Custom paint by number from your photo

Custom paint by number is one of the highest-intent hobby queries on the open web. An SEO case study for Number Artist reported about 12,000 monthly Google searches for “custom paint by number,” 7,400 for “custom paint by numbers,” plus several thousand more close variants — and those pages can convert visitors into kit buyers. On Etsy, Rankhero’s 2025–2026 crawl shows “color by number” around 135,000 monthly searches, with a January lift that matches New Year craft demand.

Color Book Maker aims at the same shopper, but as an instant digital page rather than a shipped canvas: upload a photo, get numbered regions, get the color key, print.

Paint by number vs color by number

Shoppers use both phrases. “Paint by number” usually means a kit with paints; “color by number” often means crayons, markers, or pencils on paper. The mechanic is the same: each closed shape has a number that maps to a swatch. This tool produces the paper version — a color-by-number coloring page you can paint or color with whatever you have at home.

How to get a satisfying custom kit

• Start with 8–12 colors for a first portrait. That range keeps regions readable without turning the face into confetti.
• Use high detail for adults if you want smaller shapes and a longer session. Drop to low or medium detail for kids, seniors, or the bold-and-easy look.
• Crop tight. Paint-by-number portraits work best when the face or pet fills the frame. Use square for a classic kit feel; 4:3 or 3:4 for letter/A4.
• Print the palette with the page. The download includes the numbered art and the color strip so you are not guessing hex codes at the table.

Who this is for

• Gift-makers who want a grandmother’s garden, a dog, or a couple’s portrait as a one-off kit
• Teachers building a quiet-time station from class photos
• Adult colorists who like the structure of numbers more than a blank coloring book
• KDP and printable-shop sellers testing a photo-to-number interior (check you have rights to the photo)

Ready-made paint-by-number kits still sell — Etsy data puts “paint by numbers kit” near 33,100 monthly searches, with a November–December gift spike. A photo-based page captures the people who type “from my photo” and do not want to wait for shipping.

Create a paint-by-number page · See print sizes and file types