Editable image to pixel art maker

Image to Pixel Art Converter

Use this image to pixel art converter to turn a photo or illustration into a deliberate pixel grid and limited palette. Adjust the grid, colors, and dithering, refine individual cells, then export your image to pixel art as a PNG or printable pixel-pattern PDF.

Read the conversion and export guides

One PNG, JPEG, or WebP · Up to 15 MiB · Up to 8192 × 8192 px and 40 megapixels

Your image is processed on your device. No image uploads or cloud storage.

Image to pixel art converts a photo into an editable grid with a limited palette. Choose grid size and colors, refine individual cells, and download PNG or a numbered PDF reference.

By PixelArtNow · Updated October 3, 2026 · Contact

1. Choose an image

One PNG, JPEG, or WebP · Up to 15 MiB · Up to 8192 × 8192 px and 40 megapixels

Edited cells and settings can autosave on this browser. Original images are not saved. Manage your local project.

Choose the original image to prepare a new conversion. Saved cells can still be edited and exported.

2. Build the pixel pattern

Start with a preset

Starting point

32 columns, 12 colors, no dithering. Crop around the subject first. Settings remain editable.

Compare two results

Preview the current size and color limit with and without dithering. Your edits stay until you choose a result.

Choose an original image to generate new results. Restored cells stay editable and exportable.

Grid width32 cells

Choose 16–128 cells across. Height follows the source image proportions.

Number of colors16

Choose 4–32 colors for the generated palette.

Dithering

Dithering mixes available colors to suggest intermediate tones. It can add texture to gradients.

Background

Transparency can be preserved from PNG or WebP sources. This tool does not remove backgrounds automatically.

A valid image starts with a 32-cell grid, 16 colors, no dithering, and preserved transparency when the source supports it.

Changes preview automatically. The latest image to pixel art setting is committed when you release the control or finish a keyboard change.

Changing conversion settings rebuilds from the source. After manual edits, review the replacement confirmation; cancel to keep your current pattern.

3. Refine the result

Show grid overlay

Edit cells

Select a color, then paint or drag across cells. Changing a palette color remaps the result and updates the PDF legend.

Palette colors

Undo and redo keep the 20 most recent edit actions.

Use Paint, Pick color, or Erase. Keyboard users can move through the grid and apply the selected action to the focused cell.

4. Export

Download the current image to pixel art result. PixelArtNow adds no watermark.

PNG scale

A raster image to pixel art output. The preview grid overlay is excluded unless the export control explicitly includes it.

A US Letter pattern with a grid, stable color numbers, and an RGB/hex palette legend. Large grids may continue across pages.

The PDF is not a vector file, bill of materials, material-quantity guide, or production-color guarantee.

Use a sample image to explore the editor.

Choose one image to begin.

View zoom

Drop an image here

or choose one PNG, JPEG, or WebP from your device to run an image to pixel art conversion

Choose one image to begin.

Keep your project

Save edited cells, colors and settings on this browser or in a project file. Original images, filenames and undo history are not saved. Clearing browser data removes local drafts; files work on another device.

Checking for a local draft…

Image to pixel art at a glance

Image to pixel art converts a photo into an editable cell grid with a limited palette. PixelArtNow runs image to pixel art on your device: choose a grid, refine cells, and download PNG or a printable reference PDF.

Image to pixel art input: One PNG, JPEG or WebP; up to 15 MiB, 8192 px per side and 40 megapixels.
Image to pixel art controls: 16–128 columns, 4–32 colors, optional dithering, crop, rotate and mirror.
Image to pixel art exports: PNG at 1×–16× scale, a numbered reference PDF, and a local editable project.
Image to pixel art limits: Raster output, not vector artwork. Digital colors are not a physical material specification.

Free to use. No account required. Images are processed on your device. See our privacy policy for website analytics and saved-project details.

By PixelArtNow · Updated October 3, 2026 · Contact

Sources and methodology

PixelArtNow tool settings and examples document the current implementation; they are practical starting points, not independently validated quality benchmarks. PNG supports lossless raster storage and an optional alpha channel, as specified by the W3C PNG specification. The HTML canvas standard describes image smoothing and nearest-neighbor scaling when smoothing is disabled. These references explain file formats and rendering; they do not certify physical materials, print accuracy or secure redaction.

