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FAQ

Color & Beads

Why do some colors look different in real beads?

Digital bead colors are approximations. Real beads vary by finish, transparency, and dye lot, so your actual beads may look slightly different.

Why are the Miyuki DB codes only suggestions?

The app chooses the closest available match from the palette. DB codes are guidance, not exact conversions. You can always substitute your own beads.

Inspiration Image

Why doesn't the Inspiration Image match my photo exactly?

It suggests colors inspired by your photo — it doesn't recreate the image. The app interprets tones and maps them to the closest bead colors.

What kinds of photos work best for Inspiration Image?

Photos with clear, distinct colors work best — things like sunsets, flowers, butterflies, or anything with a strong focal point. Use the focal point to steer sampling toward the richest area.

Images that contain 5–10 dominant colors usually give the most balanced and interesting bead palettes.

Photos to avoid include very busy or chaotic images with dozens of similar shades (they blend into muddy mid‑tones), low‑contrast photos (foggy, washed‑out, or overexposed), and images that are mostly one single color, which will produce a near‑monochrome result.

Does the app store my photos?

No. Your photo is sent to our server for color extraction and then immediately discarded — it is never saved or stored.

Colors & Editing

Why don't stickers work across the fringe and triangle top?

Stickers are available for both the fringe and triangle sections. Triangle stickers differ based on whether the pattern is one-drop or two-drop, since the shape designs are tailored to each mode. Fringe stickers cannot overlap into the triangle section, and triangle stickers cannot overlap into the fringe.

Why don't I see the sticker tool on my Diamond, Star, or other custom top shape?

Stickers — including the Spooky Halloween pack — are only available on the default triangle top. Custom top shapes and Pattern Designs mix in half-width fringe beads along their dense diagonals, and the sticker shapes can't translate correctly onto that layout.

Can I move stickers around?

Not at this time. Stickers snap to the tapped bead position and stay fixed once applied.

Can I adjust or add colors?

Pro users can add up to 16 custom colors by entering any HEX code, and can pin favorite palette colors for quick access. Free and add-on users use the app's fixed color palettes.

Can I adjust the fringe and triangle dimension settings?

Not at this time. Triangle width can only be changed through the app's built‑in settings to keep patterns structurally accurate. Fringe length can only be adjusted for Pro users.

Top Shapes & Pattern Designs

What top shapes are available besides the triangle?

Diamond, Star, Mandala, Circle, and Butterfly — each available as a one-time shape pack purchase, or all included with Pro. You pick the shape at design start in the earring setup, and every editor feature (painting, bead counts, autosave, PNG export) works the same as the triangle.

What are Pattern Designs?

Ready-made earring structures on the Patterns page: Half Moon, Teardrop, Flower, and Eagle. They use structures the standard setup can’t build — like mixed one-drop and two-drop rows or specially shaped fringe — and open directly in the editor, fully colorable, in your choice of fringe length. Each is a one-time purchase, or all are included with Pro.

Do Pattern Designs include the fringe shape options?

Half Moon, Teardrop, and Flower include the chevron, rectangular, and diagonal fringe choice with the design — no separate Fringe Shapes Pack needed. The Eagle has its own two-tier feather fringe, available in all three lengths. Top shape packs (Diamond, Star, Mandala, Circle, Butterfly) come with chevron fringe; rectangular and diagonal on those need the Fringe Shapes Pack or Pro.

Zoom & Painting

Why can't I paint while zoomed in?

When zoomed in, the app switches to single bead precision so you can tap each bead accurately. To use paint brush strokes, zoom out until the full grid is visible — brush mode only works when the canvas is fully zoomed out.

Can I undo changes?

Yes. Undo is unlimited within the current editing session. Undos are not saved to the cloud; once you close the editor the session history is cleared.

Patterns, Folders & Data

Why can I only create 5 new designs per hour on the free plan?

Free and Add‑on users can create up to 5 new designs per rolling hour. The limit resets automatically. Upgrading to Pro removes this limit entirely.

How does saving work?

  • Pro users: your pattern saves automatically to the cloud as you work — no Save button needed.
  • Guest and Add‑on users: one pattern is saved locally on your device and restored if you refresh. Starting a new pattern overwrites it.

What happens to my patterns if I cancel my Pro subscription?

Your cloud‑saved patterns are preserved and still visible. On the Free plan you can open and export them (with a watermark), but you won't be able to save new patterns, duplicate existing ones, or restore deleted ones until you resubscribe. Nothing is ever deleted — all of your patterns return to full Pro functionality the moment you upgrade again.

What happens if I downgrade from the Pro Storage Add‑On?

