Follow a verified example, then adapt the controls to your own image. Open Image to Pixel Art.
Choose a clear subject
Open Image to Pixel Art and choose Try an example to load the original robot illustration, or upload your own image. The sample is 1200 by 900 pixels. A clear silhouette and a simple background are easier to recognize after details are reduced.
This tool samples and recolors an existing image. It does not use AI to invent a scene or redraw the subject. The source file remains unchanged.
Try a close crop before pixelating a photo if the subject occupies only a small part of the image.
Set the grid and palette
Open Settings on a phone. Set Longest edge (pixels) to 32. The tool uses that value for the longest edge and preserves the source ratio, giving the sample a 32 by 24 cell grid. Quick choices also include 16, 64, 128 and 256.
Choose Ocean in the palette menu to reproduce the example. It maps the picture to a fixed six-color palette. From your image derives between 2 and 32 colors; Original colors keeps the sampled colors. Other presets include Soft retro, Handheld, Black and white and Dusk.
Choose Custom colors, then enter between 2 and 32 six-digit HEX colors in Custom palette. Separate values with spaces, commas or semicolons. A deliberate small palette can make unrelated details feel part of the same design.
If a face or object becomes unrecognizable, increase the grid before adding more colors.
The example in this guide
Original robot sample; 32-cell longest grid edge (32 x 24); Ocean six-color palette; Smooth before reducing; no dithering; output scale 8x; PNG. Actual download: 256 x 192 pixels.
- Source
- 1200 x 900 px
- Output
- 256 x 192 px
- Format
- PNG
- Processing
- In your browser
Compare sampling and texture
Keep Smooth before reducing and no dithering for the worked example. Smooth sampling blends details into each cell. Nearest original pixels samples without that blend and can suit existing pixel graphics.
Ordered dithering introduces a regular pattern; Floyd-Steinberg spreads color error into neighboring cells. Both can suggest extra tones with a small palette, but they can also make simple shapes noisy. Dithering is unavailable with Original colors.
Pixel grid in preview is a preview aid for grids up to 128 cells on the longest edge. It is not drawn into the output. Reduced palettes also simplify transparency: sufficiently transparent cells are cleared and other cells become opaque.
Compare with Original, and use Undo or Redo when trying a very different palette.
Export at a whole-number scale
Keep Export scale at 8x, choose PNG and select Start. The 32 by 24 grid becomes a 256 by 192 pixel file, with each cell represented by an 8 by 8 square. Download saves the actual result used in the comparison. It contains the Ocean palette and no preview-grid lines.
Available scales are 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x and 16x. PNG is convenient for sharing and preserves crisp blocks. SVG represents the pixels as colored rectangles; it is not smooth vector tracing. If another app enlarges the PNG, use nearest-neighbor scaling to avoid blurred cell edges.
View the result at 100% or an integer multiple. Fractional display sizes can make even correctly exported pixels look uneven.
Common questions
Is this an AI pixel-art generator?
No. It samples an uploaded image into a grid and optionally reduces its colors. It does not invent new objects or redraw the subject with AI.
What grid size should I start with?
Try 32 or 64 cells on the longest edge. Use a smaller grid for a simple silhouette or a larger grid when the subject needs more detail.
Can I enter my own palette?
Yes. Choose Custom colors, then enter 2 to 32 six-digit HEX colors in Custom palette separated by spaces, commas or semicolons.
Why does the PNG look blurry in another app?
Some viewers smooth enlarged images. Export at a whole-number scale and use nearest-neighbor scaling if you enlarge the result elsewhere.
Will the preview grid appear in the download?
No. Pixel grid in preview is an editor aid and is excluded from PNG and SVG exports.
Is the SVG a smooth vector tracing?
No. It contains colored rectangular pixel cells. Use Image to SVG when you want a separate vector-tracing workflow.
Find the picture inside fewer pixels.
Try a sample or use your own file, and review the result before sharing.
