Image to pixel asset

Turn an image into a native N×N PNG asset.

To turn a photograph into pixel art, choose the native output grid first, then reduce the colours and inspect the result at whole-number zoom. Nerulio’s quick converter on this page makes a square PNG; Pixel Studio opens from the link above for separate width and height, area-average or median cell sampling, a shared palette, dithering and animated exports. A 32 × 24 image has only 768 cells: a face or thin object may need a different crop or a larger grid. The source stays in the browser and is retained when Studio creates a new sprite.

Drop image files hereProcess many files at once

No upload · processed on this device

How it works

Downsampling replaces many source pixels with one output cell. Area-average (Box) uses the covered region and keeps broad colour and lightness; median can keep a thin edge more distinct but may shift an area’s tone. Nearest keeps a single sample and can miss small features. Pick the crop before reducing a photo.

Palette reduction then chooses at most the requested number of colours. Pixel Studio defaults to a Wu variance palette at 16 colours. Floyd–Steinberg and Atkinson spread quantisation error between cells; ordered Bayer and blue-noise masks vary the threshold spatially. Dither adds texture, so turn it off for a clean silhouette or flat icon.

Native grid: The actual PNG dimensions, for example 32 × 24; a large nearest-neighbour preview does not add detail.
Shared palette: One colour table used by every frame of a GIF/APNG import; it prevents frame-to-frame palette changes.

Worked example

A 1024 × 768 CC0 flower photo was converted to a 32 × 24 grid with 16 colours and no dither in Chromium. The area-average/Wu result was independently reopened as PNG and compared to a Box-resized reference:

1024 × 768 source → 32 × 24 output = 768 cells
16-colour Wu palette; Box sampler; dither off
RGB RMSE against Box reference: Nerulio 6.30
ImagePixel Original palette 7.97; Pixel Art Village auto 6.76

These are one-photo, matched-size measurements, not a ranking of artistic quality. The contact sheet shows the Box version keeps broad tones while thin stems are softer. On a second CC0 portrait at 32 × 21, Box/Wu had RMSE 5.25 versus 14.73 for Median/Wu against that same Box reference; inspect the silhouette too.

What maps to what

Decision	Choice here	Effect
Canvas shape	Quick converter: square 8–512; Pixel Studio: separate width and height up to 512	Choose 32 × 24 for a 4:3 photo instead of stretching it to 32 × 32
Cell sampling	Box, median, nearest, mode or k-centroid in Studio	Box blends covered pixels; median can preserve some edges
Colours	Automatic or fixed palette; 2–256 colours in Studio	A smaller palette simplifies shading but can merge objects
Preview and size	Nearest preview; 2–16× nearest PNG export in Studio	The native cells stay unchanged; only the display or exported pixel blocks grow

Files you get

Save the smallest useful source first. Pixel Studio can also write the following files:

File	What it is for
`PNG`	True-colour native grid; reopen it to check the dimensions and pixels
`PNG-8`	Indexed palette PNG when that option is enabled; transparency has palette limits
`.aseprite`	Editable animated sprite; six-frame fixture reopened in Aseprite 1.3.18.6
`GIF`	Animated frames with a shared palette and finite loop choice; GIF has 1-bit transparency and limited colours

From photo to a usable game sprite

Open a JPG or PNG here; use the Studio link above when you need a rectangle or animation.
Crop or position the subject so it fills the intended 32 × 24 or 32 × 32 frame. Set width and height before choosing colours.
Start with Box sampling, Wu, 16 colours and no dither. Inspect small features, then compare median sampling or a larger grid if a feature disappears.
Apply as a new sprite, keep the source, and export the native PNG. Choose 2–16× nearest PNG only when a larger pixel-block image is required.

Check the result

Check both data and appearance:

Reopen the PNG and verify exact native dimensions and palette count; a 32 × 24 result is 768 pixels, not the enlarged preview size.
Compare at 1× and whole-number zoom. Look for lost eyes, outlines or thin stems; undo and change the crop, sampler or grid if they matter.
For GIF/APNG, step through every frame and check timing and the finite loop setting after export.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	How to check	Fix
Face or thin line disappears	Too few output cells or crop too wide	Compare 1× with the source and count cells across the feature	Tighten crop or increase width and height; try median sampling
Muddy colours	Palette too small or Box blending neighbouring colours	View a 1× preview with dither off	Increase colours or use a fixed palette matched to the scene
Noisy speckles	Dither strength too high for the target size	Toggle dither off and compare	Lower strength or use no dither
Animation flickers	Frames were reduced with different per-frame colours	Inspect successive frames and exported palette	Use Studio all-frame conversion with one shared palette

Other ways to do it

Option	When it is the better choice
Draw or touch up in Pixel Editor	Use when a character needs deliberate anatomy or a strict silhouette; automatic conversion cannot make those choices
Recover enlarged dot art with Fix AI pixel art	Use when the input was already pixel art but has uneven blocks or anti-aliasing, rather than a photograph

What this page does not cover

Automatic conversion does not draw missing details or guarantee a pleasing pixel-art style; the chosen crop and hand edits still matter.
The observed 4K conversion timing was measured in desktop Chromium. A 390 px emulated viewport is not a physical-phone performance guarantee; Studio guards mobile input separately.
Browser colour management, metadata and profiles are not promised to survive. GIF is palette-limited and can change colours on export.

Versions and sources

Nerulio Pixel Studio was checked in Chromium 153 and Firefox 155 on CC0 photographs in 2026-09. PNG-8, GIF and .aseprite were independently reopened in the Chromium test; the Firefox gate covers photo PNG and source preservation. Two CC0 photo types and a 69-case restoration corpus were measured. Format behaviour follows the official PNG/GIF specifications and Aseprite export documentation.

Official documentation used

Open Pixel Studio for exact dimensions, palette and animation controls

Example

Original geometric sample · 96 × 64

Processed sample · 32 × 32

Example generated with this tool. ZIP tools show their preview; inspect the downloaded archive for every file.

Image to pixel asset

Turn an image into a native N×N PNG asset.

How it works

Open an image
Choose a grid size, palette and dithering
Generate and download the native PNG

Supported formats

PNG / JPG / WebP / AVIF / HEIC → PNG — Input decoding and output encoding depend on browser support. Animated inputs are rejected; select a still frame first.

What this tool does

Produces a real N×N asset, with optional transparent trim and outline.

Implementation and verified quality

advanced · browser Pixel Studio: area-average cells / Wu palette / ordered, error-diffusion and blue-noise dithers / indexed and animation export. Quality qualification is in progress. Pro/Flagship quality has not been established.

Before you export

Small grids discard detail. This is an automatic pixel conversion, not hand-drawn pixel art.

Frequently asked questions

Is the large preview the downloaded resolution?

No. The preview is enlarged with sharp pixels; the native asset uses the selected 8–512 grid size.

Are my files uploaded?

This tool processes the files you open on your device without uploading them. Images you explicitly attach to community posts are uploaded separately. Optional engines and models are downloaded from third parties; those requests expose connection information such as your IP address.

Will my work be saved automatically?

No. Images and editing state stay in this tab; media output can use local temporary storage. Changing language preserves your work; reloading, closing the tab, or following a link to another page can clear it.