Your save limit returns to 100 patterns. Any patterns you already have above that limit remain fully accessible — you can view, edit, and export them. They stay until you choose to delete them. The only restriction is that saving new patterns is blocked until your total drops below 100.

What happens when I delete a folder?

Deleting a folder does not delete your patterns. All patterns inside the folder move to Unsorted, where you can reorganize or delete them individually.

Can I share my pattern with someone else?

Yes — export your pattern as a PNG and share the file. There is no URL‑based pattern sharing.

What happens if I accidentally delete a pattern?

Deleted patterns move to the Recently Deleted section. They stay there for 7 days before being permanently removed. If you delete something by accident, open Recently Deleted to restore it before the 7‑day auto‑purge.

How do I delete my data?

It depends on whether you have an account.

No account (guest)

All pattern data is stored only on your device. To remove it, clear your browser’s site data for beadfringelab.com in your browser settings.

Note: if you added BeadFringeLab to your home screen, removing that shortcut does notdelete your data — you still need to clear the browser’s site data separately.

Any account (Free, Add‑on, or Pro)

Your account email is stored by Clerk. Any purchases and (for Pro) cloud-saved patterns are also stored on our servers. To delete your data:

  1. Delete any saved patterns inside the app.
  2. Contact us at beadweavingaz@gmail.com to request account deletion. We will permanently delete your account and associated data within 30 days.

Note: payment records are retained by Stripe as required by financial regulations and cannot be deleted by us. See our Privacy Policy for details.

App Availability

Do I need an account?

No. You can design and export patterns without creating an account. An account is only required if you want to purchase add‑ons or subscribe to Pro.

I didn't receive my verification email — where is it?

Check your junk or spam folder. Verification emails from BeadFringeLab sometimes land there on first sign-up. If you find it, mark it as Not Spam so future emails arrive in your inbox.

Is there a mobile app?

BeadFringeLab is web‑based and is not in the App Store or Google Play Store. However, you can install it directly to your home screen from your browser for a full‑screen, app‑like experience — no download required. See How do I add BeadFringeLab to my home screen? below for instructions.

How do I add BeadFringeLab to my home screen?

You can install BeadFringeLab as a home screen app on any device. It opens full‑screen with no browser toolbar, and launches instantly from your home screen or desktop. Export and cloud saves still require an internet connection.

iPhone or iPad (Safari only)

  1. Open BeadFringeLab in Safari — this only works in Safari, not Chrome or Firefox on iOS.
  2. Tap the Share button (the box with an arrow pointing up) in the Safari toolbar.
  3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
  4. Tap Add in the top right.

Android (Chrome)

  1. Open BeadFringeLab in Chrome.
  2. Tap the three‑dot menu (⋮) in the top right.
  3. Tap Add to Home Screen.
  4. Tap Add to confirm.

On some Android versions Chrome may show an Install app banner automatically — tap it to skip the menu steps.

Desktop (Chrome or Edge)

  1. Look for the install icon (a monitor with a down arrow) in the address bar, or
  2. Open the browser menu (⋮ or …) and choose Install BeadFringeLab.
  3. Click Install to confirm.

To remove the shortcut

  • iPhone/iPad: long‑press the icon → Remove App.
  • Android: long‑press the icon → Remove or Uninstall.
  • Desktop: right‑click the app in your taskbar → Uninstall.

Removing the shortcut does not delete your patterns or account data. To delete your data, see How do I delete my data?

Beadwork & Usage

What stitch types should I use?

For brick stitch fringe earrings, start with a ladder-stitch foundation row, which creates a strong base. Each row above it is built using the brick stitch technique to form the tapered shape. For charms, use a mix of increasing and decreasing brick stitch.

Can I sell the earrings I make from these patterns?

Add‑on and Pro users have full commercial use rights — you can sell physical earrings, sell digital patterns, and use designs in classes or commissions. Free exports include a watermark, which makes digital pattern selling impractical without upgrading.

Exports & Watermarks

Why is there a watermark on my export?

Watermarks are included on all free exports. To remove them, purchase the No‑watermark Add‑On ($0.99) — this also unlocks 2× and 4× export resolutions. Pro subscribers also export without watermarks.

Why can I only export at 1×?

Higher resolutions (2× and 4×) are included with the No‑watermark Add‑On ($0.99) and Pro. Free exports are 1× only.

App & Connectivity

What browsers are supported?

The app supports current versions of major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. For best results keep your browser up to date.

Can I use the app offline?

Partially. If you lose your connection while the app is already open, the drawing tools and your current in‑progress design stay fully usable. Your work is saved locally so nothing is lost.

Exporting patterns, cloud saves, and logging in all require an internet connection. If you close the app and reopen it while offline you will see an offline message until your connection is restored.

Need help or want to request a feature? Email me at beadweavingaz@gmail.com.