Yokwe (hello) from Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands!  I've been beading for about 5 years and have become addicted to off-loom bead weaving over the past year.  I've learned many techniques thanks to the high-quality step-by-step instructions in B&B.  (I'm afraid I can't agree with those who aren't particularly fond of B&B's instructions -- I've built a library of over 60 beading books, and B&B's instructions are the most accurate and easiest to follow.)

Now that I'm designing my own work and teaching classes locally, I need to produce instructions for my own designs.  Does anyone know how I can create diagrams similar to those in B&B?  I'm not looking to create peyote/square stitch/etc patterns from photos.  I want to be able to represent each seed bead with an oval, circle, or rounded square/rectangle.  Plus illustrate crystals and other beads and findings.  Now with some real slow, painstaking work I could probably get this far with a tool like Paint.  The kicker comes when I want to illustrate the thread path.  No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to do a decent job of "drawing" a thread path with my mouse.  Have you got any advice for illustrating a thread path?

Have you tried using a graphics tablet to draw a bead weaving diagram?  Will it help me produce consistent, high-quality diagrams?  If so, can you recommend a model?

Is there a software tool I should invest in?  (besides those that are known for converting pictures to peyote/square stitch)

Kommol tata (thank you) for your help!

-- Lisa 

I've not tried to make my own diagrams, but I'm thinking a program like adobe illustrator would be the one you want to work with. There is a learning curve, but once you figure it out, it's easier to scale & resize finished illustrations for various print mediums. There are lot's of on-line tools & illustration books out there to help guide you.

I've actually used photoshop & graphing programs for extremely basic stuff. I've even made my own graph paper by cutting & pasting graphed designs. But I'm sure that isn't the easiest way to do this. I wasn't worried about printing my work, so scaling was never a factor for me.

Hopefully others will have better info. :)

Here is a link to a discussion about how to create beading diagrams, including the thread path, in Adobe Photoshop.

click here

Cat

hello Lisa , *

try this one , you can donwload a free demo and if it seems ok for you , you  can buy a license 

it'is one of the most simple , and elaborate at the same time .

link to the web site : http://www.beadtool.net/

link  to see an example of what you can do . 

http://storage.canalblog.com/70/89/421477/22225721.jpg

hope It will help .

have a nice day . 

Cat,

 that is a great link that you sent...  If you scroll to the bottom, it even has tips on illustrator too.

 I'll have to check this out soon, just for fun.  :)

I use Microsoft Power Point to write my instructions. If you fill in your bead shape (oval, round, hexagons for crystals, etc) using fill effects--gradient, it will make them more 3D like. I don't draw the thread path free hand, but use the autoshapes-lines-curve or autoshape-lines-freeform to draw the thread path. I then use the 'edit points' feature to help fix up the thread path. The 'edit points' feature can be found under Tools-customize-commands menu. Drag it to the drawing bar menu so it is always there.

 I am sure these commands are also available in Microsoft Word when you insert a drawing.

 Anita R.