For bead planning, quantities come from occupied cells and footprint estimates use the tool’s stated 5 mm pitch. Compare downloaded files with the current grid and measure the calibration bar before construction. Read our content review method.

Turn an Image into Editable Pixel Art

A useful image to pixel art conversion does more than shrink or blur an image. PixelArtNow maps the source onto a deliberate cell grid and limited palette, then lets you correct individual cells before export.

Choose one PNG, JPEG, or WebP image for the image to pixel art conversion.
Start with the default image to pixel art result or adjust the grid width and color count.
Choose no dithering or Floyd–Steinberg dithering.
Inspect the automatically updated image to pixel art pattern.
Paint, pick, or erase cells, then export your image to pixel art output as PNG or PDF.

Control the Grid, Palette and Dithering

Grid width

A smaller grid produces larger, simpler blocks. A larger grid keeps more of the source shape and detail. Start at 32 cells across, then adjust within the 16–128-cell range for your image to pixel art result.

Number of colors

Fewer colors create a tighter, more graphic result. More colors preserve extra shading. Start at 16 colors and reduce the count when you want stronger separation in the image to pixel art preview.

Dithering

None produces cleaner color regions. Floyd–Steinberg distributes color error across nearby pixels, which can make gradients look smoother but may add visible texture to your image to pixel art pattern.

Background

PNG and WebP transparency can be preserved or replaced with a solid background. PixelArtNow does not automatically cut out a subject or create transparency where none exists, so the image to pixel art background stays predictable.

Made with this converter

Compare the settings. Choose your result.

These results use the same converter as the editor. Select an image, then compare grid size, color count and dithering at your own pace.

Portrait conversion

Fine hair, skin tones, and a bold jacket make palette reduction easy to spot.

A fictional woman in a colorful studio portrait — Original source

16-cell grid · 8 colors

32-cell grid · 16 colors

32-cell grid · 16 colors · Floyd–Steinberg

Try a complete workflow

From a photo to a usable pixel image

Use the built-in portrait to follow these steps. The comparisons above are generated by this converter, rather than painted mockups. Your own photo may need different settings.

Keep the subject clear when converting a photo

Start with the subject filling most of the frame. More grid cells preserve more detail, but also more background texture.

Choose Try an example for the portrait, or select an image you may use. For the sample, start with 32 columns, 16 colors and no dithering.
Open image preparation. Crop around the subject, or use a square crop for an avatar. Preview the crop and apply it; cancel if it removes an important outline.
Compare 16 columns with 32 columns using the examples above. Increase the grid only if a useful feature disappears. Compare no dithering with Floyd–Steinberg: extra texture can soften a gradient but also scatter small dots.
Use Fit to see the whole result, then zoom in to inspect the eyes and outer silhouette. Paint important gaps or use the picker to reuse a nearby color.

Works best for: a distinct subject and readable contrast. Busy backgrounds, tiny text and faces far from the camera can lose meaning at a small grid; increasing PNG export scale cannot recover that lost detail.

Try the portrait workflow

Control the palette and clean up stray pixels

Use the same portrait at 32 columns. Compare 8 and 16 colors before editing. A color limit is a maximum; a simple image may use fewer colors.

Set the grid first and the palette size second. Turn dithering off while checking small unwanted dots.
Zoom into a dot, choose Pick color on a nearby area, then Paint the dot using that color. Erase creates a transparent cell; use it only where an empty cell is intended.
Undo the edit if it removes a highlight or weakens the outline. Save a project file once you are happy with the grid.
Changing grid size, palette or preparation rebuilds from the source. Review the replacement confirmation after manual edits; keep the edits if you do not want to rebuild.

Limit: the digital converter derives colors from the image. It does not import a brand material palette or automatically decide which small details should be removed. Use the material workflow for enabled bead colors and quantity-based merges.

Compare colors in the editor

Export a PNG at the original grid size

Grid dimensions and export scale are different. A 32 × 24 grid at 1× becomes a 32 × 24 PNG; at 4× it becomes 128 × 96. Each cell is copied into a solid square without smoothing.

Try the built-in portrait with 32 columns and 16 colors, no dithering and the default transparent-background option. Without a crop, its grid is 32 × 24.
Open the PNG export controls and select 1× under PNG scale. Check the displayed output dimensions before downloading.
Download PNG. Use 2×, 4×, 8× or 16× when you need a larger image with the same pixel pattern. Empty cells remain transparent.
Download a project file too if you will edit later. It keeps cells, palette and settings; it does not keep the original photo or undo history.

