print the chart. Here the lines are rendered into the PNG you download.

  • Lines that survive both light and dark squares

    A single black grid disappears over dark colours and a single white one disappears over light ones. Each line is drawn as a dark and a light stroke side by side, so it reads over anything.

  • The tool refuses to fake it

    Below a certain upscale a grid line would be a third as wide as the square it borders, and the chart becomes unreadable. Rather than draw it badly, the toggle switches off and tells you what to change.

  • Counting squares is the point, so the count is always visible

    The Output panel shows the exact dimensions as you drag, which is what you compare against a pegboard, an aida count, or a wall height — before committing to a chart.

  • Nothing is uploaded

    The image is decoded and processed in your browser. There is no upload endpoint, so a photo of your kid that you are turning into a bead portrait never leaves the device.

Frequently asked questions

Why is “Include grid” greyed out?
You are on Small export, or the upscale is too low. Small writes one file pixel per square, so there is nowhere to put a line. Switch to Large and raise the upscale until the toggle turns on.
How do I match the grid to my pegboard or fabric count?
Work from the square count, not the pixel dimensions. Raise Pixel size until the number of squares across matches your board width, then check the Output panel to confirm before exporting.
Can I get a numbered chart, with a number per colour?
Not yet. Today you get the grid and the colours, which is enough to work from directly. Numbering every square by palette index is a separate feature and is not built.
Will the printed colours match my beads or threads exactly?
No — screens emit light and printers lay down ink, so neither matches a dyed bead. Use the chart for placement and pick physical colours by eye against your own supply.
How do I keep the file small enough to print?
The upscale is what drives file size, and beyond roughly eight output pixels per square it adds nothing a printer can use. The longest edge is capped anyway, and the panel tells you when that cap has kicked in.
Can I start from a blank grid instead of an image?
No. Every chart here starts from an image you supply — there is no blank canvas to draw on. If you want to design from scratch, draw it elsewhere and bring the result back here to chart it.

More pixel art tools

Same engine, same privacy, different job. Nothing here needs an account.