IMAGE TO
PIXEL ART

We offer multiple algorithms: Nearest Neighbor (hard pixel edges, 1:1 block mapping),hq4x (largestria's algorithm, smooths while preserving edges), xBRZ (branched scaler, better diagonal preservation), and Pixel Perfect (automatic nearest-color selection with explicit grid alignment). Each produces distinctly different results at the same resolution.

After scaling, we reduce colors using: Median Cut (fast, preserves hue distribution), Octree (memory-efficient, good for transparency), and Diffusion Dithering (Floyd-Steinberg, produces organic texture). 16-32 colors typically yields recognizable sprites; 4-8 colors creates authentic retro game aesthetics but may lose detail.

Simple downscaling uses bilinear/bicubic interpolation which produces blurry results. Pixelation uses block-averaging (each output pixel = average of input pixels in that block), preserving hard edges. Our tool applies edge-detection before averaging to prevent aliasing artifacts on diagonal lines—a technique called "smart pixelation."

For Unity/Godot/GameMaker: export at 1x, 2x, or 4x your native resolution. Set import settings to "Point" filter mode (not Bilinear) to prevent blurring. Target palette: 16 colors for NES/SNES era, 256 for PS1/N64 era. Our "Game Boy" preset outputs 4-color green palette (#0f380f, #306230, #8bac0f, #9bbc0f).

Preview shows 1:1 pixel mapping at your monitor's DPI. Export resizes to target resolution, applying the selected scaling algorithm. If exporting to a larger size (e.g., 512x512 from 64x64), we re-run the scaling algorithm rather than simple upscaling, ensuring crisp edges at the new size.

Source images 4-8x larger than target resolution produce best results. For example, a 512x512 source to create a 64x64 sprite. Very high-resolution images (>4096px) may produce artifacts due to color averaging across edges. Downscale large sources in two passes if you see haloing around edges.