Hey ya'll

Do any of you use software to design your seed bead pieces? I had one that I had just about learned and then it went berserk.  I would like to hear from you'all about which ones you use and pros and cons etc. I am by no means a computer whiz so simple to learn would be good. I am getting really interested in doing my own designs and the old graph and markers can't be the best way to do that!

Sally

Beadin' in the Deep South

I had a program that went out of business and when I had to update it being on a new computer it didn't work anymore.  Not that I ever got to use it in the first place.  I am pretty new to beading myself.  I'd like to know what others use also.  Love your avatar.  Is that an ostrich?

I've used Bead Tool and Easy Bead Patterns, but to be honest, I enjoy doing it with graph paper and colored pencils the best.

Cat

Hey Ya'll

The avtar is an emu and a smarkey little dickens she is too!  I'm using the paper and pencil method but when I make a mistake or just want to change something it takes a long time sometimes. Liked to software for the quick changes and lets see what happens if I................

Thanks for you replies.

Sally

Beadin' in the Deep South

I use BeadTool2.....inexpensive, extremely user-friendly, and you can download a demo version to try before you buy.  You can find it at www.beadtool.net   It sure beats graph paper and colored pencils hands down!!

There is also one other option....I have not used it in a long time, so bear with me a bit.

You can use downloadable graph paper for all of your favorite stitches on the internet.  Do a google search -- there's tons of free to use graph papers and easy to find!

 The downloaded graph paper should be in black and white with a .jpg, .bmp, or .gif file extension.

Save the graph paper on your PC and load it up into the Windows Paint program which is bundled with your windows PC.  Color the "graph paper" bead by bead with the Windows Paint fill tool (the little pot icon - be sure to select your chosen color first) to create your pattern. Thats it!.

Print or save as desired.

If you don't know where Windows Paint is on your PC, click start>accessories>paint.

No, you cannot import images and convert them into bead patterns with this software.  Its just a drawing tool.

Kim
 

I too am a 'die-hard' "Graph Paper and Colored Pencils" Person! I like how it gives me so much creation in the color variations.

My curiousity just got the best of me and I followed Kim's instructions. Thanks so much! I can see where this is a great way to make patterns!

Erin

 Hey Kim and everyone,

FYI, we now have free bead stitch graph paper here on our site. It's under the How To tab.

Hope that helps!

~Addie~ 

That is a quick and easy way to get graph paper, thanks Addie. I usually go to http://shala.addr.com/beads/resources/graphpaper/ where there is quite a large selection of paper for just about every stitch! This was information I found years ago in the old forum. Just another help!

Erin

Hi Erin  Thanks for trying my suggestion!  I hope you had fun!  I just changed my mind on colors too much, so using the computer was the best option for me.  The erasures drove me mad.

There are graph papers on this site under Addie's link.  If you want to color in with pencils, just download and print.  But if you want to use them in MS paint, they won't work. To convert the file, I highly recommend IrfanView for file conversion into a readable format, such as .jpg, .gif, or .bmp. as Paint does not support .pdf format.  IrfanView is not spyware or adware and works wonderfully.

There is a way to get around the file format problem :

1)  Download the .pdf of the graph paper you want. 

2)  Load the the pdf file into IrfanView with the graph paper or hit alt>prt scrn (print screen key) and paste the graph paper.  Then save as .gif, .jpg, or .bmp (your preference).

3)  Load the file into Paint and color away!!!

The link Erin listed:  http://shala.addr.com/beads/resources/graphpaper/

Those graph papers can be downloaded and loaded directly into MS Paint.

Even the pricest programs do not offer options in right angle and herringbone weaves!

Glad I could contribute.

Edited to add:  These instructions are specific to Windows users.  If you are a Mac or Linux user, please jump in with your suggestions!   

Kim
 

  I have been doing my own graph paper in my paint program & could never find out how to save it so I could put in over an image. After reading this message I decided to try again & found I've been saving the graphs in the wrong format. They have to be saved as GIF's with a clear background & I have been saving them as JPG's..    

Here is an example of what happened when I tried it again.

& an example of just random shapes I tried it with by laying the graph over the picture.

I would be glad to explain how I did it if anyone would like to know.

Sorry if the quote shows up but this is the only reply button that would work for me.

OMG!!!!!        I just realized that Shala Kerrigan's graphs are in GIF images & can be put over top of a picture image!!!!!  Her address again is      http://shala.addr.com/beads/resources/graphpaper/      

 I'm off to play in my paint program.     THANK-YOU!  THANK-YOU for posting her address it's one I didn't have.

Diane, I am so glad to find you have figured this out! I use the same method for intricate pictures, as opposed to what I graph out myself with color pencils. The gif is down loaded into paint and a second paint opened with the picture of your choice. These are then overlapped. You can even change the color of the graph when you run into too much black on your picture. If you resize or 'skew' your pictures, you can make any size or detailed picture you want, graphed.

Have you ever considered a detailed picture completed in herringbone?

