Free Online Dithering Tool
Dither images and videos right in your browser: turn photos into 1-bit art, halftone prints or retro pixel art with Game Boy, CGA, PICO-8 and custom palettes. It's free with no watermark, and your files are never uploaded, because all the processing (Rust compiled to WebAssembly) runs on your device.
How to dither an image or video
- Drop a photo or video onto the editor, paste one from your clipboard, or click to choose a file.
- Pick a dithering algorithm and a palette, then fine-tune pixel size, strength, brightness, contrast, gamma and saturation. The preview updates as you go.
- For images, click Download to save a PNG. For videos, click Render video, watch the result, then download it as an MP4.
Dithering algorithms
Dithering fakes more colors than a palette really has by mixing the colors it does have into fine patterns. Each algorithm makes a different pattern:
- Floyd–Steinberg
- The classic error-diffusion dither. Each pixel's rounding error is spread to its neighbors, giving fine, organic grain.
- Atkinson
- The look of early Macintosh graphics. It deliberately drops some of the error, so highlights and shadows stay clean and contrast stays high.
- Jarvis, Judice & Ninke, Stucki, Burkes, Sierra
- Error diffusion over a wider area than Floyd–Steinberg, for smoother gradients and less visible "worm" patterns.
- Bayer (ordered)
- A fixed crosshatch pattern from 2×2 up to 16×16. Retro and very stable from frame to frame, which suits video.
- Halftone dots
- Round dots that grow as the image darkens, like newspaper and comic printing.
- Random noise
- A grainy, film-like dither; reroll it for a different pattern.
Palettes
- Black & white for 1-bit art, or duotone with any two colors you pick.
- Grayscale and RGB levels, from 2 to 16 steps per channel.
- Adaptive: up to 64 colors picked from your image (median cut).
- Retro hardware palettes: Game Boy, CGA, PICO-8 and Commodore 64.
Dithering video
Load an MP4, MOV or WebM video (up to 250 MB and 2 minutes) and you can scrub to any frame to see the effect as you change settings. Lighter settings play back live; heavier ones are previewed one frame at a time. When it looks right, render the whole video. The audio is kept, and the result exports as an H.264 MP4 at 480p, 720p or 1080p.
Frequently asked questions
What is dithering?
Dithering arranges a limited set of colors into patterns so that, from a normal viewing distance, the eye blends them into shades the palette doesn't contain. It's how old computers, game consoles and printers showed photos, and it's now a popular look for art, album covers and posters.
Are my images and videos uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device.
Is the dithering tool free?
Yes. It's free to use with no sign-up and no watermark on what you download.
Which file types can I use?
Any image your browser can open (JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, and HEIC in Safari) and videos in MP4, MOV or WebM. Images download as PNG and videos as MP4.
Why does my dithered video come out large?
Fine dither patterns look like noise to a video codec, which makes them hard to compress. A bigger pixel size, an ordered (Bayer) dither or a lower resolution all make the file much smaller.