Image Dither
Free online image dithering: Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson, Bayer 2×2/4×4/8×8 and noise algorithms with black-white, grayscale or custom four-color palettes, processed locally in your browser.
What is dithering?
Dithering simulates more colors than a palette actually contains. Each pixel is mapped to the nearest palette color, and the placement error is spread to neighboring pixels or applied as a pattern, so the eye blends the dots back into smooth gradients and shading.
Which algorithm should I choose?
Floyd–Steinberg gives fine, organic grain and suits photographs. Atkinson diffuses only part of the error, producing a punchier retro look like old Macintosh graphics. Bayer 2×2/4×4/8×8 create regular crosshatch textures great for pixel art, and Noise adds TV-static-like random grain.
What palettes are available?
Black & white (1-bit), 4, 8 and 16 levels of gray, plus a custom palette of exactly four colors you can pick yourself for duotone or brand-styled results.
Why does the output scale option matter?
Downscaling before dithering averages out detail, which reduces noise in the result. For photos, 50% or 25% scale usually looks cleaner; for pixel art, keep 100% to preserve every pixel.
How does the comparison slider work?
The dithered result is layered over the original image. Drag the slider to move the divider: everything to the left of the line shows the dithered result, everything to the right shows the untouched original.
Why is the export PNG only?
PNG is lossless, so the precise dither pattern survives saving. JPEG would blur the dot structure with compression artifacts and undo the effect, which is why the export is intentionally fixed to PNG.
Will large images slow down my browser?
Processing runs inside a Web Worker in chunks, so the page stays responsive even with big images. Progress is shown while the bands are processed, and the UI never blocks.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and processed entirely on your device inside the browser. Nothing is transmitted to any server, and closing the page discards everything.
How to Use Image Dither
Image Dither turns photos and graphics into retro pixel-art style images with a limited color palette. It runs Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson, Bayer ordered dithering and noise dithering entirely inside your browser using a Web Worker, so even large images never freeze the page — and nothing is ever uploaded.
- Upload an image with the upload zone: click it, drag a file onto it, or simply paste an image from the clipboard with Ctrl+V.
- Pick a dithering algorithm: Floyd-Steinberg and Atkinson spread quantization errors for organic grain, Bayer 2x2/4x4/8x8 use ordered crosshatch patterns, and Noise adds random grain.
- Choose a palette: black and white, 4/8/16 gray levels, or four custom colors you can pick yourself for a retro two-tone or brand look.
- Optionally lower the output scale first — downsampling before dithering usually produces cleaner patterns on photos.
- Drag the comparison slider to reveal the original under the dithered result, then press Export PNG to save the processed image.
Error-diffusion algorithms (Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson) suit photographs and gradients, while ordered Bayer patterns give crisp, regular textures that look great for pixel art and print-style graphics. Custom four-color palettes shine on logos and stylized portraits.
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