Purlgrid editorial team
How to Share a Knitting Chart as an Image
A knitted preview shows how your colourwork design looks, while the grid records where each color goes. Decide whether you are sending a picture for feedback or a chart someone will knit from. That determines what needs to travel with the image.
The short answer
Use “Download image” for a PNG of the knitted preview; to send the preview and numbered chart together, capture both on screen or combine separate captures in an image editor. Purlgrid’s web chart maker does not export that combined layout. Add a “Share” link if the recipient needs to open the chart and edit a copy.
Download the knitted preview
Open the knitting chart maker and choose “Open the chart maker” to enter the editor. Finish your changes, select “Front” and let the preview update. Choose “Download image” to save the PNG, then open the downloaded file to check it before attaching it to your message.
The download contains the knitted preview, without the editing grid, row labels or yarn list. Selecting “Back” instead downloads the back view. If you want to discuss both sides, download each separately and label them so the recipient knows which is which.
Put the preview and chart in one PNG
For a small design, arrange the editor so the front preview and complete grid are visible. Keep the chart’s outer edges and row and stitch labels in the capture. Close any menus covering them. A screenshot records what is visible, so check for clipped rows or columns inside the chart area.
In desktop Firefox, right-click an empty part of the page and choose “Take Screenshot”. Drag a region around the preview and chart, then choose “Download” to save a PNG. These are browser controls, separate from Purlgrid’s “Download image” button.
If both views will not fit legibly, keep the downloaded preview and capture the chart separately. In an image editor, place them on one canvas, add the color key and a short caption, and save as PNG. Keep the chart large enough to count cells. For a chart that extends beyond the visible area, use the CSV or design link alongside the picture.
Label the repeat, not just the picture
For example, set “Stitches” to 24 and “Rows” to 16 under “Size”, with “× repeats” set to 3 across and 2 up. The base chart contains 24 × 16 = 384 cells. The repeated design spans 72 stitches and 32 rows: 24 × 3 = 72 and 16 × 2 = 32.
Use a caption such as: “One repeat: 24 stitches × 16 rows. Repeat 3 times across and 2 times up; total 72 stitches × 32 rows.” Purlgrid’s CSV contains the base repeat and a repeat note, rather than expanding it into the entire repeated piece. This caption makes the relationship clear when the chart and preview show different amounts of the design.
Include the information needed to knit
Open the ▾ menu beside “Download image” for “Chart table (CSV)” or “Written instructions (TXT)”. The CSV includes a color number for each stitch and a yarn key. The TXT gives row-by-row color counts, a color key and the selected knitting direction. Attach the appropriate file when a picture alone leaves too much to interpret.
In your message, identify the version, state whether the chart shows one repeat, and say whether the piece is worked flat or in the round. Keep these notes with the image so someone forwarding it does not lose the context.
Share a link for an editable copy
Choose “Share” after finishing your edits. Purlgrid tries to copy the link and also displays it in a field; if copying fails, select and copy the displayed address yourself. Send the complete link. It carries the encoded design in the address, without uploading the design to a server.
The link opens a viewer. The recipient can choose “Edit this pattern” to open their own copy in the editor and see the grid. Their changes do not change yours. The link captures the design when you create it, so generate a fresh link after revisions. If Purlgrid warns that a long link may be cut off by a messaging service, include the PNG and CSV as alternatives.
Check the file the recipient will receive
Open the final PNG at its normal viewing size. Can you distinguish the colors, read the labels and count neighboring cells? PNG uses lossless compression, but saving a tiny or cropped capture as PNG cannot restore missing detail. If the numbers are unreadable, make a larger capture or send chart data alongside it.
Keep an image of the exact version you sent. Include the design link when requesting changes, or the CSV and TXT when sending instructions. This gives the recipient a useful next step without having to reconstruct a chart from yarn texture.
Before you continue
- Choose the front or back view deliberately before downloading.
- Keep the full grid, labels and color key readable in a combined image.
- State the base repeat and the repeats across and up.
- Attach chart data or a complete design link when someone will knit from it.
- Open the final files and check that they show the same version.
More questions, answered
Do I need a knitting chart maker app to share the design?
You can use Purlgrid’s chart maker in your web browser without an account. Open the editor from the chart maker page, then choose an image download or design link.
Can I edit the stitches in the downloaded PNG?
The PNG is a picture. To change stitch colors in Purlgrid, open the original design or use a design link and choose “Edit this pattern”. Save a new image after editing.
Why does the downloaded preview have a different orientation?
“Rotate preview ↻” rotates the on-screen preview only. It does not rotate the chart or downloaded image. If orientation matters, rotate the saved image in an image editor and label it.
Is saving in My designs enough to move to another device?
“My designs” stores designs in that browser. Clearing browser data removes them. Keep a design link to reopen the editable design on another device, plus downloaded files for reference.