How does the pixel art converter work?

The converter downscales your image to a small pixel grid (e.g., 32×32), reduces the color palette using median cut quantization, then upscales using nearest-neighbor interpolation to create the classic blocky pixel art look.

Is my image uploaded to a server?

No. All processing happens locally in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API. Your image never leaves your device.

What are the retro presets?

Retro presets emulate the color palettes of classic game consoles: Game Boy (4 green shades), NES (54 colors), SNES (256 colors), and CGA (16 colors). Each preset gives your image an authentic retro gaming feel.

Pixel Art Converter — Turn Any Image into Pixel Art

How the Pixel Art Converter Works

This free pixel art converter transforms any photo or image into authentic pixel art in seconds. The process uses three key techniques:

1. Downsampling

Your image is scaled down to a small pixel grid (8×8 to 256×256). This naturally averages nearby colors into single pixel blocks, creating the chunky look that defines pixel art.

2. Color Quantization

Real pixel art uses limited color palettes. Our converter applies median cut quantization to reduce your image to as few as 2 colors or as many as 128. Fewer colors = more retro feel.

3. Nearest-Neighbor Upscaling

The small pixel grid is scaled back up using nearest-neighbor interpolation (no smoothing), which preserves the sharp pixel edges that give pixel art its characteristic blocky appearance.

Retro Console Presets

Choose from authentic console palettes:

Game Boy — 4 iconic green shades from the 1989 handheld
NES — The classic 54-color palette from the 8-bit era
SNES — 256 colors from the 16-bit generation
CGA — 16 bold colors from early IBM PCs

Everything runs in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API. Your image is never uploaded to any server.

Frequently Asked Questions

What image formats are supported?

PNG, JPG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP, and TIFF. Basically any image your browser can display.

What does "pixel resolution" mean?

It's the width of the pixel grid. For example, 32 means your image is reduced to 32 pixels wide (height scales proportionally). Lower values = bigger, chunkier pixels = more "retro" look.

Can I use this for game sprites?

Yes! Set the pixel resolution to 16, 32, or 64, reduce the color palette, and download the result. It works great as a starting point for pixel art game characters and sprites.

What's the difference between Download PNG and Download HD?

Download PNG saves the pixel art at its native pixel resolution (e.g., 64×64). Download HD (4x) upscales it 4 times (e.g., 256×256) with crisp pixel edges, perfect for social media or printing.