LEARN / PERLER NOTES

From photo to pattern, then to a finished piece.

Choose a photo, map the colors, edit the pattern, then iron it. Each guide solves one specific problem, with steps you can follow right away.

Start with the first guideOpen the editor
A pet photo turned into a Peko perler bead pattern

Where a pattern starts

Photo → pixels → colors → export

Peko
01 / CHOOSE

Pick a clear photo

A clear subject and a simple background hold up best after pixelation.

02 / MAKE

Build the pattern

Set the board size, limit the palette, then fix eyes, mouth and edges by hand.

03 / IRON

Finish with the iron

Test scrap beads first, iron in short passes, and press the piece flat while it cools.

Start with one question

More guides are on the way. Pick the step you are stuck on; you do not have to read them in order.

BeginnerPattern making

How to Turn a Photo into a Perler Bead Pattern: From Choosing a Photo to Export

A step-by-step guide to turning a photo into a perler bead pattern: choose, crop, pixelate, map colors, clean up the pattern and export it. Includes the five details beginners get wrong most often.

October 21, 202614 min read
IroningBeginner

Ironing Perler Beads: Temperature and Time Without Melting or Warping

There is no universal ironing temperature for perler beads: brands, bead sizes and irons differ. Here is a practical test-first method, a short-pass rhythm and a troubleshooting table for melting, sticking and warping.

October 20, 202612 min read
Color codesColor selection

MARD, COCO and Manman Color Codes: How to Compare and Substitute

Bead color codes are not universal across brands. This guide explains the differences between MARD, COCO and Manman, shows a comparison table, and gives a practical order for substituting missing colors.

October 19, 20269 min read
START MAKING

One guide is not as good as one pattern.

Upload a photo, choose your color system and start with a small 20–30 bead pattern. The first result will teach you more than ten guides.

Open Peko editor