Paint by Numbers Guide
Step-by-step guide to creating your paint by numbers template with PaintFromPhoto. Learn how to choose colors, canvas size and detail level, export your design, and paint it.
Getting Started
Create your paint by numbers template in four simple steps:
1. Upload
Choose a JPG, PNG or WEBP photo. It is resized on your device and never uploaded.
2. Settings
Pick 8–48 colors, canvas size, detail level, style, fit mode and color guide.
3. Generate
Your browser clusters the colors, simplifies the regions and numbers every zone in seconds.
4. Export
Download a PNG or a print-ready PDF with cover, color legend and true-size template.
Settings explained
Color Count
Controls how complex the template is. More colors = more realistic, but more paints to buy and more time to paint.
- 16 colors (Beginner)— Very large, simple regions — perfect for kids and first-timers
- 24 colors (Standard)— Large, clear regions — the classic paint by numbers experience
- 36 colors (Intermediate)— Moderate detail with smooth tonal transitions
- 48 colors (Advanced)— Fine region division, closest to the original photo
Detail Level
Controls how finely regions are split and how much smoothing is applied.
- Low— Large regions, fast painting, abstract feel
- Medium— Balanced region size, general-purpose template
- High— Small regions kept, detailed work, best for high-resolution photos
Canvas Size
Choose based on how you plan to print or paint.
- A5 / A4 / A3 / Letter— Standard paper sizes for home or office printers
- F4 – F10 (Frame S)— Small canvas frame sizes for painting directly onto stretched canvas
- F12 – F50 (Frame L)— Large canvas frames for statement pieces
- Square / Original— Square canvases, or keep your photo's own aspect ratio
Color Guide
Lightly tints each region with its assigned paint color.
- Outline Only— Traditional template style with numbers only — for experienced painters
- With Color Tint— Each region shows a faint hint of its color — recommended for beginners
Style
Controls how aggressively tiny regions are merged.
- Clean— Broad, simple regions — quick to paint, bold look
- Detailed— More regions and finer lines — closer to a realistic result
Fit Mode
How to handle aspect-ratio differences between your photo and the canvas.
- Fit— The whole photo fits inside the canvas; margins stay white
- Fill— The canvas is fully covered; drag and zoom the crop preview to choose the framing
Paint Palette
Decides which colors end up in your legend.
- Acrylic-matched— Colors snap to 48 common acrylic paint names so you can shop by name
- Photo colors— Exact colors sampled from your photo — mix them yourself, or use the nearest paint shown
Tips for Best Results
- Use high-resolution photos (1000 px or more on the long edge) for the best detail.
- For portraits and pets, choose 36–48 colors with High detail so skin tones and fur stay smooth.
- For landscapes, flowers and illustrations, 16–24 colors with Low or Medium detail gives bold, easy regions.
- Crop tightly around your subject with Fill mode — busy backgrounds create hundreds of tiny regions.
- A4 is the most versatile print size; use A3 or a canvas frame size when you want larger regions to paint.
- Turn on the tinted Color Guide if you are a beginner or painting with children.
- Photos with strong, even lighting convert better than dark or backlit shots.
What You'll Need to Paint
Once your template is ready, three basic supplies are all it takes to start painting.
Acrylic paint set (24 or 48 colors)
Matches the Acrylic-matched palette. One tube per number in your legend; a 24-color set covers Standard templates, a 48-color set covers everything.
Brush set
A flat brush for large regions, a round brush for mid-size shapes and a fine liner (size 0 or 00) for the smallest numbered areas.
Printer paper or canvas
Print the PDF at 100% on thick paper (160 g/m² or more), or have a print shop transfer it onto a stretched canvas in the exact size you chose.
How to paint your template
- Print or transfer — Print the true-size page from the PDF at 100% on thick paper, or ask a print shop to print it on canvas. For large sizes, print the tiled A4 sheets and tape them together along the dashed overlap lines.
- Prepare your paints — Lay out one paint per number from the legend. Keep the painted reference page nearby; the numbers on the template match the numbers in the legend.
- Paint light to dark, large to small — Start with the biggest regions and the lightest colors. Work from the top down so your hand does not smudge wet paint. Finish the small numbered areas with a fine liner brush.
- Cover the lines — Outlines and numbers are printed in light grey so that a second coat of acrylic hides them completely. Let each coat dry before adding the next.
- Seal and frame — Once dry, an optional matte varnish protects the painting. Frame it or hang the canvas as it is.