Limit: scale changes image dimensions, not detail. A printable pixel-pattern PDF serves a different purpose; it is not a replacement for a 1× PNG asset. The bead construction PNG includes labels and material information, so it is not an original-size digital image.

Set the PNG scale

Image to pixel art: choose a readable photo

For image to pixel art, start with a photo that has a clear subject and readable contrast. Choose 32 cells across and 16 colors for a balanced first pass, then reduce the grid for a bolder icon-like result or increase it when the subject needs more detail. Check your image to pixel art result at 100% before editing: a smaller grid should simplify the photo, not preserve every texture.

Start image to pixel art with one photo you have permission to use.
Set the image to pixel art grid width first, because it decides how much visual detail remains.
Set the image to pixel art palette size next, then compare no dithering with Floyd–Steinberg dithering.
Refine image to pixel art with cell edits for important outlines, highlights, or stray pixels.

Image to pixel art: build a limited palette

The image to pixel art converter derives a limited palette from the uploaded image after it has been sampled into grid cells. For image to pixel art, use 4–8 colors when you want a tightly art-directed palette, 12–16 colors for most photos and illustrations, and more only when the extra shading improves the subject. The palette swatches remain editable, so you can simplify a near-duplicate color after conversion.

Refine and Export Your Pixel Pattern

Automatic conversion is a starting point. Use cell-aligned paint, color picking, and erasing to clean edges or simplify small details in your image to pixel art grid. Undo or redo up to 20 recent edit actions.

Choose PNG for a raster image to pixel art asset. Choose the printable PDF when you need a numbered grid and palette legend on paper.

Image to pixel art: print a grid reference

Export image to pixel art as a PDF when you want to recreate a small sprite, cross-stitch-style reference, classroom exercise, or craft sketch away from the screen. The image to pixel art PDF keeps the numbered grid and palette legend together; print at actual size, compare the legend on paper, and treat the colors as a visual reference rather than a production color specification.

Pixel Art for Sprites and Craft Patterns

The editable image to pixel art grid can help you prepare a small raster asset, study a palette, or print a reference pattern. PixelArtNow does not currently export sprite sheets, atlas data, vectors, bills of materials, or material quantities.

Current Tool Limits

One image at a time.
PNG, JPEG, and WebP input only; GIF, SVG, HEIC, AVIF, TIFF, and PSD are not supported.
Maximum 15 MiB, 8192 px per side, and 40 megapixels.
The editor changes grid-aligned cells; it is not a free-form illustration app.
The tool does not remove backgrounds automatically.
PNG is raster output. The PDF is a printable grid, not a vector or production specification.
Color appearance can vary by display, browser, printer, ink, and paper.
Save a project file to keep edited cells and settings. Browser drafts can be lost through clearing, eviction or storage failures; originals and undo history are not saved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I turn an image into pixel art?

Choose one PNG, JPEG, or WebP image for your image to pixel art conversion. PixelArtNow creates a default pattern automatically. Adjust the grid, color count, dithering, or background if needed, refine individual cells, then download PNG or a printable PDF.

What grid size should I use for pixel art?

Start with 32 cells across. Use fewer cells for a simpler, chunkier pattern or more cells to keep extra shape and detail; the current range is 16–128 cells across.

How do palette size and dithering change the result?

A smaller palette creates stronger color grouping, while a larger palette keeps more shading. Floyd–Steinberg dithering can suggest intermediate tones but may add texture; choose None for cleaner color regions.

Can I edit the generated pixels before exporting?

Yes. The current tool lets you paint, pick a palette color, erase grid cells, and undo or redo the 20 most recent edit actions.

Can I export the pixel art as PNG or PDF?

Yes. PNG provides a raster image. The printable PDF includes a numbered grid and RGB/hex palette legend, but it is not a vector file, bill of materials, material-quantity guide, or production-color guarantee.

Which image formats and sizes are supported?

The tool accepts one PNG, JPEG, or WebP up to 15 MiB, 8192 px per side, and 40 megapixels. GIF, SVG, HEIC, AVIF, TIFF, PSD, malformed, and zero-byte files are not supported.