Frequently Asked Questions

No. Needlework Studio is a one-time purchase. You pay once and own it forever. There are no monthly fees, no recurring charges, and no account required.

Needlework Studio is currently in beta. To get the Full Version right now, email us at support@needlework-studio.com and ask about beta testing. We will send you a license key by email; paste it into the app under Settings → License → Activate. Once we exit beta, you will be able to purchase directly from the Pricing page and your key will arrive by email automatically.

Open the app, go to Settings, scroll to the License section, paste your key, and click Activate. The app needs an internet connection for the first activation only. After that, your license works offline.

Yes. Your license key can be activated on all the devices you personally own and control. Each activation is recorded so we can prevent abuse, but normal use across your personal computers is fine. If a device is lost, sold, or decommissioned, email us at support@needlework-studio.com and we will deactivate it for you.

Licenses do not expire. Once activated, the Full Version features remain available permanently. If we release a major new version in the future, existing license holders may receive a discounted upgrade.

Yes. We offer a no-questions-asked refund within 30 days of purchase. Contact us at support@needlework-studio.com and we will process your refund promptly.

• Up to 10 saved patterns (canvas up to 300×300 stitches)
• Image-to-pattern converter (up to 75×75, 30 colors)
• Pattern editor with core tools: pencil, eraser, fill, eyedropper, line, shapes, text, select, pan
• Six stitch types: full cross, half, quarter, three-quarter, petite, and backstitch
• Chart and thread view modes with progress tracking
• Thread inventory (up to 50 threads from the built-in DMC, Anchor, and Mill Hill catalogs)
• JSON pattern import, OXS pattern import (so you can bring patterns in from other apps)
• PNG export (with watermark) and JSON export
• 1 public share link

Everything in the free version, plus:

• Unlimited patterns and unlimited canvas size
• Two more stitch types: French knots and beads
• Three more tools: confetti cleanup, lasso select, and trace
• Advanced editor features: mirror mode, flip and rotate, color replace, copy/paste, dithering, blend threads
• PDF, SVG, OXS, and HTML export (and clean PNG without watermark)
• PDF pattern import
• Image-to-pattern at unlimited grid size, up to 100 colors
• Materials calculator, shopping list, and the cross-pattern shopping view
• Per-color progress tracking, zen mode
• Tags, bulk operations, backup/restore
• Unlimited thread inventory with skein quantities
• 50 undo levels (vs 10 in free)

Absolutely. All your patterns, progress, and inventory are preserved when you activate a license key. The Full Version features simply become available alongside everything you have already created.

It includes everything in the Full Version, plus the ability to self-host Needlework Studio on your own server using Docker. This adds multi-user support, an admin panel, desktop-to-server sync, and server backup/restore. It is designed for users who want to access their patterns from multiple devices or share a server with family or friends.

All your data (patterns, progress, thread inventory, settings) is stored locally on your computer. Nothing is uploaded to our servers. On macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/needlework-studio. On Windows: %APPDATA%\needlework-studio. On Linux: ~/.config/needlework-studio. See the Privacy Policy for the full data-handling story.

By default, no. The desktop app does not require an account and never transmits your patterns. Optional crash reports (Sentry) and the website's usage analytics (PostHog) are opt-in only, blocked until you accept them via the consent banner. The only required network requests are license activation (once) and update checks. Optional desktop-to-server sync runs only if you set it up. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

If the app encounters an unexpected error, it may send an anonymous crash report to Sentry. This includes your operating system, app version, and the technical details of the error. It does not include your patterns, personal data, or account information. IP addresses are not stored.

Only for the initial license activation and checking for updates. After activation, the app works completely offline. All pattern editing, progress tracking, and exporting works without an internet connection.

If your software exports OXS (Open Cross Stitch) format, you can import directly. Otherwise, export to PDF and use the PDF importer, or take a screenshot of the chart and use the image-to-pattern converter. See Import & Export in the wiki for step-by-step instructions.

This is usually a Wi-Fi setting on the phone or tablet rather than something wrong with the app. Try these in order:

1. Turn off Private Wi-Fi Address for your home network. On iPhone or iPad: Settings → Wi-Fi → tap the ⓘ next to your network → Private Wi-Fi Address → off → Rejoin. Mesh routers often drop packets to randomized MAC addresses.
2. Make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. Guest networks and split 2.4/5 GHz SSIDs are usually isolated from each other.
3. Toggle Wi-Fi off and on on the phone or tablet to force it to re-attach to the access point.
4. Accept the security warning the first time you connect. Tap Show Details → visit this website → Visit Website. The connection uses a self-signed certificate your computer generated locally. Nothing leaves your network.
5. Generate a fresh QR code if more than 5 minutes have passed since you opened the share page. Pairing tokens expire.

Visit the Wiki for detailed guides on every feature. Start with Getting Started, learn about Pattern Design and the Pattern Viewer, or browse Project Management. For troubleshooting, see the Technical FAQ. You can also email us at support@needlework-studio.com.

Needlework Studio is built by Trent, a solo developer in Missouri, and run under Needlework Studio LLC. See the About page for the longer story.

Often. Needlework Studio ships at a steady cadence, usually multiple releases per week during the beta. The full version history is on the Changelog page, and the desktop app's auto-updater notifies you when a new build is available.

No. Needlework Studio is commercial software, sold under our End User License Agreement. The app does incorporate many open-source libraries; the corresponding license texts are bundled inside the installed app.

An iPad pattern viewer is in active development. For now, you can pair your phone or tablet to a running desktop session and view your patterns from there (see Share to Phone). When the standalone iPad viewer ships, you will be able to grab it from the App Store.