Converting Photos Help

[Sharon Duncan]

I have Easy Cross, DMC and Jane Greenoff and although they are all fab programs I'm not happy with the photo conversion.

Can anyone recommend a better program or a better way of doing it.

I would love to do a cross stitch of my beautiful grandaughter Rachel.

[suban]

I would be tempted to check them out on photoshop or something like that to make sure the photo is sharp - do all your tweaking before loading into the cross-stitch package. I have done minor alterations once photo was downloaded but highly detailed photos can be an absolute beggar!!!

You got a grand-daughter???? Nah - did you have your children before you were a teenager????

[keiko1]

if you have serif you can do the same thing in the photo lab, I always have to tweak my pics and clean them up. my Tim Curry one took me ages as had to get the muppet out of the back of the shot posing as harvey the giant rabbit !!! :)

[Sharon Duncan]

Chose a different photo yesterday and tweaked it and have now successfully charted it.

[suban]

Great to hear you managed it!!!!! Way to go!!!!

[morgana123]

When I saw Sharon's post I thought this could be the answer to one of my dreams so I hope she doesnt mind me jumping on and asking for help too. I have a chart that DMC converted for me many many years ago of my dad and daughters. It has never been completed although I have started it many times because the colours given for the flesh tones are nothing like my father and daughter's flesh tones. I have tried adjusting it myself but have never managed to get it to look right and so the chart has languished unfinished.

When I had the chart done I didnt have a picture of my dad with both daughters except ones taken shortly before he died - he was diagnosed with cancer when they were only 1 month and 16 months old -and of course on those he didnt look his handsome best and so when I saw the photo service I contacted DMC explaining what I wanted and they said (for the appropriate fee of course) they would be able to combine a picture of dad with my daughters so that he looked as he had before the illness. The chart looked wonderful when it arrived, dad's head and shoulders in the background and my daughters in the foreground, giving the illusion of them sitting on his knee. But the colours are terrible, even the dress one daughter was wearing which was white with brightly coloured flowers has no white in it at all, and dad's blue jumper is horrible shades of brown!!!!

So after my rambling, can anyone give me some tips as to how I can achieve my long held goal of a family cross stitch. I want to further complicate it and add my mum into the mix as she has now passed away. I'm not very computer literate but do have the serif programme - havent used it yet but as C&C were giving it to members decided to get it and dont have a cross stitch conversion programme so advice on which to get would be great.

Fingers crossed one of you wonderful crafters will be able to help.

Jacqui xxx

[suban]

a) have you got a photo of your mum taken around the same time as your dad?
b) Photomanipulation programs to cut/crop and merge mum into the same group - although some cross stitch programs will allow you to import into an existing chart
c) I used cross stitch pro - but Jane's looks great!
d) Skintones - Ecru, 407, 3774 and 3772 which add to shading etc.