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Generate Custom Stained Glass Patterns from Any Image

Free stained glass pattern maker. Convert any photo into thick, closed-loop outlines perfect for glass art, soldering lines, and decorative windows.

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Generate Custom Stained Glass Patterns from Any Image

Create a stained glass pattern from a photo, with bold outlines marking where lead came or copper foil will go. Each piece needs a closed perimeter. Treat the output as a planning aid and inspect the shapes before cutting glass.

Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP photo with clear shapes and good contrast. Adjust intensity for piece complexity: lower settings retain fewer, larger shapes; higher settings capture more detail. Increase Line Weight for wider lead came, or use thinner lines for copper foil. Download the high-resolution PNG and print at the final panel size.

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Browse Files

JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC — Max 10MB

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Examples

Rose in a vase — Before

Before

Rose in a vase — After

After

Rose in a vase

Petals, leaves and vase become lead lines. Some lines stay open; close them before you cut glass.

Cat — Before

Before

Cat — After

After

Cat

Only the ears, eyes and nose come through; the white body has too few edges. You will need to add lines yourself.

Sunflower — Before

Before

Sunflower — After

After

Sunflower

Every petal and background flower becomes a small piece, far too many for real glass. Use it as a reference and simplify.

Weak result: busy background — Before

Before

Weak result: busy background — After

After

Weak result: busy background

The skyline adds dozens of tiny fragments along the bottom. Crop to the person first.

Notes from testing this tool

Big, simple shapes worked best. The sunflower gave far too many pieces and the cat gave too few lines.

Treat the result as a starting pattern and close any open lines before you cut glass.

In-depth Guide

Choose simple compositions such as a flower, bird or strong silhouette. Busy scenes can produce tiny pieces that are difficult to cut. Soft tonal transitions may not provide clear piece boundaries. The closing operation bridges thin gaps, but you still need to review the pattern.

Look for narrow pieces, sharp angles and long, thin curves. Pieces narrower than about 1/4 inch are fragile. Simplify the pattern with intensity or modify difficult shapes by hand before cutting. Make two printed copies, one for cutting templates and one for assembly, and number the pieces on both.

Use images you own or have permission to transform. For a drawing with open or isolated marks, use the line art converter.

Images are processed locally in your browser and are not uploaded or stored by MakeLineArt. The site separately uses analytics and advertising services according to your consent choices and the privacy policy.

How to Use

  1. Upload a photo with bold, clear shapes — flowers, birds, simple landscapes, or strong silhouettes work best.
  2. Adjust intensity to control piece complexity — lower for beginner copper-foil pieces with fewer cuts, higher for advanced panels.
  3. Increase Line Weight when you plan to use lead came (which is wider than copper foil).
  4. Download the pattern, print at the final panel size, and use it as your cut-line drawing for tracing onto glass.

What Makes This Tool Different

  • Morphological closing guarantees every contour is closed — every piece has a cuttable perimeter.
  • Line weight tuned for either lead came or copper foil construction.
  • Intensity slider adjusts piece count for beginner suncatchers up to advanced panels.
  • Pattern PNG prints at any scale — small enough for ornaments, tiled for large panels.
  • 100% browser-based — your design ideas never leave your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the photo to stained glass pattern converter work?
Our tool analyzes your photo and creates bold outlines that simulate lead came lines in traditional stained glass. It simplifies the image into distinct color regions with thick black borders, producing a pattern ready for glass cutting.
Can I use these patterns for real stained glass projects?
Absolutely! Print the pattern at your desired size and use it as a template for cutting glass pieces. The bold outlines represent where lead came or copper foil will go. You may need to simplify some details for very small pieces.
What image formats does the stained glass converter support?
You can upload JPG, PNG, and WebP images. The output is a high-resolution PNG that you can download and print. All processing is done in your browser with no file size limits for most modern devices.

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