We posted about photo needlepoint canvases over a year ago, but last week I had a few orders come in where I thought the photo canvases would make more sense than a stitch counted canvas.

Here is a link to the post from last year: blog.needlepaint.com/2011/08/26/photo-needlepoint-vs-needlepainting/

But, I’m going to save you the time and repost the important differences so you know which options is the best for you.  Also, I have a new project that I took pictures of as a test, that I think really shows the difference well.  (see below)

Stitch Counted Canvases:  Our system has been developed to work best on photographs.  It groups similar colors together and matches them to the fiber you choose.  It creates a stitch counted design which  we print onto the canvas.  This means every stitch on the canvas has an exact color that is also shown on the stitch charts that come with every kit.  To see the stitch charts click here.  This works really well, and if you’ve seen some of the projects on this blog, you’ll know how good the stitch counted canvases look when finished.  Most of our customers prefer this option because they will know all the colors they need and can follow the canvas exactly.  Almost all of the pictures of canvases on this blog and on the website are stitch counted canvases.

Photo Needlepoint:  This works very well with graphic illustrations, like the artwork below.  If you are stitching a cartoon or a file with text, the letters will come out more clearly with a “photo” canvas.  ALSO, some of our customers prefer to have more detail on the canvas, and match the colors themselves.  The photo canvases will look more crisp than the stitch counted canvas.

If you prefer a photo canvas, just email us the photo when you place your order and we’ll make the adjustment for you.

Here is a good picture that shows the difference.  But, please keep in mind that the example below is a very small canvas, and the larger the size the better the stitch counted designs come out.

photo needlepoint on left vs stitch counted needlepoint on right

You can clearly see how the stitch counted canvas has lost some of the detail from the illustration.  This loss of detail does not happen nearly as much with photos of people or animals, but if we notice your design may be helped by doing a photo canvas, we will let you know.

If you want to needlepoint a photo, try creating the design on our website: NeedlePaint.com and see how you like it.  If you want help, contact us and we’d be happy to assist.