# KaleidoPaint

> Real-time mirrored drawing app for creating repeating vector art. (iPhone/iPad app by Jeff Weeks.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidopaint/id518275953 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Jeff Weeks](https://appshunter.io/developer/326104308)
- Category: Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 76 App Store ratings · 68 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.1 · 4 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, Dutch, Finnish, French (France), German (Germany), Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean and 7 more
- Released: 2012-04-26
- Data updated: 2026-08-17
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidopaint/id518275953/reviews.md

## What is KaleidoPaint?

As you draw, KaleidoPaint mirrors your brushstrokes to create a beautiful infinitely repeating design.

Image Gallery:
http://www.geometrygames.org/KaleidoPaint/Gallery

Features:
- vector graphics
- 17 symmetry patterns
- scroll, rotate, zoom
- curve smoothing
- area fill
- Edit Mode: reshape and recolor any dot, line or area
- unlimited Undo/Redo
- export your favorite paintings
- export tileable rectangles

Screenshots by Amber van Hoek.

## Key features

- Real-time mirrored brushstrokes
- 17 symmetry patterns
- Vector graphics editing
- Curve smoothing and area fill
- Undo/Redo functionality
- Export tileable rectangles

## What do users think of KaleidoPaint?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- ✨ Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great for creating patterns and designs
- 💎 Free and ad-free
- 💡 Vector-based editing
- 🔄 Allows for easy line adjustment (Bezier curves)
- 🌟 Mesmerizing and fun to use
- 💯 High-quality designs
- 🚀 Quick saving and uploading
- 👍 Useful for fabric and wallpaper design
- 🖼️ Good for creating wallpapers
- 🎨 Inspires creative flow state
- 💯 Invaluable for art and textile design
- 🧘 Relaxing and enjoyable
- 🌟 Amazing for mandalas and symmetrical patterns
- 💡 Developer is responsive and supportive
- 🎨 Versatile for various artistic applications
- 🌟 Endless design possibilities
- 🆓 Completely free
- 🎨 Addictive and engaging
- 💎 Hidden gem
- 💯 Highly recommended

**Cons**

- 🐛 App crashes or doesn't open
- 🐛 Opens files app instead of the app itself
- 🐛 Blank page with no controls
- 🐛 Recent changes made the app confusing and less user-friendly
- 🐛 Old drawings ruined by updates
- 🐛 Line quality adjustments negatively impacted old drawings
- 🐛 Fill color not changing with line color
- 🐛 Unwanted blue background that cannot be removed
- 🐛 Less precise after updates
- 🐛 Color and background tabs no longer working
- 🐛 Stroke smoothing too aggressive
- 🐛 Inability to precisely control color selection (RGB/HLS)
- 🐛 Sharing button not working
- 🐛 Save as JPG only, not vector SVG
- 🐛 Tiling export issues (rectangle not always suitable)
- 🐛 Tileable rectangle export not working
- 🐛 Can only save as JPG
- 🐛 No layers
- 🐛 No transparent background option
- 🐛 No eraser tool
- 🐛 No blending colors feature
- 🐛 Limited symmetrical choices
- 🐛 Limited control of drawing strokes
- 🐛 No Apple Pencil support
- 🐛 No option to switch mirroring on/off
- 🐛 No RGB color value sliders
- 🐛 No opacity or blending modes
- 🐛 No selection tool
- 🐛 No way to minimize tool windows
- 🐛 No way to export layers to Photoshop

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App opens files app and no files are selectable
- App opens an empty page without any controls
- App immediately opens files without allowing creation
- App doesn't work, opens files app and doesn't allow creation
- Old drawings ruined by updates
- Fill color not changing with line color
- Color and background tabs no longer work
- Sharing button not working
- Tileable rectangle export not working
- Saving as JPG only

**Most requested features**

- Ability to break a line from a selected point
- Eraser tool
- Export as SVG option
- More features like different brushes, blending colors, more symmetrical choices, and better stroke control
- Ability to export in a square format
- Transparent background option
- Export function for tilable squares
- Layers
- RGB color value sliders
- Opacity, blending modes
- Selection tool
- Ability to switch mirroring on and off
- Ability to export layers to Photoshop
- More control over drawing strokes
- Adjustable stroke smoothing
- More precise color selection (e.g., RGB or HLS)
- Ability to change grid line color
- Designs that save evenly in any size for multiple tiling
- Export and import patterns within the app
- Basic block repeat option
- Zoom in color selector
- More patterns to choose from and purchase
- Ability to set custom image size
- Export .png files with a transparent background
- More symmetry options
- Line and shape tools
- Apple Pencil support
- Option to minimize tool windows

## Recent user reviews (10 of 68)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidopaint/id518275953/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Fill colour problem

*2026-07-13, version 3.1.2*

Fill option not working properly. Reverts back to brush when I try to paint a colour. Would be great if working properly.

