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Open PCStitch files online

Drop a .pat file to preview your pattern, check its quality score, and export as PDF or OXS — free, works on any device.

Drop a .pat file above to instantly preview your pattern. The tool reads the full grid, thread palette, backstitches, and French knots — then lets you analyze the pattern quality, remap thread brands, and export as PDF or OXS.

What you get

  • Realistic stitch preview — see your pattern with lifelike thread textures. Pan and zoom to inspect details before printing.
  • FLOW quality score — an instant breakdown of how practical your pattern is to stitch, rated across four metrics: fragmentation, color clustering, palette efficiency, and workability.
  • ConfettiScope overlay — a heat map that highlights where confetti stitches concentrate. See at a glance which areas will slow you down.
  • Thread brand remapping — switch your entire palette to any of 50+ supported thread brands with perceptual color matching.
  • Full color legend — every thread with codes, color names, and stitch counts.
  • Pattern info — dimensions, fabric count, and stitch breakdown (full, half, quarter, three-quarter, backstitch, French knots).
  • PDF export — a print-ready PDF with symbol chart, color legend, and thread list. Compatible with Pattern Keeper.
  • OXS download — convert to the open OXS format for MacStitch, WinStitch, or Cross Stitch Pro.
  • Open in editor — load the pattern into Stitchmate's full editor to clean up confetti, modify stitches, or redesign the palette.

See what PCStitch doesn't show you

PCStitch treats patterns as grids of colored squares — no quality analysis, no confetti detection, no way to know if a pattern will actually be enjoyable to stitch. Drop a file here and you'll see things the original software never surfaced. (See how Stitchmate compares to PCStitch.)

Pattern quality, measured. The FLOW Score rates your pattern on four dimensions — fragmentation (confetti density), locality (how well colors cluster into stitchable regions), optimization (whether the palette has redundant or trivial colors), and workability (practical difficulty). A pattern might look beautiful on screen and score 45 out of 100 because it's full of scattered single stitches.

Confetti, visualized. The ConfettiScope overlays a heat map directly on your pattern. Red zones are confetti hotspots — areas dense with isolated stitches that require constant thread changes. Green zones flow smoothly. You'll immediately see whether a pattern will be meditative or maddening.

Your thread brand, not theirs. PCStitch patterns often default to one brand. If you stitch with something different, you'd normally look up every conversion by hand. Here, remap the entire palette in one click — 50+ brands supported, matched by perceptual color distance so the results are accurate. Need to convert individual codes? Try the DMC ↔ Anchor conversion tool.

Common reasons to use this

You're on a Mac. PCStitch only runs on Windows. Drop your .pat file here and you can view, analyze, print, or convert it — no emulator needed.

You want a printable PDF. Getting a clean PDF out of PCStitch requires extra steps with print drivers and font workarounds. This tool gives you a Pattern Keeper-compatible PDF in one click.

You want to check a pattern before buying thread. Open the file, check the FLOW Score, look at the confetti heat map, and see the full thread list with stitch counts. Know what you're getting into before you commit time and money.

You're switching software. Convert your pattern library from PCStitch's proprietary format to OXS, which MacStitch, WinStitch, and Cross Stitch Pro can all open.

You stitch with a different thread brand. Remap the palette to whatever brand you prefer — and export a PDF with your thread codes.

Someone sent you a .pat file. Preview it here without installing anything.

How it works

  1. Drop your file — the .pat file is decoded in your browser to extract the grid, palette, backstitches, and French knots.
  2. Preview and analyze — the pattern renders with realistic thread textures and the FLOW Score calculates automatically. Toggle the ConfettiScope overlay to see confetti distribution.
  3. Adjust — remap thread brands to any of 50+ supported brands.
  4. Export — download as PDF (print-ready with symbol chart and legend) or OXS (open format for other editors). Or open the pattern in Stitchmate's full editor for deeper edits.

Everything runs locally. Your files stay on your device.

Stitchmate can open most .pat files, but some unusual or very old files may still fail to parse. If you run into a file that doesn't open, let us know — we're continuously improving format coverage.

Also supported: Pattern Maker .xsd files · OXS files (MacStitch, WinStitch, Cross Stitch Pro)

FAQ

Can I open a PCStitch file on Mac?
Yes. Drop your .pat file on this page and it opens instantly in your browser — no Windows emulator or PCStitch license needed. You can preview the pattern, analyze its quality, remap threads, and export as PDF or OXS.
Can I print my PCStitch pattern without PCStitch?
Yes. Open your .pat file here and export it as a PDF with a full symbol chart, color legend, and thread list — ready to print or load into Pattern Keeper.
What is the FLOW Score?
FLOW stands for Fragmentation, Locality, Optimization, and Workability — four metrics that measure how practical a pattern is to actually stitch. A high FLOW Score means fewer confetti stitches, better color clustering, an efficient palette, and a manageable difficulty level. Most pattern software doesn't analyze quality at all — this gives you an instant read on any pattern you open.
What is confetti in cross stitch?
Confetti refers to isolated single stitches scattered across the pattern — stitches surrounded by different colors on all sides. They require constant thread changes and slow you down significantly. The ConfettiScope overlay highlights exactly where confetti concentrates so you can decide whether to clean it up before stitching.
Can I switch my pattern to a different thread brand?
Yes. The tool can remap your entire palette to any of 50+ supported thread brands using perceptual color matching. You'll see the remapped colors instantly in the preview.
What is a .pat file?
PAT is the native file format for PCStitch, one of the most widely used cross-stitch design programs. PAT files store the full pattern grid, thread palette, backstitch lines, and metadata. This tool reads PCStitch versions 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, covering the vast majority of .pat files you'll encounter.
What is OXS?
OXS is an open cross-stitch format supported by MacStitch, WinStitch, and Cross Stitch Pro. Converting to OXS lets you continue editing your pattern in any of these programs.
What stitch types are preserved?
Full crosses, half stitches, quarter stitches, three-quarter stitches, backstitches, and French knots — all preserved with correct orientation and color mapping.
Can I edit the pattern after opening it?
Yes — click Open in Stitchmate to load the pattern into the full editor, where you can modify stitches, clean up confetti, add text, and re-export as PDF.
Which PAT versions are supported?
Versions 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 — covering all major PCStitch releases. Version 4 files are rare and not currently supported. Most .pat files will open without issues, but some unusual files may still fail.
Is there a file size limit?
No hard limit. Since everything runs in your browser, very large patterns may take a few extra seconds to load.