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Welcome to Charts-Is-Us

Question: Is it possible to make a chart from an image file such as a .JPG or .GIF file that a customer can send you by e-mail?

Answer: Yes, we often receive image files by e-mail. We can accept an image file in any of the common image file formats such as GIF, JPG, BMP, etc. If you plan to scan an image to send us, we suggest that you contact us first so that we can suggest dots-per-inch scanner settings for the stitch dimensions that you want for the final image. Otherwise, we might have to scale the image up or down in size and scaling can cause loss of image detail.

Question: Do you have a preference of one image file type over another?

Answer: We don't, but you might if you know some of their characteristics. A GIF file, for example, cannot contain more than 256 colors while a JPG (or JPEG) file can contain thousands of colors. When we make a chart, we must first replace the color of each dot in the image with the nearest matching DMC color of which there are presently 426 colors. A GIF file which originally contains 256 colors might result in a chart which ends up with just a few less colors or with a lot less, depending on the range of colors and how they are spread across DMC's spectrum. A chart made from a JPG file will, more ofthen than not, result in a chart with more DMC colors in the end because it has the capacity to contain more colors in the beginning.

Question: I want to have a chart made of a wedding photo of my sister and her husband for their anniversary and I would like to work the chart on 24-count over 2 stitches but have the faces done on 24-count over 1 stitch. Is it possible to make such a chart.

Answer: Yes, we have made such charts. We do this by initially designing the chart for 24-count over 1 stitch. Then we cut out the area or areas to be kept in 24-count over 1 stitch and put them into separate charts. We then do a 2-to-1 reduction of the remainder. This results in the remaining "main" chart being a 24-count over 2 stitches (equal to a 12-count over 1). The cut-out area or areas in the main chart are left blank and are then filled in by stitching from the smaller separate chart or charts. The cover page of the chart will show a color composite of all images in one, showing an accurate representation of the finished work. Because this requires additional time and work, we must add a $10 extra charge for each area of the chart that is done this way. We normally charge $25 for all charts regardless of size, but if there are to be, for example, two faces done separately in this manner in a chart, the total cost would come to $45 for the main chart and the two extra smaller charts.

Question: Is there any way I can see the chart before you send it to me?

Answer: Yes. We normally prepare an image file of the cover page in full DMC colors and will either e-mail it to you or if you prefer, put it on a private web page for you to view. We will e-mail you instructions on how to view the image and we will leave it in place for a few days or until you have indicated that you have seen it. If for some reason you are not satisfied with what you see, we will try to do what is necessary to satisfy you. If we are unable to do this, we will return your check uncashed. We won't cash your check until the chart has been mailed to you.

Question: Is CHARTS-IS-US a large company?

Answer: No, we are what might be called a "Mom and Pop" operation, or more accurately, a "Grandma and Grandpa" operation. Grandma JoAnn is the cross-stitch advisor and Grandpa Gene is the computer "nurd" (although that word is much newer than his orginal vocabulary).

Question: Where do you get your software for making charts?

Answer: Grandpa Gene is an Electrical Engineer who has been making a living writing software for industrial use for over 25 years and so does our cross-stitch software. He has been programming computers since learning Fortran-2 on an IBM 1401 computer in 1965.

Question: What if there are too many colors in my chart?

Answer: We can reduce the color count. Our computer program always makes us a list of DMC colors needed and provides the count of stitches which use each color. We sort this list in descending order of usage and then begin eliminating colors from the least-used end of the list. This forces those stitches to be reassigned to the next closest DMC color which might be a color already in use or in some cases might introduce a previously unused color. In any case, this process will be repeated until the color count is reduced to an acceptable range. Typically, the count can be reduced by 50 percent or more before it begins to affect the overall appearance of the chart. In any case, you will have a chance to view the result as described above before we mail it to you.

Question: What if my picture is too large for your scanner?