Size advice
How many drills fit on a diamond painting, and which size does your photo need?
For one clear face, start at 40x50 cm. For two people, pets with fur detail or a busy background, 50x70 cm is the safer minimum. Use 30x40 cm only for simple photos with one large subject and strong contrast.
How many drills does your diamond painting have?
A drill is 2.5 mm, so every centimeter of canvas holds 4 drills. That one number decides everything: a 30x40 cm canvas fits 120 by 160 drills — 19,200 in total. The table shows the counts for the most common full-drill sizes; round and square drills sit on the same grid, so the counts are identical.
| Canvas size | Grid (square drills) | Total square 2.5 mm | Total round 2.8 mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20x25 cm | 80 x 100 | 8,000 | 6,319 |
| 20x30 cm | 80 x 120 | 9,600 | 7,597 |
| 30x30 cm | 120 x 120 | 14,400 | 11,449 |
| 30x40 cm | 120 x 160 | 19,200 | 15,194 |
| 40x40 cm | 160 x 160 | 25,600 | 20,164 |
| 40x50 cm | 160 x 200 | 32,000 | 25,276 |
| 50x70 cm | 200 x 280 | 56,000 | 44,322 |
What does this mean for your photo? Under 30x40 cm a face turns into rough blocks. For portraits take 40x50 cm or bigger; a pet or a logo with clear contrast already works at 30x40 cm.
Upload your photo in the diamond painting pattern maker and the preview shows the drill count per color for the size you picked.
Drill calculator: any size, both drill shapes
Not a size from the table? Type your own and the calculator works out the grid. Square 2.5 mm drills sit 4 per centimeter, round 2.8 mm drills 3.57 per centimeter, and the count is always the number of whole rows times the number of whole columns.
- Grid
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- Total drills
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- Other shape
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The count is the drill positions on the canvas, not the number you buy: kits ship spare drills per colour.
Want the count split per colour instead of one total? The Pattern Studio converts your photo and lists every DMC code with its own drill count.
Quick size rule
Diamond paintings are limited by the number of drills on the canvas. A 40x50 cm painting with square 2.5 mm drills has about 32,000 drill positions. The same size with round 2.8 mm drills has roughly 25,500. That difference is visible in eyes, hair, pet fur and small lettering.
Use the photo suitability check first when the subject is small, dark or busy. Size advice only helps if the source photo has enough contrast to survive the drill grid.
| Photo type | Safe starting size | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One portrait, clean background | 40x50 cm | Enough drills for eyes, mouth and basic skin tones. |
| Two people or pet portrait | 50x70 cm | Fur, hair and two faces need more pixel space. |
| Group photo | 60x80 cm or larger | Small faces disappear quickly below this size. |
| Landscape with large shapes | 30x40 or 40x50 cm | Simple skies, water and fields survive lower detail better. |
| Text, logo or fine pattern | Test first | Small letters often need a much larger canvas than expected. |
Why 30x40 cm often disappoints for personal photos
30x40 cm can work, but only when the subject fills most of the image. A close-up of one dog on a light background can still look good. A wedding photo with two full bodies, flowers, guests and a dark suit usually becomes muddy at that size.
The practical test is simple: if the most important face is less than one third of the photo height, 30x40 cm is usually too small. Crop tighter or move to 50x70 cm.
Square or round drills changes the size decision
Square drills are smaller and sit closer together, so they preserve more detail at the same canvas size. Round drills are easier and softer, but you lose detail sooner. If you want round drills for a portrait, treat the next size up as your default.
Use the grid overlay tool when you want to see how much detail is left after the photo is broken into drill positions.
Not sure which size matches your photo? The free diamond painting pattern maker shows the recommended size next to a real drill preview, so the size choice and the pattern come from the same result.
Best workflow before you order
- Crop the photo so the subject fills the frame.
- Upload it to the Diamond Painting Preview Generator.
- Compare the recommended, minimum and larger preview variants.
- Use 40x50 cm as the minimum for one good portrait; go larger when the preview shows weak eyes, hair or fur.
- Use a shop that lets you upload the original photo and choose the canvas size. Dutch buyers can upload their image on the diamond painting from your own photo product page.
When the tool says “minimum”, do not treat that as the best size
Minimum means “probably still recognisable”. It does not mean “best-looking”. For gifts, portraits and photos with emotional value, choose the recommended size or one step larger. The extra canvas cost is usually less painful than ending up with a face that looks blocky.
Need a slower walkthrough? Use the step-by-step guide after uploading your photo.
Already know the canvas dimensions? Check the estimated drill grid with the independent diamond painting size calculator, then save the result in its project planner before buying storage or a frame.
Frequently asked questions
How many drills are in a 30x40 diamond painting?
19,200 with square 2.5 mm drills: 120 columns by 160 rows. With round 2.8 mm drills it is 15,194, because round drills sit 3.57 per centimeter instead of 4.
How many drills are in a 40x50 diamond painting?
32,000 with square drills (160 by 200) and 25,276 with round drills. That is why a portrait that fails at 30x40 often works at 40x50: two thirds more drill positions for the same face.
How do I calculate the drill count myself?
Multiply each side in centimeters by the drills per centimeter, round both down to whole drills, then multiply the two. Square 2.5 mm drills sit 4 per cm, round 2.8 mm drills 3.57 per cm.
How many drills are in a 16x20 inch diamond painting?
16 by 20 inch is 40.6 by 50.8 cm, so with square drills that is 162 by 203 — 32,886 in total, and 26,245 with round drills. Switch the calculator above to inches and it works out any imperial size the same way.
How long does a diamond painting take?
That depends entirely on your own pace, so a number from us would be guesswork. Do this instead: time yourself on one block of 10 by 10 drills, then multiply by the drill count from the calculator. On a 30x40 canvas that block is 100 of 19,200 drills, so your measured minute times 192 is your honest estimate.
What is the largest useful diamond painting size?
Detail keeps improving as the canvas grows, but so does the work: a 50x70 canvas holds 56,000 square drills, roughly three times a 30x40. Pick the size by how much detail the photo needs, then check whether you want to place that many drills.
What software do I need to make my own diamond painting?
None to install. The size guide, the grid tool and the Pattern Studio all run in the browser, on a laptop as well as on a phone. The Studio is the part that does the actual work: it matches your photo against 454 DMC colours and gives you an editable chart.
Do round and square drills give the same count?
No. Round drills are 2.8 mm and sit 3.57 per centimeter, square drills are 2.5 mm and sit 4 per centimeter, so the same canvas holds about 21 percent fewer round drills. You see that difference in eyes, hair and small lettering.
Next steps
- Put a grid over your photo to see what survives at drill scale before you commit to a size.
- Open the Pattern Studio for the real DMC chart with a drill count per colour.
- Look up a DMC code in the free colour chart with all 454 shades.