Puntotek does not only draw crosses: this menu chooses the stitch type that every drawing tool works with.
The stitch types
- The full cross — the standard stitch: it fills the whole cell.
- Half stitches — the two diagonals of the cross on their own. They soften edges, suggest curves and lighten backgrounds.
- Three-quarter stitches — the cross with one arm missing, in its four orientations. This is the stitch for fine detail: it rounds corners and sharpens curves without leaving the grid.
- Backstitches — thin lines over the grid, horizontal and vertical: the outline stitch used to draw contours and finish off details.
The buttons, one by one
The stitch cells
Nine cells, nine stitches, laid out just like the numeric keypad. Tap the one you want and draw as usual: every tool (freehand, line, rectangle, ellipse) works with the active stitch. And if you have a keyboard, the keypad keys change stitch without opening the menu — each key sits exactly where its cell is.
- Full cross (key 5): The centre of the menu and the stitch of a lifetime.
- Half stitches (keys 6 and 2): The two loose diagonals, one leaning each way.
- Three-quarter stitches (keys 7, 9, 1 and 3): The four corners of the menu, one per orientation.
- Backstitches (keys 8 and 4): The horizontal line and the vertical one, for outlining.
Draw / Erase
One button with two states, and the icon tells you which one you are in: with the pencil alone you draw, and with the pencil on the rubber you erase — whatever you touch is removed, with the same tool and the same stroke you were using. Press it again to go back to drawing.
With a mouse you do not even need to open the menu: the right button erases. Hold it down and you erase as you drag; let go and you are drawing again. A single right click switches mode and stays there.
And on a tablet or a phone, where there is no right button, you have the same shortcut: tap the information point — the bottom left corner where you see the position, the zoom and the colour — and you switch between drawing and erasing without opening the menu. Rubbing out a single stitch stops costing you three gestures.
Solid colour / Simulated colour
Another button with two states. In solid colour every stitch is a flat colour: the drawing looks clean and you tell similar shades apart at a glance. In simulated colour Puntotek paints the thread with its twist and its sheen, so you see the pattern close to how it will look stitched. Switch between them whenever you like: it is only the view, the work itself is untouched.
Close / Help
Two simple buttons: leave the menu, or open this help page when you need a reminder.
- Close the menu: Goes back to the canvas with the stitch you chose. With a keyboard, the Esc (Escape) key closes it without touching the button.
- Open help: Opens the explanation of the current screen.
Tips
- Stitch the crosses first, then the halves, and leave the backstitches for the end: they sit on top and come out clean.
- A dark backstitch outline makes figures pop out of the background — the secret of many professional patterns.