Overview
Want your Missing Pieces puzzles to stand out visually or match a specific theme? This tutorial shows you how to use your own SVG files to define custom-shaped missing pieces — perfect for creating branded, educational, or story-driven puzzle pages.
Required Modules
✅ Puzzle Makhttps://www.bookpublishertools.com/product/puzzle-maker-pro-missing-pieceser Pro – Missing Pieces
Preparation
- Prepare a clean SVG file with one closed vector shape
- Puzzle Maker Pro will merge paths and bitmap content
- Puzzle Maker Pro may not apply all transformations in the SVG
- Recommended size: 200–800px wide (Puzzle Maker Pro will scale the mask to the correct size)
- Launch Puzzle Maker Pro and select the Missing Pieces module
- Have your background image ready to load
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Load Your Image
- Go to the Images tab
- Add your background image to the Image List
- It will appear in the preview area
2. Select Your Custom SVG Mask
- Go to the Settings tab
- Under Pieces, locate the Custom Shape field
- Click the Zoom button to browse and select your SVG file
- Your custom shape will override the built-in shape
3. Adjust Shape Size and Position
- In the Settings > Pieces Sizing group:
- Set Relative Size (e.g., 15–25%) to control how big your shape appears
- Larger sizes = bigger visual impact
- Positioning is randomized per puzzle, but consistent in style
4. Add Optional Difficulty Features
- In the Difficulty section:
- Add more Missing Pieces (e.g., 2–4 per puzzle)
- Set Solution Options (e.g., 4–6 choices)
- Check Allow Mirroring if you want flipped distractors
- Check Allow Recoloring to add visual trickery
5. Style the Custom Shape
- Open the Style tab
- Under Piece Styling:
- Set a Fill Color (shown in the puzzle hole)
- Adjust Padding to control spacing
- Under Pieces Border / Outline:
- Set line Width and Color for the shape outline
- For even more control over the font settings, click the font preview panel. Depending on your custom shape, you may want to use a ‘Fixed Font Size’, to make the letters or numbers fit better in your shape
6. Preview and Refine
- Use the Preview dropdown to view Puzzle, Solution, or Both
- Click Next Preview to refresh with your new settings
- Make adjustments if the shape is too large, unclear, or out of frame
7. Export Your Puzzle
- When you’re happy with the design, click Create
- Export as:
- PNG or JPG (standard print)
- SVG (for vector clarity)
- PDF (depending on your platform)
- Files will be saved to your output folder
Outcome
You’ve created a visually distinct puzzle using your own custom SVG shape — perfect for integrating specific themes like animals, symbols, or letterforms into your puzzles.