Erin

 Wow, Erin & Diane!

I haven't played with this in a while and was going off of memory on how I originally did it.

I never did the overlay thing before, just loaded the graph paper and colored it bead by bead with the fill tool as an electronic version of colored pencils & graph paper. 

Do you just simply copy the drawing from the second Paint window and paste it onto the first to overlap the drawing onto the graph?

I'm off to play with this again!  I've used Bead Cellar (and its not cheap)!  Its good for converting images into patterns, but has serious stitch limitations.   

Thanks,

Kim 

Hi Kim,

Here is a quick explination of how to use a photo with the graph paper:

Pick your picture you want to graph and your graph paper.

Go to Accessories and open Paint. Open your picture from your files. Make any changes in color or size at this time.

Go to Accessories again and open another Paint. Open your graph paper from your files. Make any changes in size at this time. Select the 'dotted box' icon and 'select' a section of the graph paper. Select 'cut'.

Now go to your picture you selected and again select the same 'dotted box' only for the purpose of bringing up the 'colored spheres icons'. Select the bottom 'colored spheres' and then click 'paste'.

You will now have the graph paper etched overtop the photo or picture. If you want to make size adjustments in the number of beads wide and long, go back and change the size of your picture and do the last step again.

To add further enhancement, use the paint buckey and 'fill' some areas to make more predominent.

I hope this was easy to undertand. I too hate to read so much and not know what I am doing!

Erin

 Thank you Erin!

That was easy to understand!

 Kim
 

I use Beadtool3. If you have a problem, all you do is email the writer and he will give you good instructions on how to do whatever it is you are trying to do. I love it. Fran

I've been trying to use Paint and one of the free graphs to color in a pattern, but I'm having a problem. I downloaded one of the free graphs (.gif format)  onto the desktop, then I opened Paint, and then I opened the file from within the application. So far, so good. I zoomed in so I could see the squares, and was ready to start!

I'm sure I'm missing something obvious, but I'm not sure what. I can't seem to drop the selected color into one of the squares. I've tried the eyedropper tool and the paint can. When I tried the eyedropper tool,  the color I had selected on the palette (light green) changed to white. As I said, I know I'm missing something obvious, but this is getting frustrating.

Edited to add, I went back into Paint, and started with a blank, drew little boxes, and was able to color those in, so I assume this has something to do with layering, but I still can't seem to figure out how to paint the graph paper. Help! 

Edited yet again...I decided to try a different graph paper that turned up in a google search  http://www.beaddancing.com/graphs.shtml.  I downloaded a bitmap graph of Peyote stitch and got things to work. The selection is limited --no  2-drop peyote or some of the others that Shala has on her site. I am curious to know if anyone else has had a problem with the graphs from Shala's site.  I tried two of her graphs and couldn't get either one to work with Paint (both were .gif files).  I'm on a new computer that came loaded with Vista, but haven't had any major problems or conflicts with anything else, so I don't think that's the problem. Rhonda

Rhonda, you'll want to open up the selected graph paper, in Shala's site, and save it in your documents as a (24 color .bmp). Then go to Paint, open up this file from your Documents, select the 'paint can' and choose your colors from the given few or from the 'custom color' selections.

Erin

Hi Erin, Thanks so much for your post. I tried what you suggested, but only had the option of saving as a gif or a bitmap (with no color selection), so I saved it as a bitmapped file. I opened Paint, then opened the file, but it's still not working, which is puzzling because I managed to get the Dancing Bear? graph paper to work, and that was a bitmapped file. I'll try it again tomorrow when I'm not quite so tired, and will also try it on the laptop just in case there's a conflict on this machine.

I've been wanting to try this to see if I could convert a design originally graphed for delicas, into a pattern for size 11/o seed beads (the finished size needs to be 1.5" x 1.5" square). I had done another one using size 11/o beads, so I just counted off the rows across and down. I had to do some trimming on the original design, and lopped off the stem and the leaves and trimmed the edges, but it still looks like a rose to me.   I'm not sure if I'll get around to stitching it or not, but probably will (first I'll doublecheck to make sure I didn't make any mistakes).

You can see the original pattern here  shanigansbeadshenanigans  (it's for the "red roses symbolize love" square--a red rose on a blue background, designed for delicas), and my novice efforts are below. The small squares get assembled for a beaded quilt to be auctioned at the B&B show. The proceeds go to breast cancer research.  These little squares appear to be addictive, but that's ok. It was the push I needed to learn a new stitch.

What would be really nice would be to take a pattern, and then go in and change one color for another (you can do this with BeadTool3), because it can be hard to keep it straight when you substitute one color for another. I'm sure it can be done in Paint Shop or a similar program, but sometimes simple is better.  Thanks again for your suggestions.  Rhonda

This is based on Jeanette Shanigan's design, and is only intended for the Bead it Forward beaded quilts project. Edited to add a later re-graph using BeadTool3.

And here's a picture of the completed square: