How does the Line tool differ from the Backstitch tool?

The Line tool draws regular stitches in a straight line — it fills the stitch grid with color. The Backstitch tool draws thin decorative lines that sit on top of stitches. Use Line for solid rows of stitches; use Backstitch for fine outlines and detail lines.

Can I draw perfectly horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines?

Yes. Hold Shift while drawing to snap the line to clean angles — horizontal, vertical, and both diagonals (45°).

Does the Line tool work with selection?

Yes. If you have an active selection, only stitches within the selection are drawn. The line is drawn first, then clipped to the selection.

What if I click without dragging?

A single stitch is placed. Useful for placing one stitch at a time.

Line Tool

Basics

Line Tool is for when you want crisp straight edges without hand wobble.

Line Tool — draw straight lines of stitches

Use it for:

Borders and frames.
Geometric patterns.
Pixel-art outlines.
Straight accents that would be annoying with Brush.

Line Tool draws stitches. Backstitch draws thin lines on top of stitches. Different jobs — use Line for solid rows, Backstitch for fine outlines.

Press L to activate. It's in the Shape dropdown alongside Rectangle and Ellipse.

Quick start

Pick a color (Primary).
Press L to switch to Line.
Click where the line starts, drag to where it ends.
Hold Shift for perfect angles (horizontal, vertical, diagonal).
Release to place.

Drawing a line

Click and hold on the canvas to set the start point.
Drag to the endpoint. A live preview shows the line as you go.
Release to place. The line becomes stitches in your active color.

Each line is one Undo step.

Drawing a line — click start, drag to end, release

If the cursor leaves the canvas while drawing, the preview is discarded — no accidental lines.

Line width

Controls how wide the line is (1–20 stitches).

1 (default) — A single-stitch-wide line. Clean and precise.
2–20 — A thick line with rounded edges, like a thick marker.

Adjust from the toolbar slider, or press W / S to change width while drawing. The preview updates immediately.

Line width — thin vs thick

Tip: Increase width for fast thick borders. Use width 1 for outlines and fine detail.

Angle snapping

Hold Shift while drawing to lock the line to clean angles: horizontal, vertical, and neat 45° diagonals.

This is the easiest way to draw perfectly straight borders and tidy pixel-art diagonals. Without Shift, the line can be any angle.

Common uses

Frame / border: Shift + thick width, draw four sides.
Geometric patterns: Lock angles, repeat strokes.
Pixel-art outline: Thin line for the outline, then Fill the blocks.
Guideline on a temporary layer: Draw on a separate layer, then hide or flatten later.

Modifiers

Modifier	When	What it does
Shift (while drawing)	During drag	Snap to clean angles
Alt+Click (not drawing)	Before starting	Eyedropper — pick color from the canvas
Right-click drag	Any time	Erase mode — clears stitches instead of filling
Space	Any time	Pan the canvas

Dithering & eraser

Like other drawing tools, Line supports dithering and eraser modes:

Single-color dithering — Stitches along the line are scattered by the density setting, creating a dotted or textured line.
Two-color dithering — Stitches are split between primary and secondary colors.
Eraser mode — Right-click drag or enable the global eraser toggle. Clears stitches along the line path.

Dithered line — two-color dithering along a diagonal

Symmetry

When Brush symmetry is active, lines are mirrored across the symmetry axes. Draw one line and its reflections appear simultaneously.

Works with all symmetry modes: horizontal mirror, vertical mirror, 4-way, and 8-way.

Tips & gotchas

L for Line, R for Rectangle, O for Ellipse. All three shape tools share the dropdown, but each has its own shortcut.
Shift for straight lines. Horizontal, vertical, and 45° diagonal — the most common angles in cross-stitch.
W / S to adjust width. Quick keys, no need to click the toolbar slider.
Thick lines have rounded ends. Think of it like a thick marker — the circular shape means smooth, rounded lines.
Line vs Backstitch. Lines fill actual stitches. Backstitches are thin overlay lines between grid points. Different purposes.
Works with selection. Stitches outside the selection are protected.
Single click = single stitch. Click without dragging to place one stitch.
Diagonals will look stair-stepped. That's normal on a stitch grid — zoom out and judge the overall look.
Undo is one step. No matter how long the line, Cmd/Ctrl+Z removes it all.