Turn Any Text Into a Cross-Stitch Pattern

A cross-stitch alphabet pattern is a pixel grid — each filled square represents one cross stitch. This generator uses bitmap fonts designed specifically for counted cross-stitch: 5 stitches wide × 7 stitches tall per character, with a 1-stitch gap between letters by default.

The Block style is the most versatile — clean strokes, good readability at any fabric count, and easy to stitch quickly. It's the go-to for name samplers, birth announcements, and quote pieces. Celtic style uses angular strokes with decorative serifs, inspired by blackletter calligraphy — traditional and striking on linen or evenweave. Script uses rounded shapes for a flowing, modern look.

Letter spacing is adjustable from 0 stitches (no gap — useful for tight monograms) to 4 stitches (airy, open spacing for decorative lettering). Grid lines can be toggled for a cleaner preview or a stitching guide view. The stitch count panel updates in real time so you can plan thread quantities before buying.

The most common use for cross-stitch text is name samplers — a tradition going back centuries. For a clean name on 14-count Aida, allow about 0.36 inches (9mm) per letter width and 0.5 inches (12.7mm) for letter height, plus margins around the design. A typical 6-letter name comes to about 2.5 inches wide — plenty of room to add borders, dates, or a small motif above or below.

Thread quantity: a single cross stitch on 14-count uses approximately 3.8cm of 2-strand floss. For a 200-stitch text piece, that's about 760cm = 7.6m, just under one DMC skein (8m). For longer phrases or larger cell counts, the ArtPatt DMC Thread Calculator gives a precise per-color estimate.