# Scanned graph to useable graph? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107 "2015-11-20T20:07:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/1 "2015-11-20T20:07:31Z")
I don’t know if it’s even a possibility, but I want to ask people much more computer savvy than I could ever become. I cross stitch. When you buy a pattern, it’s basically page after page of graph paper with each cell containing a symbol that correlates to a particular color of thread. The one I’m sewing now was done in a funky enough font where it’s difficult to distinguish some of the symbols. What I have been doing is pulling out the markers and colored pencils and coloring each little square according to it’s symbol. It’s time consuming, and (in the situation I am in with this one) there are more colors in the pattern than I own markers and colored pencils to be able to easily differentiate the cells. Is there any program or any magic that would allow me to scan the graph into my computer and overlay the pattern with colors? Such as color every \* symbol yellow or something? I would still want the symbol showing, but the cell colored. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/2 "2015-11-20T20:11:49Z")
Are all the symbols regular characters you can find on your keyboard, or are they special cross-stitching symbols? If you can post a picture of the pattern in question (try [imgur.com](http://imgur.com) if you need a place to upload it), it’ll help. There is likely some combination of OCR and find-and-replace that can do this, but it’s hard to say without knowing exactly what the pattern looks like. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/3 "2015-11-20T20:19:05Z")
The one I’m sewing (luckily) are all symbols found on the computer keyboard. The graph is akin to [this](http://yarntree.com/017bearg.htm), but instead of a cutesy little bear, it’s 280 x 236 rows of continuous stitches. ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/4 "2015-11-21T02:21:31Z")
Not an easy method but… Scan the pattern, or take a high res picture of it. Open the picture in a drawing, paint program that supports layers. Make your picture the base layer. Then add a layer and color in the areas manually. You can set the transparency of the layer, so that the base layer will show through as much as you like. If the symbols are hard to see. You can zoom the picture and try some of the programs tools to sharpen. Some programs have options to clarify fuzzy lines. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/5 "2015-11-21T10:48:42Z")
Yes - use an image editing program like Photoshop and make a copy of the picture. You don’t really need the colours but you can add them on another layer if you want to take the time. Once its saved, you can zoom in and use another layer to mark off what parts you have stitched. This is a picture that I am currently stitching - [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](http://imgur.com/fRJ4SOL) ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/6 "2015-11-21T19:24:21Z")
[This](http://www.artecy.com/storm-and-lighthouse-cross-stitch.html) is the monster I’m working on. If I scan and use a paint program…I may as well stick with markers and pencils, for as long as that would take. I was hoping for something that was a bit speedier. I looked up OCR, but have no idea how to use something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/7 "2015-11-21T19:35:17Z")
> [@MissTake](#): > > [This](http://www.artecy.com/storm-and-lighthouse-cross-stitch.html) is the monster I’m working on. If I scan and use a paint program…I may as well stick with markers and pencils, for as long as that would take. I was hoping for something that was a bit speedier. I looked up OCR, but have no idea how to use something like that. Can you take a picture or scan it? ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanned-graph-to-useable-graph/738107/8 "2015-11-21T20:06:49Z")
You have the colors right there in that picture you linked to. So you can make that picture one of a semi transparent layer. First scan and use the programs filters to make a black and white picture out of it. This will highlight the grid and symbols. There are various filters to sharpen and enhance the grid and symbols. Make it a layer. Then make the color version a layer as well. You can then change the transparency of any layer. So your sharp black and white grid can show through under the color layer, as much as you like. No hand / mouse, tracing needed. Just use the included filters.