Fun
Color by Number
Pick one of twelve original pictures and colour it in by number, or turn your own photo into a numbered outline with a colour key, ready to print.
Everything runs on your device — photos are never uploaded. Progress is saved in this browser.
Play and explore in your browser. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free, and do I need an account?
It is free with no account and no limit on pictures. Progress is saved in your browser’s local storage, so it stays on this device and this browser. Clearing your browsing data, or using a private window, starts the pictures fresh.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No. The photo is read, simplified and numbered by JavaScript in your browser, and the PDF is built on your device too. Nothing is sent to a server. When you choose Colour it here, the simplified numbered version — not the original photo — is kept in this browser so you can come back to it.
How does the photo to paint-by-number conversion work?
The photo is shrunk to a working size, softened slightly, and its colours are grouped with k-means clustering in the CIELAB colour space, which matches how people see colour differences better than plain RGB. A smoothing filter then rounds off ragged edges, areas too small or too thin to paint are merged into their neighbours, and each number is placed at the point farthest from the edge of its area, so it never sits on a line.
Which settings make a good paint-by-number from a photo?
Photos with a clear subject, good light and a plain background work best. Simple with 8 to 12 colours suits children and a first attempt; Detailed with 16 to 24 colours gives a painting closer to the photo but many more small areas. If the preview has hundreds of tiny areas, raise Smooth edges or lower the number of colours.
What is in the printable PDF?
Page one is the numbered outline with thin grey lines and a colour key underneath, listing each number with a swatch and its hex code so you can mix or match paints. Page two is the finished picture in colour, as a guide. Numbers are real text, so they stay sharp when printed. You can choose US Letter or A4.
Why did tapping an area not fill it?
Only areas with the selected number can be filled — the message at the bottom of the picture tells you which number the area you tapped needs. Small areas are easier to hit after zooming in, and a tap close to an area of the selected colour also counts, so you do not have to hit it exactly.
About this tool
Colour by number is the calm, satisfying puzzle of filling each numbered area with the colour that goes with its number until a picture emerges. This page has twelve original pictures drawn for it — a geometric fox, a night owl, a tropical fish, a butterfly, a sunflower, tulips, a mountain lake, a sailboat, a cottage, a stained-glass window, a patchwork quilt and a pixel-art mushroom — ranging from about 15 to 55 areas, so there is something for young children and for a quiet ten minutes as an adult.
Play works with a mouse or a finger. Choose a number from the swatches and every area that needs it is shaded grey. Tap to fill; a ripple confirms each one, a finished colour gets a tick and the next unfinished colour is selected for you. Zoom with a pinch, the mouse wheel or the + button, drag to move around, and use Find a number to jump to an area you missed. Everything is saved automatically after each fill.
The photo converter turns a family photo, a pet or a holiday view into a real paint-by-number kit. You choose the number of colours from 4 to 24, the level of detail and how much to smooth edges, and the preview switches between the numbered outline and the finished result. The download is a PDF with the outline, a colour key with hex codes and a colour guide, sized for US Letter or A4 — good for acrylics, markers or coloured pencils.
For best results, crop the photo to the subject first and avoid very dark or blurry pictures. Faces and pets work best with 12 or more colours, while landscapes and simple objects look good with fewer. Everything happens on your device, so private photos never leave it.