Grillo

Your cross-stitch chart, finally easy to read.

Upload the PDF, scan or photo of your chart. Grillo gives every thread its own colour and symbols you won’t mix up, as A4 pages ready to print.

Make my chart readable

Free during the beta. Your files are deleted after one hour.

Our house motif, the cricket: 6 threads, 6 symbols.

What makes a chart a pain, and what Grillo does about it

Three beiges and four greens that look alike
Every thread gets its own colour, chosen to stand out from its neighbours. Or the real DMC colours, if you prefer.
A black and white chart
The symbols stay the same and each cell takes its thread colour: you can see the design appear.
One giant page you can’t print
The chart is split into numbered A4 pages, with a page map.
A scan or a phone photo
Grillo straightens the page, finds every cell and groups identical symbols.

How it works

  1. Upload your chart

    Designer PDF, Pattern Keeper export, scan or sharp photo.

  2. Check the threads

    Grillo reads the key. If a number is missing, type it in.

  3. Download the PDF

    DMC colours or high-contrast colours, to print or to open on a tablet.

Make my chart readable

What Grillo can read

  • Designer PDFsRead exactly, including blends, beads and backstitch.
  • Black and white scansFrom 200 dpi: over 99 % of stitches recognised in our tests.
  • Sharp photos taken straight onAs reliable as a scan when the photo isn’t blurry.
  • Colour scans (beta)Check the result before you stitch.

Your charts stay yours

Charts belong to their designers. Grillo is for reading a chart you bought, for your own personal use: nothing is published or shared, and every file is deleted one hour after upload.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes, during the beta. A paid plan will follow for large charts and regular use.

Are the DMC colours exact?

They are close: DMC publishes no official values, and screens and printers always shift colours a little. Trust the thread number.

My chart is a scan, what changes?

Grillo doesn’t know the thread numbers: it groups identical symbols and lets you type each number. Scans at 200 dpi or more work best.

Can I share the PDF?

No: it is still a copy of the designer’s chart. It’s made for you, like the chart you bought.

Does it work on a tablet?

Yes, the site works on tablets and phones, and the PDF opens in any reader.