Online Tool Store
Dithered Image Generator
Preview an image reduced to a small palette using ordered or error-diffusion dithering, the way early displays and e-ink screens render tone.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
Image
Dithered Image Generator
Frontend preview — no upload or external service.
Dither preview
A photo reduced to 1-bit at 320px wide with Floyd-Steinberg: gradients survive as scattered dots rather than banding into flat blocks.
How the Dithered Image Generator works
- Upload the image and choose the palette you are targeting.
- Pick an algorithm — error diffusion for photos, ordered for a visibly patterned retro look.
- Set the output width, since dithering only reads correctly at the size it was generated for.
The method
Error diffusion picks the nearest palette colour for a pixel, then pushes the leftover error onto neighbours that have not been drawn yet, so the mistake averages out across the region.
new pixel = nearest palette colour; error = old - new, spread 7/16, 3/16, 5/16, 1/16 to neighbours
Ordered dithering instead compares each pixel against a fixed threshold matrix, which is cheaper and gives the regular crosshatch look of old print.
FAQ
Which algorithm should I pick?
Floyd-Steinberg for photographic tone, Atkinson for a cleaner high-contrast Mac-classic look, Bayer when you actually want the pattern to be visible.
Why does my dither look wrong when scaled?
Dithering is defined per output pixel. Resizing afterwards blends dots into grey mush, so always generate at the final size.
Is dithering useful outside retro art?
Yes — e-ink displays, thermal printers, and one-colour screen printing all reproduce tone by dot patterns rather than shades.
How we compare
| Feature | Online Tool Store | A desktop editor | An upload-based service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple dithering algorithms | ✓ | Plugin needed | Sometimes |
| Fixed retro palettes | ✓ | Manual setup | ✗ |
| Exact output pixel width | ✓ | ✓ | Varies |
| Image never uploaded | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Dithered Image Generator is aimed at output that really is limited to a few colours — e-ink, thermal print, one-colour screens — not just the aesthetic.