Nonogram Generator & Maker
Draw a pattern by hand, turn a photo into a printable Nonogram, or generate a random unique board. Everything runs in your browser — we check for a unique logical solution, then you preview and print.
How to use this generator
- Choose a mode. Draw paints cells by hand (live clues); From image makes a puzzle from a photo; Random unique builds a classic black & white board by difficulty.
- Set size (and colors for image mode). Start around 10–15. Image mode: 2 colors for black & white, up to 8 for color. Larger boards take longer to verify.
- Check uniqueness (or Convert / Generate). We prove a unique solution. Print stays locked until that check passes (image mode may allow clearly marked unverified print on timeout).
- Preview the answer on screen, then Print puzzle for a blank sheet, or Print with answer for a key on a second page.
Draw tip: paint a clear silhouette — live row/column clues update as you go. Photo tip: high contrast, simple subject. Busy backgrounds need fewer colors or a smaller grid.
Paint black cells on the grid. Row and column clues update live. When the picture looks right, check uniqueness — then print the blank puzzle (answer matches what you drew).
Click or drag to fill/erase. Drag locks to one row or column. Clues on the left and top update as you paint.
Upload a photo, choose grid size and how many colors to keep, then convert. We only enable print after the puzzle has exactly one solution.
Make a classic black & white Nonogram by difficulty — no photo needed. Every board is uniqueness-checked before you can print.
Answer preview
Palette
Need freer photo → clues (larger grids, more colors, no uniqueness check)? Open Pixelate Tools · Image to Nonogram. Keep this page when you want a fair unique puzzle for play or print.
Uniqueness not confirmed here — Pixelate Tools can still turn the photo into printable clues without that check.
NonogramGo · Custom puzzle
Answer key
What this Nonogram generator does
A Nonogram generator turns a picture (drawn, uploaded, or random) into row and column number clues — the same clues you solve on paper or in our online play. This maker is built for three jobs:
- Draw → puzzle. Paint cells by hand; clues update live; uniqueness check gates print.
- Image → puzzle. Upload a photo, choose grid size and palette size, get a printable board whose clues describe that picture.
- Random unique board. Generate a classic Easy–Expert black & white Nonogram that already has exactly one solution.
For image mode we show a preview as soon as the photo is quantized, then check uniqueness in the background. If the check times out on a large board, you can still print an unverified sheet (clearly marked). Draw and Random stay uniqueness-gated before print (Draw never auto-repairs your pattern).
Draw — step by step
- Open the Draw tab and pick a size (5×5–25×25).
- Click or drag to fill black cells; drag stays locked to one row or column. Clues on the left and top update immediately.
- Press Check uniqueness. Print unlocks only when the clues have exactly one solution.
- Use Print puzzle + answer for two pages (blank sheet + answer key), each with the site URL — same layout as Printables.
If uniqueness fails, add or remove a few cells to break ambiguity — the answer always stays exactly what you painted.
From image — step by step
- Upload an image. PNG, JPEG, WebP, and similar formats work. Processing stays on your device; nothing is uploaded to a server.
- Pick size. 10×10–45×45, matching play sizes on the site. Start smaller for photos; step up once uniqueness passes.
- Pick colors.
2= classic black & white.3–8make a color Nonogram (ordered colored-run clues, same rules as Color play). - Press Convert & check. Preview appears immediately after quantization. Uniqueness runs in the background; when it finishes (or times out), print unlocks — verified or clearly marked unverified.
- Review the answer preview and palette, then print the blank puzzle (and optionally the answer key).
Tips for good image puzzles
- Prefer a single subject on a plain or contrasting background (logo, silhouette, simple icon).
- Crop tightly before upload so the subject fills the frame.
- If uniqueness fails, try smaller size, 2 colors, or a cleaner crop — not a larger, busier photo.
- Color uniqueness is slower on large boards — allow more time, or try fewer colors first.
- If you only want printable clues from a photo and do not need a unique logical solution, use Pixelate Tools instead.
- After printing, you can paste the clues into the solver to study deductions or double-check by hand.
Random unique — step by step
- Open the Random unique tab.
- Choose difficulty: Easy 5×5, Medium 10×10, Hard 15×15, or Expert 20×20.
- Press Generate. You get a black & white board that already passed uniqueness.
- Print the blank sheet, or print with the answer key on a second page.
Random mode is ideal for worksheets and classrooms when you don’t need a specific picture — just a fair logic puzzle.
How image → Nonogram works (technical)
We resize your image to the chosen grid, quantize to 2–8 colors (2 = black & white), build row/column clues, and verify a unique logical solution. Failed first passes trigger repair heuristics: nearby sizes, fewer colors, contrast nudges, and small black & white cleanups. Color boards use ordered colored-run clues — same-color blocks need a gap; different colors may touch.
Print and paper use
Print puzzle is one page (clues + blank grid + color key). Print with answer adds a second page for the key — never more than two pages; large boards shrink to fit. Grid lines and colors are print-optimized. For ready-made packs, see Printable Nonograms.
Nonogram generator FAQ
Can I upload any photo?
Yes — processed in your browser. High-contrast silhouettes work best. Busy photos often need fewer colors or a smaller size.
What if the puzzle is not unique?
You can print an unverified sheet (banner on the page) or try a smaller size / fewer colors. Random mode still requires a confirmed unique board. If you do not need uniqueness at all, Pixelate Tools · Image to Nonogram builds printable clues from a photo without that check.
Why is large color slow?
Uniqueness search is expensive at 35–45 with many colors. Preview shows first; the check runs afterward and may time out — then print unverified is allowed.
Can I draw a pattern by hand?
Yes — use the Draw tab. Paint cells, watch clues update live, then check uniqueness before print. Your drawing is never auto-repaired.
Is random generate still available?
Yes — use the Random unique tab for classic Easy–Expert boards with a guaranteed unique solution.
What if my drawing is not unique?
Print stays locked. Tweak a few cells (or Clear and redraw). Unlike image mode, Draw does not offer unverified print — the sheet must match a unique solution.
Does color Nonogram from image work like Color play?
Yes. Clues are colored runs in order. Same-color blocks need an empty between them; different colors may touch — same as Color Nonogram.
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. Conversion and uniqueness checks run locally in your browser.
What sizes are supported?
10×10 through 45×45, same ladder as Black & White play. Multi-color boards at 35–45 can take longer to verify in the browser.
Can I play the generated puzzle online here?
This page focuses on make → preview → print. For online play, use the home board or picture hubs; use the solver if you want to step through the clues you printed.