StitchPlot pattern guide
How to reduce colors for a printable cross-stitch chart
More colors do not automatically produce a better pattern. A useful palette protects the subject's important edges and value changes while removing near-duplicates that add cost and chart noise.
Begin with a color ceiling
Set a maximum based on the project size and your willingness to change thread. Small motifs often benefit from a much tighter palette than large photographic pieces.
Protect light and dark structure
Check the grayscale value of major areas. If two adjacent colors collapse into the same value, the converted chart may lose its shape even when the hues look different.
Remove near-duplicates
Look for DMC colors that appear in very small counts or only beside an almost identical shade. Reassigning those cells can reduce confetti and simplify the shopping list.
Inspect the symbol chart
Color previews can hide problems that become obvious in black and white. Review the final symbols at print size and verify that adjacent marks are easy to distinguish.