You spent weeks or months on a cross stitch piece. A good photograph captures all that work and shows it off at its best — whether you're sharing on social media, listing it for sale, or simply recording it for yourself. Here's how to get great photos with just your phone.

Use Natural Light

Natural light is the single biggest factor in a good cross stitch photo. Artificial room lights cast warm or uneven tones that misrepresent your thread colors.

Best setup:

• Photograph near a large window during the day
• Avoid direct sunlight, which creates harsh shadows — overcast days or indirect light are ideal
• Position the piece so light falls evenly across the entire surface
• Turn off overhead room lights to avoid mixed color temperatures

Flat Lay vs. Framed

Flat lay (photographing the piece lying flat, shot from directly above) works best for unframed pieces and in-progress shots. Lay the piece on a clean, neutral background — white, light gray, or natural wood.

Framed shots should be photographed straight on at the same height as the piece, not at an angle. If the frame has glass, angle slightly to avoid catching your reflection.

Avoiding Glare

Glare is the biggest challenge when photographing framed cross stitch behind glass:

• Shoot at a slight angle — just a few degrees off center eliminates most reflections
• Use a polarizing clip-on lens if you photograph framed work frequently
• Remove the glass temporarily for the best possible photo
• Turn off flash — flash creates a bright hot spot on glass and fabric

StitchCraft App

Turn Any Photo Into a Cross Stitch Pattern

• Accurate DMC color matching
• Track progress stitch by stitch
• Export print-ready PDF charts

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iPhone & iPad

Phone Camera Tips

Modern phones take excellent photos for cross stitch documentation. A few settings make a difference:

• Tap to focus on the center of the piece so the camera locks focus on the stitches
• Use the 2x zoom if your phone has it — this reduces lens distortion and gives a more accurate representation
• Turn on grid lines in your camera settings to help align the piece straight in the frame
• Take multiple shots — slight variations in angle and light make a big difference

Editing for Social Media

A little editing goes a long way. In your phone's photo editor or a free app:

• Adjust white balance so thread colors look true to life
• Increase contrast slightly to make stitches pop
• Crop tight — remove distracting background elements
• Sharpen lightly to bring out the texture of individual stitches

Avoid over-saturating colors. You want the photo to represent what the piece actually looks like.

Showcasing Texture

Cross stitch has a beautiful texture that photographs well when captured correctly:

• Shoot at a slight angle to catch the raised texture of stitches
• Use side lighting — light coming from one side creates subtle shadows that highlight the three-dimensional quality
• Get close — macro or close-up shots showing individual stitches are visually striking and showcase your craft

Document every finished piece. StitchCraft makes it easy to go from pattern to finished work — download it from the App Store and create pieces worth photographing.