Photo to pixel art
A mountain reflection. Simplify a landscape into a small, colorful picture.
64 × 64 · Fit · From image · 16 colors
Try these settingsPhoto by Bonnie Moreland · CC0
Image to Pixel Art Converter
Turn photos into pixel art. Find your colors, make every pixel count, and download a crisp PNG.
Free · No signup · Images stay in your browser
Drop an image here
JPG, PNG or WebP · Up to 20 MiB · Up to 25 megapixels
Enable JavaScript to choose an image and use the converter. Your image is processed in your browser.
Small pixels. Endless possibilities.
These examples use the same image-to-pixel-art process as your uploads. Try a sample in the editor and make it your own.
Retro pixel illustration
A quiet afternoon sail. Give an illustration the classic PICO-8 colors.
64 × 64 · Fit · PICO-8 palette
Try these settingsOriginal artwork created for Image to Pixel Art
Transparent pixel icon
A sprout with room to grow. Keep a transparent icon crisp at any export scale.
64 × 64 · Fit · From image · 8 colors
Try these settingsOriginal artwork created for Image to Pixel Art
Three steps to your pixel art
Choose an image
Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP, drop one into the editor, or try a sample. Your file stays in your browser.
Find your style
Choose a 32, 64 or 128 pixel square grid. Keep the whole picture with Fit, or adjust a square Crop. Explore extracted colors and retro palettes.
Download a crisp PNG
Compare the original and pixel art, then choose an export scale. A 64 × 64 grid at 8× becomes a sharp 512 × 512 PNG.
A few ways to find your style
Compare real results, learn which settings matter, and try them in the editor.
How to convert a photo to pixel art
Compare pixel grids and color limits on the same photo.
Read the guide
How to make Game Boy-style pixel art
Try four retro greens, with and without dithering.
Read the guideHow to export transparent pixel art PNGs
Keep alpha intact and choose the right download size.
Read the guideImage to pixel art FAQ
How do I convert an image to pixel art?
Choose an image, select a pixel grid and palette, and preview the result. Adjust Fit or Crop and toggle dithering if you want a different texture. When the current result is ready, choose Download PNG.
What does 64 × 64 mean?
It is the actual pixel grid: 64 columns by 64 rows. The basic result is exactly 64 × 64 pixels. The same rule applies to the 32 × 32 and 128 × 128 options, including very small source images.
How is the pixel grid different from the download size?
The grid controls the amount of detail. The export scale makes each grid pixel larger without smoothing it. At 8×, a 64 × 64 grid downloads as a 512 × 512 PNG. Export scales are 1×, 2×, 4× and 8×.
Which image formats and sizes are supported?
Upload one JPG/JPEG, PNG or WebP at a time, up to 20 MiB and 25 million decoded pixels. GIF, SVG and video are not supported. A damaged or unsupported file shows an error so you can choose another image.
Will my picture be cropped or stretched?
Fit keeps the original proportions and centers the complete image inside the square grid, with transparent padding where needed. Crop lets you move and zoom a square frame. You can reset the crop at any time.
Can I make pixel art with a transparent background?
Existing transparent and semitransparent areas are preserved. Fit also adds transparent padding around images that are not square. The checkerboard is only a preview aid and is not included in your PNG. This tool does not automatically remove a photo background.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Your selected image and its pixels are processed locally in your browser and are not uploaded by the converter. The site uses Google Analytics to understand visits and usage. See the privacy page for details about analytics and normal website requests.
What do the color palettes do?
From image extracts a palette from your picture, with a limit of 8, 16, 32 or 64 colors. Game Boy-inspired uses four retro greens. PICO-8 uses its standard 16-color palette. The two retro choices control colors; they do not simulate complete game hardware.
What does dithering change?
Dithering arranges the chosen palette colors in a repeating pattern to suggest intermediate shades. It can help gradients and shadows, but it can also make a simple image busier. It starts off, so you can compare both looks.
Can I use and save a custom palette?
Choose Custom palette to enter 2–64 distinct HEX colors, add colors with the picker, or import a .hex, .txt or GIMP .gpl palette file up to 64 KiB. Save a name to apply the colors and reuse the palette. Up to 20 palettes are saved in this browser's local storage; your image pixels are never saved there. If storage is unavailable, you can still apply colors for the current session.