Free Stained Glass Pattern

Original, editable studies

Begin with a manageable cut

Choose a finished study to load its working geometry. Change the piece count, inspect a shape, or export directly from the workshop.

From an idea to a numbered cutting pattern

1. Choose an example or upload a local image. Set the real panel size, then request 10–120 pieces and make the pattern. Begin with 24 pieces when comparing detail with cutting effort.
2. Select a numbered piece and read its dimensions. Review narrow widths and deep corners, merge only neighboring regions where useful, and compare the remaining risks after each repair.
3. Choose the construction heart, glass materials and print setup. Preview the tile grid, download a free file, and measure its printed ruler. Save the editable project before closing the tab.

A small first project with a clear cutting plan

The beginner examples start at 10, 12, 18 or 24 pieces. Honeycomb is a useful color exercise, a cat silhouette helps you inspect recognition, and a rose or lily introduces more directional shapes. All use the same engine and export options as the main workshop. There is no weekly generation allowance, preview-only download or forced account for a basic pattern.

Fewer pieces usually mean fewer separate blanks, but not necessarily fewer difficult scores. A 10-piece pattern with a tight U-shaped notch can be more demanding than a 25-piece arrangement of broad convex shapes. Inspect the cut report rather than treating the piece count as a difficulty grade. The full family range is 10–120 pieces, so you can continue with more detail after the first exercise.

Use minimum width as a review threshold

Start with the 10 mm default, then compare 15 mm to make narrow areas easier to find. The supported threshold is 6–20 mm. It measures real geometry in the selected panel size, so a long thin strip cannot pass merely because its area is large. A very small pattern may have fewer regions than requested when further division would violate the chosen width.

Select the warning to find the corresponding number on the cartoon. Merge a strip into a neighbor along a real shared edge, and check the new outline. A deep 270-degree re-entrant corner still needs attention: the surrounding glass cannot necessarily break away after a single score. Grinding or splitting may be more appropriate than another merge. Undo gives you a way to compare the original shape.

Make a physical-size paper test before glass

Copper foil starts with a 0.8 mm heart and a 0.4 mm inset on each edge. On a 100 mm square, the cut side becomes 99.2 mm, not 99.6 mm: both opposing edges move inward. The selected piece inspector shows the resulting width, height and net area, while the panel remains the full centerline size. The preview stroke is a separate visual setting.

Download the free tiled PDF and print at 100% or Actual size. The website footer is included on each page; the single-page PNG and basic vectors do not carry a watermark. Measure the ruler, assemble the paper tiles, and check the pattern against your intended space. Save the local project too: a PDF is a print artifact, while the project retains editable colors, material settings and polygons.

Centerlines, cutting lines and actual glass

A centerline cartoon describes how the panel fits together. A cutting contour describes the smaller piece of glass that fits beside the seam. Keep the two files clearly named in the workshop: tracing the centerline as a cut line would leave too little room for the chosen heart. The preview seam finish is cosmetic; black patina, copper and silver grey keep the same physical boundaries.

The material table integrates the compensated polygons, then groups their areas by glass ID. A 25% waste allowance multiplies the net area by 1.25; it does not turn irregular shapes into a guaranteed shopping list. Sheet nesting answers a different question by placing actual cutting contours inside a selected sheet, with a 5 mm edge margin and 3 mm gap by default. A piece that cannot fit is reported rather than silently omitted.

A project you can inspect and keep

Select any numbered shape to see its cut width, height and net area. The bounding dimensions help you find a blank large enough for that piece; net area measures its polygon, so a triangle is not counted as its full enclosing rectangle. The glass list is separate from the piece numbers: two blue pieces can have different IDs but use the same material.

Save a local .sgpattern.json project before leaving the page. There is no automatic browser draft or cloud gallery. Reopening the file restores the millimetre geometry, numbering, palette, material and cutting settings. An invalid project or failed image decode leaves the last valid pattern available. A maximum of 200 imported pieces and 512 vertices per piece keeps inspection and file generation bounded.

Match the file to the workshop task

For a small suncatcher, use the free single-layer inset SVG and the paper cartoon together. For a larger panel, keep the tiled PDF at actual scale. If you are preparing layered sticker dies, matching pieces to stock sheets, or selling teaching packs, the three workshop ZIPs provide those specific production documents.

Use the copper foil guide for the 0.8 mm heart and tape-width calculation, the lead came guide for 1.6–2.0 mm hearts and frame allowances, and the printing guide for measured 1:1 tiles.

Cutting difficulty and glass quantities are based on planar geometry and the selected waste allowance. Adjust the real cutting plan for glass texture, material and the tools you use.

More ways to start the same workshop