# Turning photos into paint-by-number kits with the Paint by Number Generator

> your photo as numbered regions with a color legend

Paint by number flips a photo into a craft kit: the image is reduced to a palette of flat colors, every region gets an outline and a number, and a legend maps numbers to paint colors. This tool does the whole conversion in your browser (the photo is never uploaded anywhere) and exports clean vector outlines instead of the fuzzy raster traces most converters produce.

Engrave the outlines on a plywood panel for a heirloom paint kit, or print them on canvas paper for a classic boxed-kit experience. Pet portraits, houses, and vacation shots make the best subjects.

## What you need

- **Laser engraving:** laser cutter, 3 mm [laser-grade plywood](https://yxecreations.com/collections/laser-grade-plywood) or a primed wood panel, acrylic craft paints and brushes
- **Printing:** any inkjet or laser printer, canvas paper or heavy matte stock, acrylic paints

## Step 1 - Upload a photo



Open the tool and upload your image. High-contrast photos with a clear subject convert best; busy backgrounds become hundreds of fiddly regions. Processing happens locally in your browser.

## Step 2 - Tune the regions



- **Number of Colors** (3 to 20) sets the palette. Eight to twelve is the sweet spot: enough depth to read as the photo, few enough paints to actually mix.
- **Min Region Size** merges specks into paintable areas; raise it until the smallest regions look brush-sized at your output dimensions.
- **Output Width** sets the physical size with the **Units** toggle; bigger panels tolerate more colors and detail.

## Step 3 - Export



Download the **SVG**. It contains the region outlines, the number in every region, and the numbered color legend so you know exactly what to mix.

## Laser Engraving

### Engraving the kit



1. Import the SVG and set outlines and numbers to a light vector score; they should guide the brush, not trench the wood.
2. Engrave onto sanded plywood, or prime the panel white first for truer paint colors.
3. Score the legend along the panel's edge or on a separate offcut to keep the art clean.
4. Match acrylic paints to the legend swatches and decant into numbered cups.
5. Paint regions largest to smallest; scored borders stop bleed and stay charmingly visible, like the linework in a vintage kit.

## Printing

### Printing the kit



1. Open the SVG in any browser or design app and print at 100 percent scale onto canvas paper or heavy matte stock.
2. Vector outlines print hairline-crisp at any size, so an A3 enlargement stays clean.
3. Print a second copy of the legend page as the mixing reference.
4. Tape the sheet to a board, paint with thin acrylics, and the printed numbers disappear under each coat.
5. Bundle printed sheet, brushes, and numbered paint pots for a ready-to-gift kit.

## Make it yours

- Pet portrait kit, the undisputed champion of paint-by-number gifts.
- First-home portrait: engrave the new house on a panel for a housewarming.
- Date-night kit: the same photo on two panels, one per painter.
- Kids' version: 5 to 6 colors and a high Min Region Size for chunky, fun regions.
- Wedding-photo kit as a first-anniversary (paper) or fifth (wood) gift.
- Paint the panel yourself and gift it finished, with the scored numbers as texture.
- Grandparent gift: a grandkid photo kit with paints labelled in big print.
- Craft-night batch: one vacation photo, six printed copies, friends compare results.

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Open the Paint by Number Generator: https://www.mylasertools.com/paint-by-number-generator
Read online: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/paint-by-number-generator