How do I turn a photo into pixel art?

Drop a PNG, JPEG, WebP or GIF image. Raise Pixel size for chunkier blocks, lower Colors / channel for a more retro palette, then pick Dithering. Click Download PNG when the preview looks right.

What does the Dithering option change?

None (posterize) gives flat color bands. Floyd-Steinberg scatters quantization error for a classic dithered look, and it is the default. Ordered (Bayer) produces a regular crosshatch pattern using a 4 by 4 matrix.

Can I use a Game Boy, NES or other retro palette?

Yes. The Palette menu has Custom, Grayscale and fixed palettes named gameboy, pico8, nes and c64. Colors / channel applies to Custom and Grayscale only. The tool shows the unique color count and swatches you can copy.

Why is my pixel art smaller than I expected?

Images with a side over 4096 pixels are downscaled first, and exports are capped at about 16 megapixels to suit mobile memory. A notice says when this happens. Use the Export size menu to choose 1x to 8x or Original size.

What format is the download and is the image uploaded?

The download is a lossless PNG with crisp nearest-neighbor scaling. The image is drawn onto a canvas in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. If canvas is unavailable on your device, you get an error.

Yes. Every tool is free to use, with no account and no credit card. The work runs on your device rather than on our servers, which is what keeps it free to run.

Are my files uploaded?

No. Your files are opened and processed inside your browser and are not sent to LibraTool. Some tools first download a processing engine or AI model to your browser; that download contains no data of yours.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. It runs in current mobile browsers on iOS and Android, with nothing to install. Very large files can be slow or run out of memory on a phone, so use a computer for those.

🎨

Free Pixel Art / Dithering Converter

Turn any photo into pixel art: downscale into chunky pixels, reduce the palette, and apply Floyd–Steinberg or ordered (Bayer) dithering for a retro look. Exports a crisp PNG. Runs entirely in your browser.

File size depends on your deviceFiles stay privateNo login requiredFree foreverNo watermarkFloyd–Steinberg + ordered dither

Works offline once loaded

Drop a file here, or click to browse

PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, HEIC, HEIF · processed on your device

or press Ctrl+V to paste from your clipboard

Browse files

Your files never leave your device. All processing happens locally in your browser.

Pixel size sets how chunky the blocks are; colors per channel reduces the palette (lower = more retro). Floyd-Steinberg scatters error for a classic dithered look; ordered uses a Bayer matrix for a crosshatch pattern. Output is PNG with crisp pixel edges. Everything runs in your browser.

How It Works

Turns a photo into pixel art by downscaling it into chunky blocks and reducing the palette, with optional dithering for that authentic retro look. Pure Canvas, in your browser.

1
Drop an image
PNG, JPEG, WebP, or GIF. It is drawn to a canvas locally — nothing is uploaded.
2
Tune the look
Set the pixel (block) size and how many colors per channel to keep. Choose no dithering (clean posterize), Floyd–Steinberg (scattered error), or ordered Bayer (crosshatch).
3
Download the PNG
The result is rendered with crisp nearest-neighbor scaling and exported as a lossless PNG.

Your image is processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded.

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How It Works

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Frequently Asked Questions