How to use the Dithering Tool
- Drop an image or try the sunset sample.
- Set a target width to pixelate it first; 64–160 px looks like pixel art.
- Pick a palette: Game Boy, PICO-8, NES, Endesga and others, or auto-pick N colors.
- Choose a method and adjust strength.
- Compare with the original and download at 1× or 4×.
What you get
- Dithered PNG using only palette colors
- 4× upscaled PNG for sharing
Tips from making games with it
- Bayer (ordered) dithering stays stable across animation frames. Error diffusion shimmers when the source changes slightly.
- Atkinson diffuses only part of the error, which keeps contrast high. That's why it looks good on 1-bit and Game Boy palettes.
- Lower the strength below 100% to keep flat areas clean and dither only real gradients.
- Serpentine scanning removes the diagonal 'worm' artifacts error diffusion can leave.
Use cases
- Converting renders and photos into Game Boy or 1-bit style art
- Making retro backgrounds and title screens
- Testing how artwork reads on a console palette
- Creating dithered textures for low-color games
FAQ
Which dithering algorithm should I use?
Floyd–Steinberg for smooth results, Atkinson for punchy, high-contrast looks, Jarvis for the softest gradients, Sierra Lite as a fast middle ground, and Bayer for the regular cross-hatch pattern of classic consoles.
What does strength do?
For error diffusion it scales how much error spreads to neighbours. For Bayer it scales the threshold pattern. Lower means fewer dither dots.
Why pixelate first?
Dithering a full-resolution photo gives fine noise, not pixel art. Shrinking it to a sprite-sized width first gives the chunky look.
Are the colors exact?
Yes. Every output pixel is one of the palette colors. Nearest colors are picked in OKLab for better perceptual matches.
Is my image uploaded?
No. Everything runs on your device.