Pick a color, then tap every cell with its number until the picture appears. Play the built-in pictures or turn your own photo into a color by number puzzle. Your progress is saved automatically in this browser.
Last updated:
Heart0% colored
Picture complete!
Choose a picture
Make one from your own image
Your image is converted in your browser and never uploaded. Simple pictures with big shapes work best.
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How to use the Color by Number Online
Choose a picture from the gallery, or upload your own image and press Create puzzle.
Pick a color in the palette. Every cell with that number is shaded.
Tap or drag over the shaded cells to fill them. Only cells with the matching number take the color.
Use Find a cell when a few stragglers are hiding, and zoom in with ＋ on big pictures.
Finish every color to reveal the picture, then download it as a PNG.
Why color by number is so relaxing
Color by number takes the decisions out of coloring: the picture and the colors are already planned, so your attention goes to the simple, repetitive act of matching a number to a color. That steady, low-pressure focus is why many people use these puzzles to unwind, and why they are popular with children who are learning to recognise numbers. In this pixel version every cell is a square, so pictures appear gradually like a mosaic, and you can stop and pick up again at any time because progress is saved after every cell.
Built-in pictures
Picture
Grid
Colors
Good for
Heart
16 × 15
4
First puzzle, young kids
Strawberry
16 × 16
6
Small seeds to hunt for
Cat
18 × 17
7
Faces and shading
Fish
20 × 16
8
Wide picture, many colors
Mushroom
16 × 17
8
Spots and outlines
Little house
18 × 17
9
Most colors in the set
Tulips
16 × 15
7
Flowers and leaves
Rocket
16 × 16
8
Dark background, stars
Butterfly
18 × 15
6
Symmetry
Ice cream
16 × 19
8
Waffle pattern
Pine tree
16 × 18
7
Holiday picture
Rubber duck
18 × 16
7
Bath-time favourite
Tips for turning a photo into a good puzzle
Crop first. The whole image is squeezed into the grid, so crop tightly around the subject before you upload it.
Fewer colors, clearer picture. Each extra color adds detail but also adds tiny islands of cells. Start with 8 to 10 colors and go up only if the result looks flat.
Grid size controls detail. A 32-cell grid shows a face as a simple icon; 64 cells is enough for recognisable features but takes much longer to finish.
High contrast helps. A subject in front of a plain, differently colored background separates cleanly into its own colors.
Single stray cells are cleaned up. After clustering, a cell whose eight neighbours are all different is merged into the most common neighbouring color, which removes most speckles.
Frequently asked questions
How does color by number work?
Each cell of the picture carries a number, and each number matches one color in the palette. Select a color and fill every cell that shows its number. When all numbers are filled, the hidden picture is complete.
What happens if I tap a cell with the wrong number?
Nothing is colored. The game tells you which number that cell needs, so you never have to erase mistakes. Switch to that color in the palette if you want to fill it.
Is my progress saved?
Yes. Every cell you color is saved in your browser's local storage, so you can close the page and continue later on the same device and browser. Clearing site data or using a private window removes the saved progress.
Can I make a color by number from my own photo?
Yes. Choose an image, a grid size and a number of colors, then press Create puzzle. The image is shrunk to the grid and the colors are grouped with k-means clustering, which picks the most representative colors. Everything happens in your browser and the photo is never uploaded.
Which grid size and color count should I pick for a photo?
For a quick, relaxing puzzle use 24 or 32 cells with 6 to 10 colors. For portraits or detailed scenes try 48 or 64 cells with 12 to 20 colors. Simple images with large areas of color, like cartoons, logos or pets on a plain background, give the clearest result.
Can I play with a keyboard?
Yes. Tab to the palette and use the arrow keys to change color, press H to highlight a cell that still needs the selected color, F to fill it, and + or - to zoom.
Is it suitable for kids?
Yes. The pictures are family-friendly, there are no ads inside the game area, no time limit and no way to make a mistake that needs undoing, which makes it a calm activity for children practising numbers and colors.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.