### 5/5 — The best pattern maker for fabric!

*2026-03-21, version 3.1.2*

I’m a designer and I make patterns for fabric. This is so easy to use and makes quality designs that I can quickly save and upload to Spoonflower. I’m also a pattern nerd and MC Escher fan. I showed this app to some kids I teach and they loved it. It was the perfect accompaniment to my lesson about MC Escher and symmetry.

### 5/5 — Free gem of an app

*2025-06-29, version 3.1*

Love it!!!  Thank you Jeff!!!!

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work at all

*2025-01-19, version 3.0.6*

When I open this app, it immediately opens my files and no files are selectable. There’s no actual app to use. That’s the extent of it, that’s all it does. There’s no app that opens to allow you to create anything.

### 1/5 — Used to be a 5 star +++

*2024-10-30, version 3.0.5*

Been using this for years. All it does now is open an empty page without any controls. Hope you can fix this!

### 5/5 — Thank you , Mr Weeks

*2024-09-12, version 3.0.5*

This is a fantastically useful and intuitive app. It does what it says and does it well. This is real gift. Get it, you will be glad you did.

### 4/5 — Fun

*2024-08-26, version 3.0.5*

Yep

### 5/5 — Wonderful for creating wallpapers or fabric designs

*2024-04-07, version 3.0.5*

Love this app. Questions I’ve had about uses are answered quickly and thoroughly!

### 1/5 — Doesn't work

*2024-03-19, version 3.0.5*

I downloaded this App and it does not work
It opens the files App and does not allow me to create anything

### 5/5 — Amazing

*2023-12-26, version 3.0.5*

I can’t believe it took me this long to find this app! I have been looking for an app that allows me to play with all of the wallpaper groups so I can get to know them and this one is it! Definitely recommend for pattern designers /anyone interested in patterns.

## Frequently asked questions about KaleidoPaint

### What does KaleidoPaint do?

KaleidoPaint allows you to create beautiful, infinitely repeating designs by mirroring your brushstrokes as you draw. It utilizes vector graphics and offers various symmetry patterns for intricate artwork.

### What are the key features of KaleidoPaint?

Key features include 17 different symmetry patterns, tools for scrolling, rotating, and zooming, curve smoothing, area fill, and an edit mode to reshape and recolor elements. It also offers unlimited undo/redo and export options for tileable rectangles and standard paintings.

### How much does KaleidoPaint cost?

Based on the provided information, KaleidoPaint is a paid application. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or advertisements, suggesting a one-time purchase model.

### What kind of art can I create with KaleidoPaint?

You can create intricate, symmetrical, and repeating designs. The app is ideal for generating patterns, mandalas, and other visually complex artwork that can be mirrored across different axes.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.1.2 — 2026-01-20

Snaps to exact rotation

### 3.1.1 — 2025-12-20

– Fixed bug that was blocking Export panel on narrow displays.
– Minor changes for better legibility on iOS/iPadOS/macOS 26.

### 3.1 — 2025-05-25

– KaleidoPaint runs on iOS, iPadOS and now on macOS too. The file format is the same, so you can view and edit your drawings on all three platforms interchangeably.
– Press and hold a drawing's icon in the KaleidoPaint file browser on iOS to share its vector-graphic source code by Mail, Messages, AirDrop, or Save to Files. On macOS you can send the .kaleidoPaint file in those same ways, by selecting it within the relevant apps.
– Share PNG images of your drawings in all ways imaginable: Mail, Messages, AirDrop, Save to Files, Copy, and others. 
– Updated for iOS 17+
– Note #1: iOS's document picker sometimes leaves a spinning wait cursor visible over the icon of a recently saved drawing. It's annoying but harmless — your drawing really has been saved and you can ignore that wait cursor which will go away when you re-open that drawing or another one.
– Note #2: A 2-finger gesture lets you scroll, rotate and pinch simultaneously on iOS. However on macOS you may rotate and pinch simultaneously but you must scroll separately.

### 3.0.7 — 2025-04-03

– Updated for iOS 18.4 compatibility.
– Renders all drawings at High resolution.
– Note: iOS's document picker sometimes leaves a spinning wait cursor visible over the icon of a recently saved drawing. It's annoying but harmless — your drawing really has been saved and you can ignore that wait cursor which will go away when you re-open that drawing or another one.

### 3.0.6 — 2024-11-05

Updated for iOS 18.1 compatibility. Thanks to Michael Kaiser for reporting the problem.

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## More apps by Jeff Weeks

- [Torus Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/torus-games/id471295451)
- [4D Draw](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4d-draw/id926050711)
- [4D Maze](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4d-maze/id967998166)
- [Hyperbolic Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hyperbolic-games/id1352457149)
- [KaleidoTile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidotile/id1374849164)

All apps by Jeff Weeks: https://appshunter.io/developer/326104308

## Related topics

[kaleidoscope drawing](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/kaleidoscope-drawing) · [kaleidoscope drawing pad](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/kaleidoscope-drawing-pad) · [pattern generator](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pattern-generator) · [kaleidoscopic illusions](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/kaleidoscopic-illusions)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-17.*
