Cross-Stitch Alphabet & Name Chart Maker
Type a name or word and instantly chart it for cross-stitch. Choose a lettering style, pick your DMC thread color, set your fabric count and letter height, and the grid below shows exactly what to stitch, with a live stitch count and finished size. Free to use, no account, screenshot or print the chart and stitch away. The charts work for needlepoint too, since both count one stitch per square.
Each filled square is one full cross-stitch in your chosen color. Lower fabric counts draw bigger on the grid above and finish larger; higher counts finish smaller and finer. Add margins for framing.
How to use the alphabet chart
Type any name or short word above. Each dark square on the grid is one cross-stitch worked in the DMC color you selected, so you can follow the chart square by square straight onto your aida. The bolder lines every ten squares match the standard gridlines on a printed cross-stitch pattern, which makes counting easier.
Five lettering styles are included. Block is a compact alphabet that is quick to stitch and reads cleanly even small. Bold serif is taller with more presence, nice for a monogram. Script has a flowing, slanted look for a softer feel. Outline is a hollow style you can leave open or fill with a second color. Tiny is a 3-by-5 micro font for fitting text into very small spaces.
Use fabric count to control the real-world size: a lower count like 11 ct gives bigger letters, a higher count like 18 ct gives smaller, finer ones, and the preview resizes to match. Use letter height to scale the whole word up to double or triple its stitch count when you want a bolder result on the same fabric.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the size of the letters?
Two ways. Change the fabric count to change the finished physical size, or use the letter-height control to scale the stitch count itself up to 2x or 3x. The finished-size readout updates with both.
Does this work for needlepoint?
Yes. Needlepoint is also a counted technique with one stitch per canvas hole, so these charted alphabets work directly, just stitched in tent stitch instead of cross stitch. For freehand surface embroidery you would trace an outline letter rather than follow a grid, which is a different kind of pattern.
How do I save my chart?
Screenshot the grid, or use your browser's print option. Everything you need to stitch is on the chart, the squares to fill and the DMC color.
Which DMC color should I use?
The swatches above are popular lettering colors. For text you usually want good contrast: dark thread on light aida, or light thread on dark. Black (DMC 310) and a deep charcoal (DMC 3799) are the most common choices for names and monograms.
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A free cross stitch letter generator for text, names, and monograms
This tool is a cross stitch letter generator, font maker, and name pattern maker in one. Type any text and it generates a stitchable chart instantly: pick one of nine cross stitch fonts, a DMC floss color, and your fabric count, and the generator lays your words onto an aida grid one stitch per square, with the stitch count and finished size worked out for you. No more hunting for a printable alphabet chart and graphing letters by hand on paper.
How do you chart a name or word for cross stitch?
Quick answer: pick a lettering style, type your word, and chart each letter onto the aida grid one stitch per square, leaving a one-square gap between letters. The width in stitches is the sum of the letter widths plus the gaps, and the height is the tallest letter in the style. Divide those stitch counts by your fabric count to get the finished size in inches. The charter above does all of this live as you type, on real fabric counts, in your chosen DMC color, with the stitch count and finished size updating instantly. It works for needlepoint too, since both crafts count one stitch per square.
How the generator works
Type a name or word in the box and the grid redraws immediately. Every letter is a fixed pixel map, so each filled square is exactly one cross stitch. You choose four things: the lettering style, the thread color from a DMC palette of real floss hexes, the fabric count, and the letter height. There is no account and nothing to download a program for. When the chart looks right, screenshot it or print the page and stitch straight from it.
Nine cross stitch fonts
Each font is built on its own grid, so taller styles have more detail and small styles pack into tight spaces. Block is the quickest to stitch and stays readable at small sizes; the tall and tiny styles are made for fitting text into a narrow band or a corner; gothic and heavy slab carry the most weight for a bold monogram. Outline is hollow, so you can leave it open or fill it with a second color later.
| Style | Grid (w x h) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Block | 5 x 7 | Quick, clean text that reads well even small |
| Bold serif | 7 x 9 | Monograms and titles with more presence |
| Heavy slab | 9 x 11 | The boldest, highest-impact lettering |
| Tall | 4 x 11 | Condensed text that fits a narrow width |
| Rounded | 8 x 9 | A softer, friendlier look |
| Gothic | 8 x 11 | Blackletter weight for a decorative feel |
| Script | 7 x 9 | A flowing, slanted style |
| Outline | 7 x 9 | Hollow letters to leave open or fill |
| Tiny | 3 x 5 | A micro font for very small spaces |
How fabric count sets the finished size
The number of stitches in your word never changes with fabric, but the physical size does. Fabric count is stitches per inch, so a higher count packs the same letters into a smaller space. The finished size is simply the grid width and height in stitches divided by the count. The charter shows this in both inches and centimeters, and it also resizes the on-screen grid so a 28-count chart looks finer than an 8-count one.
| Fabric | Stitches per inch | A 70-stitch-wide word measures |
|---|---|---|
| 8 ct Aida | 8 | about 8.8 in |
| 11 ct Aida | 11 | about 6.4 in |
| 14 ct Aida | 14 | about 5.0 in |
| 16 ct Aida | 16 | about 4.4 in |
| 18 ct Aida | 18 | about 3.9 in |
| 32 ct linen over 2 | 16 | about 4.4 in |
Evenweave and linen worked over two threads behave like half their count: 28-count over two is effectively 14 stitches per inch, and 32-count over two is 16. The fabric menu lists the common Aida, evenweave, linen, and Hardanger options with their effective counts already worked out.
Letter height: bigger letters, more stitches
The letter-height control scales the chart itself. Standard charts the font at its native grid; Double doubles every letter to 2x, and Triple takes it to 3x. This multiplies the stitch count, not just the on-screen zoom, so a doubled word genuinely takes four times the stitches and reads much larger on the same fabric. Use it when you want a bold heading on coarse fabric, or pair a low fabric count with standard height for a quick result.
Picking a thread color
The color swatches are real DMC floss colors pulled from StitchLand’s floss data, so the chart previews close to how the finished stitching will look. The chart is single-color by default, which is all most lettering needs. If you want a two-tone effect, the outline style gives you a natural place to add a second color by filling the hollow centers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a monogram or just initials?
Yes. Type one, two, or three letters for a monogram. The bold serif, heavy slab, and gothic styles have the most presence for initials, while tall and tiny work when space is tight.
How big will my name be when stitched?
The charter tells you exactly, in inches and centimeters, as you type. The size depends on the word length, the lettering style’s height, the fabric count, and the letter-height setting. Change any of them and the finished-size readout updates.
Is this a cross stitch word generator too?
Yes. There is no single-word limit. Type a whole phrase and the generator charts it, and the finished-size readout tells you immediately whether it still fits your fabric.
Does this work for needlepoint?
Yes. Needlepoint is a counted technique with one stitch per canvas hole, so these charted alphabets work directly, just stitched in tent stitch instead of cross stitch. For freehand surface embroidery you would trace an outline letter rather than follow a grid, which is a different kind of pattern.
Do I need an account or software?
No. The generator runs in your browser, free, with no sign-up. When the chart looks right, screenshot it or print the page and stitch from it.
How do I space the letters?
The charter leaves a one-square gap between letters automatically, which keeps the word evenly spaced. For wider spacing you can add an extra blank column by eye when you stitch, or stitch a space between words.
The Cross Stitch Letter Generator is one of a few free tools from StitchLand, the modern home for needlework. More tools, and an invite-only community beta, are on the way.