Dither / 8-bit Effect
Give photos a retro 8-bit dithered look free online.
or click to browse — JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF
How to use this tool
Upload an image
Drag & drop or browse. Bold, colorful photos dither best.
Go retro
Choose how few colors to keep and how chunky the pixels should be.
Download
Compare before and after, then download your 8-bit version as a PNG.
Frequently asked questions
What is dithering?
Dithering is how old computers faked smooth gradients with very few colors: pixels are arranged in tiny patterns (here a Bayer matrix) so your eye blends them into in-between shades.
What does "colors per channel" mean?
Each of red, green and blue is limited to that many shades. 2 per channel is the harshest retro look (8 colors total); 8 keeps things softer while still clearly dithered.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. The effect renders entirely in your browser on a canvas. Your files never leave your device.
Why does the result look blocky?
That is the pixel-size setting doing its job — it groups pixels into chunky retro blocks first, then dithers. Slide it to 1 for fine-grain dithering without the blockiness.
What size is the downloaded PNG?
The same pixel dimensions as your original image. The before/after preview may look scaled down, but the download is full resolution.