Image Dithering Tool
Apply classic dithering algorithms to your images for a retro, pixel-art, or newspaper-print look. Choose from several algorithms and color modes, and compare before and after. 100% client-side — images never leave your device.
How to Use the Dithering Tool
- Upload an image — drag and drop or click to browse.
- Pick an algorithm — Floyd-Steinberg gives smooth diffusion, Bayer gives a clean grid look, Atkinson gives a bold "crunchy" texture.
- Choose a palette — black & white for the classic look, or color modes for more detail.
- Download — save the dithered image as a PNG.
Why Use This Dithering Tool
Dithering was essential for old displays and printers with limited colors. Today it's a popular aesthetic for pixel art, retro gaming assets, and stylized designs. This tool gives you the classic algorithms — including error-diffusion methods that produce the iconic noisy gradients.
Pair it with the ASCII Art converter to push the retro aesthetic even further.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dithering uses patterns of dots to simulate more colors than the palette actually has. By distributing "error" from each pixel to its neighbors, gradients appear smooth even with very few colors.
Floyd-Steinberg is the most faithful to the original image. Bayer ordered dithering has a more geometric, grid-like pattern. Atkinson has a chunkier, high-contrast look.
The output keeps your original image resolution — dithering changes colors, not size. The result is exported as a PNG.