Overview
This tutorial shows you how to create a customized Missing Pieces puzzle using your own image. It’s a quick way to produce engaging, printable puzzles for books, worksheets, or activities — no prior experience needed.
Required Modules
Preparation
Before you start:
- Choose a clear image (JPG or PNG, 300 DPI recommended)
- Launch Puzzle Maker Pro
- Select Missing Pieces from the module dropdown at the top of the interface
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Add Images
- Go to the Images tab
- Click Add Files in the Image List section (or drop one or more images from File Explorer)
- Select the image you want to use — it will appear in the preview area
💡 Tip: Want to create puzzles from multiple images?
You can add more than one image to the Image List, then adjust:
- Quantity to choose how many images to use
- Variations to create more than one puzzle per image
For example, Quantity = 5 and Variations = 2 will generate 10 puzzles.
2. Choose a Piece Shape
- Open the Settings tab
- In the Pieces group:
- Choose a Built-In Shape like circle, square, rectangle, or oval shape
- (Custom shapes with SVG are covered in Customize Puzzle Piece Shapes with SVG Masks)
3. Set the Puzzle Difficulty
- Still in the Settings tab under Difficulty:
- Set Missing Pieces to define how many holes will appear in your puzzle (start with 1–3)
- Set Solution Options to define how many choices appear in the answer set (e.g., 3–5)
- (Optional) Enable Allow Mirroring or Allow Recoloring for added challenge – Recoloring will add a copy with a slightly changed hue
4. Configure Solution Tags (Optional)
- Go to the Style tab
- Scroll to the Solution Tags group
- Choose Tag Type (Numbers or Letters)
- Select a Font that fits your theme
- Customize font color and size if needed
5. Style Your Puzzle
- Still in the Style tab, adjust the visual settings:
- Fill Color: the color inside each missing piece
- Padding: the space between the shape and the image edge
- Outline Width & Color: under Pieces Border / Outline
- (Optional) Set Canvas Color or enable transparency
6. Preview Your Puzzle
- Use the dropdown below the preview to view Puzzle, Solution, or Both
- Click Next Preview to update the display
- Tweak settings if needed before exporting
7. Generate Your Puzzle
- When satisfied, click the Create button
- Choose your format:
- PNG, JPG, PDF, or SVG
- 300 DPI is recommended for print quality
- The file will be saved to your selected output folder
Outcome
You’ve created your first custom Missing Pieces puzzle — with your own image, clear styling, and solution options. It’s ready for use in a book, classroom, Etsy product, or printable pack.
Want to turn it into a full book?
👉 Use the Instant Puzzle Books tab to combine puzzles into a PDF or PowerPoint file with titles, margins, and trim sizes.