Image to pixel art converter
Turn any photo or picture into pixel art. Choose the size and colours, try a Game Boy or PICO-8 palette, and download a crisp PNG.
Drop a picture hereStart with a picture
or paste an image. Your picture stays on your device.
Tips for great pixel art from a photo
- Crop close to the subject before you upload: a face or a pet fills more pixels.
- Start around 48 pixels wide and go down until it still reads at a glance.
- Fewer colours look more like pixel art: try 6 to 12. A fixed palette like PICO-8 gives a consistent retro style.
- Tidy stray pixels removes single pixels of noise, the way a pixel artist would.
Make your pixel art real
Pixel art is already a pattern. Make it with Perler beads, stitch it with the cross stitch pattern maker, crochet it as a C2C blanket, or draw your own on a printable pixel art grid. Just want the blocky effect at full size? Pixelate an image.
Questions
How do I turn a picture into pixel art?
Upload the picture above, choose how many pixels wide it should be and how many colours, and download the pixel art as a PNG. Fewer pixels and fewer colours give a more classic, chunky look.
What size should my pixel art be?
32 to 64 pixels wide works for most pictures: big enough to recognise, small enough to look like pixel art. Go down to 16 for an icon, or up to 100 or more for detailed scenes.
Can I use a retro palette like the Game Boy?
Yes. Choose Game Boy greens, PICO-8, greyscale or black and white under Colours, and every pixel is matched to the closest colour in that palette. Dither adds retro-style shading.
Can I get a transparent background?
Yes. Turn on Transparent background and the colour around the edge of the picture is removed, so the PNG works as a sprite or sticker.
Is my picture uploaded?
No. The conversion runs in your browser and your picture never leaves your device.
Is it free?
Yes, completely free, with no sign-up and no watermark.