A full-colour alternative to the LEGO® Mosaic Maker
The LEGO® Mosaic Maker turns a photo into bricks using five colours on one 48×48 board. If you want a portrait that actually looks like the person, in colour, here's what changes and what to look for.
What the LEGO® Mosaic Maker is
The official LEGO Mosaic Maker takes one of your photos and rebuilds it from five brick colours (white, light grey, dark grey, black and yellow) on a single 48×48 baseplate. The boxed kit (set 40179) launched in 2016 with 4,502 pieces; it’s no longer a current product, though LEGO still offers an online tool that turns a photo into a building grid in those same five colours.
It’s a lovely bit of kit. But five greys-and-yellow on one fixed size is built for a graphic, almost black-and-white look — not a true-to-life portrait.
Where it falls short for a portrait
- Five colours. No skin tone, no eye colour, no warmth in the hair — the picture is posterised down to light, mid and dark.
- One size.48×48 only, so you can’t go smaller for a shelf or bigger for a statement wall piece.
- No preview of the colour result you’d frame in the way a full-colour render shows you exactly what lands.
What to look for in a full-colour alternative
- Colour depth. More brick colours means skin, eyes and hair read true instead of muddy. This is the single biggest difference.
- A size that fits the spot. Tabletop to statement wall piece, not one fixed board.
- An honest live preview — see the actual mosaic before you pay, not a marketing mock-up.
- Background control so a busy snapshot becomes a clean portrait.
- A relaxing build — numbered, pre-sorted bricks, not a pile to hunt through.
How Mosaicify compares
Mosaicify rebuilds your photo in up to 60 brick colours (our full palette) across sizes from 48×48 to 80×80, so you get a full-colour likeness rather than a five-tone sketch. You see the exact mosaic on screen before you buy. Every kit includes a brick-built frame with two hidden hangers, and we design and hand-pack each one here in Durham.
The bricks are LEGO-compatible, with the same clutch and feel, on the standard 8mm stud pitch. We’re not affiliated with the LEGO Group; LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group.
Upload a photo and see it in bricks — designing is free, and you only pay if you love it. Want more? See how a mosaic compares to a canvas print, read how the process works, or check which photo to use in the photo guide.
Common questions
Is the LEGO® Mosaic Maker discontinued?
The boxed LEGO Mosaic Maker (set 40179, released 2016) is no longer sold as a current product. LEGO still offers an online Mosaic Maker that turns a photo into a buildable grid, but it uses the same five colours — white, light grey, dark grey, black and yellow.
How many colours does the LEGO® Mosaic Maker use?
Five: white, light grey, dark grey, black and yellow, on a single 48×48 baseplate. That's why the result reads as a high-contrast, near black-and-white portrait rather than a full-colour likeness.
Can I get a full-colour brick mosaic of my photo?
Yes. Mosaicify rebuilds your photo in up to 60 brick colours, so skin tones, eye colour and hair come through. You can preview the exact result on screen before you buy.
Are Mosaicify bricks real LEGO®?
No — they're high-quality LEGO-compatible bricks on the standard 8mm stud pitch. Mosaicify is not affiliated with the LEGO Group. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group.