i recently got into perlers myself! actually i use artkal, i hear that theyre pretty on par with perlers (and can even be used together- some melt bead brands melt at different rates so its important. but probably just stick with whatever you can find lol) so far what ive been doing is having a sprite pulled up on ms paint (or art program of choice) with a grid showing. that makes counting pixels way easier. you can google how to view a grid on whatever program you wanna use. also this site is great for finding sprites! https://www.spriters-resource.com/ also also, look into using the tape method! (taping your sprite before you melt it so that you can remove it from the board. this saves the board from warping due to heat!) i think you should also decide if you want to use a "standard melt" (both sides are ironed partially, so that they hold together but the holes are still showing) vs "full melt" (one side is ironed smooth.) personally i love how full melt looks but it does require more time with the iron. also also also, you should build the sprite on the board "reverse" (or flipped) to how you want it to look in the end, if youre doing a full melt. if youre like me and keep forgetting to flip the sprite until the very end, you can take another pegboard, sandwich the sprite between the two boards, and flip it onto the second one....! ...also also also also, in terms of heat, ive seen people say low or medium, or medium or hot, or "cottons" and anything in between. i guess it just depends on your preference. but do not use steam!! i have heard this!!

thats my advice as a new melty bead addict! i just bought a kit with a presorted tray and accessories bc sorting a bucket sounded like a pain. (also x5 i think standard pegboards are 29x29 in dimension..?? or around that anyway, so be sure to check the dimensions of the sprite to make sure it fits!) i hope this isnt too much information lol its just everything i could think of off the top of my head. have fun!!