Turn your photos into glorious, crunchy pixel art. pxlcrush is a browser-based tool that applies dithering algorithms to images, giving them that retro, low-color aesthetic we all secretly (or not so secretly) love.
Live demo: pxlcrush.com
Upload any image and transform it into pixel art using classic dithering techniques. Customize the color palette, adjust the pixel size, and export your creation as a PNG or animated GIF.
Dithering Algorithms
- Floyd-Steinberg: classic error-diffusion algorithm that creates smooth gradients
- Ordered (Bayer): A structured 4x4 matrix approach that produces clean, grid-like patterns
Color Palette
- Start with the default palette, build your own, or generate from the uploaded image
- Drag colors to reorder them
- Click any color to edit or remove it
- Add as many colors as you want
Palette Modes
- Nearest Match: Each pixel gets mapped to the closest color in your palette
- Luminance Mapping: Colors are assigned based on brightness - first color for darks, last for lights
- Horizontal Gradient: Palette flows left to right across the image
- Vertical Gradient: Palette flows top to bottom
Pixel Size
- Crank it down for chunky, blocky pixels
- Keep it high for subtle dithering on full resolution
GIF Creator
- Capture frames at different settings
- Reorder frames by dragging
- Adjust timing between frames
- Preview before downloading
npm install
npm run devOpen http://localhost:3000 and start crushing some pxls.
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- gif.js for client-side GIF encoding
MIT