Start with a square image, choose a 32 px grid and set Export scale to 1×. A rectangular image keeps its proportions, so use Image Cropper first if you need a square. A 2× export of a 32 × 32 grid is a 64 × 64 PNG.
Image to Pixel Art Converter
Turn a JPG, PNG or WebP into pixel art. Choose the pixel grid and palette, then download a PNG at 1×, 2×, 4× or 8× size.
Turn photos and pictures into pixel art
Use a photo, avatar, logo or illustration to make a pixel version for a profile picture, a retro graphic or a game asset draft. This pixel art converter reduces the image to a small grid and maps its colors to a limited palette. The subject and composition come from your source image.
Start with a clear subject that fills much of the picture. Fine text, distant faces and busy backgrounds can become hard to read on a small grid. If needed, use Image Cropper to frame the subject before uploading it here. Keep the original for future edits.
How to convert an image to pixel art
1
Upload one still image
Choose a JPG, PNG or WebP up to 50 MB and 40 million pixels. Selecting the file starts its upload immediately. Wait for the upload to finish; conversion runs on the server when you click Convert to pixel art.
2
Set the grid and colors
Start with the defaults: a 64 px long edge, Auto palette and a maximum of 16 colors. Choose a smaller grid for chunkier shapes or a larger grid for more detail. You can also select a fixed palette for a different look.
3
Choose texture and export size
Leave Dithering off for a first look, or turn it on to represent shading with a pattern of pixels. Choose Export scale: 1× saves the small grid directly; 2×, 4× and 8× enlarge its pixel blocks.
4
Convert, inspect and download
Click Convert to pixel art, inspect the finished result and download its PNG. To try another setting, change it and click the button again. The image shown before conversion is the original upload, not a live preview of your settings.
Pixel grid and export scale control different things
Choose the grid for the amount of detail you want, then choose the export scale for the size of the downloaded image. The tool keeps the source proportions, with the shorter side rounded to a whole pixel.
Grid: 32, 64, 128 or 256 px
This sets the longest side of the working pixel grid. A 32 or 64 px grid makes shapes more simplified; 128 or 256 px leaves more room for facial features and outlines. A rectangular source produces a rectangular grid.
Export: 1×, 2×, 4× or 8×
This repeats each grid pixel as a square block without smoothing between colors. At 4×, each grid pixel becomes a 4 × 4 block. It enlarges the existing pixel pattern without adding detail. The largest output long edge is 2,048 px.
For example, a 1,200 × 800 image with a 64 px grid becomes 64 × 43 pixels after rounding. At 4× export, the PNG is 256 × 172 pixels. These are calculated dimensions; a 64 px grid does not automatically mean a 64 × 64 square.
Choose colors from the photo or a fixed palette
Auto picks representative colors from your image, up to the selected maximum. Fixed palettes replace those colors with their own set and can change the mood more strongly. The Maximum colors control applies only to Auto.
Auto
Up to 8, 16, 32 or 64 RGB colors selected from the image. Simple images may use fewer colors.
Game Boy
Four green shades for a strongly simplified, green monochrome look.
PICO-8
16 preset colors for bold, colorful retro graphics.
NES / Famicom
55 preset colors, offering more color choices than the smaller fixed palettes.
Commodore 64
16 colors from the Pepto PAL palette for a different retro color range.
CGA
Four colors: black, bright magenta, bright cyan and white.
Sepia
Six Sepia6 colors for a warm, subdued treatment.
Grayscale
16 neutral shades from black to white for tonal detail without color.
Black & white
Two RGB colors: pure black and pure white. Turn on dithering if you want dot patterns to suggest intermediate tones.
| Palette | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Auto | Up to 8, 16, 32 or 64 RGB colors selected from the image. Simple images may use fewer colors. |
| Game Boy | Four green shades for a strongly simplified, green monochrome look. |
| PICO-8 | 16 preset colors for bold, colorful retro graphics. |
| NES / Famicom | 55 preset colors, offering more color choices than the smaller fixed palettes. |
| Commodore 64 | 16 colors from the Pepto PAL palette for a different retro color range. |
| CGA | Four colors: black, bright magenta, bright cyan and white. |
| Sepia | Six Sepia6 colors for a warm, subdued treatment. |
| Grayscale | 16 neutral shades from black to white for tonal detail without color. |
| Black & white | Two RGB colors: pure black and pure white. Turn on dithering if you want dot patterns to suggest intermediate tones. |
These counts describe RGB colors; transparency is handled separately. The named retro palettes are color presets and do not check the graphics restrictions of the original consoles or computers. The download is a PNG image.
When to turn dithering on
Dithering uses small patterns of palette colors to suggest shades between them. It can make a gradient look smoother from a distance, but also adds a speckled texture when you look closely.
Off: clearer areas of solid color
Start here for logos, flat illustrations and small avatars. Solid areas can make the outline easier to follow, though gradual shading may become visible bands.
On: patterned shading
Try this for portraits, skies or other shaded areas, especially with a small palette. It uses the same palette colors; it does not increase the selected color limit.
If a photo looks muddy, first crop closer to the subject or increase the grid size. If the shapes are readable but shading looks too flat, try more Auto colors or enable dithering. Convert again after each change so you can judge its effect.
Supported files and upload limits
Upload one still JPG, PNG or WebP at a time. Animated WebP and APNG are rejected. GIF, SVG, AVIF and TIFF are not accepted as inputs on this page. Every successful conversion produces one still PNG.
File size: up to 50 MB
This is the amount of data in the uploaded file. It is separate from the image's pixel dimensions.
Image dimensions: up to 40 million pixels
This limit is width multiplied by height. A compressed file below 50 MB can still exceed it. Selecting a smaller output grid does not bypass the source-image limit.
If the source has too many pixels, use Image Resizer to reduce its dimensions before uploading it here. If you only need different width and height without a pixel-art effect, use that resizer directly.
Questions about converting images to pixel art
Yes. Existing transparency in a PNG or WebP can remain in the PNG result, including partially transparent areas. Resizing can change the edge pixels. An opaque background stays in the image; use Transparent Background Maker first if you need to remove it.
It uses image resizing and palette mapping to create the pixel effect from your upload. It has no text prompt or AI redraw control, and it does not create animation frames. A converted character or game asset may still need manual editing in a pixel-art editor.
The grid setting controls the image's pixel resolution. The PNG contains the artwork without overlaid grid lines, cell numbers or a color-by-number guide. This page does not export sprite sheets, game project files or Minecraft build instructions.