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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 both color-matching options — "Smooth Blend" works best for photos with gradients; "Clean Color" works best for designs with flat areas of solid color.

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.