Pixelate

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Pixelate is an image editor that lets users pixelate images directly in the browser. Images are processed locally instead of being uploaded to a server.

Motivation

Pixelate is designed around a simple feature set and workflow:

  1. Load an image
  2. Adjust the effect
  3. Preview the result
  4. Download the file

It’s not intended to replace a full graphics editor. Instead, it provides a streamlined solution for creative tasks such as:

  • Creating pixel-art avatars
  • Designing retro-style graphics
  • Making mosaic effects
  • Censoring portions of an image
  • Exploring color quantization
  • Preparing assets for games and websites

Features

  • Process images locally in the browser
  • Load images with a file picker or drag-and-drop
  • Adjust block size with average or nearest-neighbor sampling
  • Adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation
  • Optionally reduce the color palette with median-cut quantization
  • Choose between 2 and 256 colors
  • Use one-click presets such as 8-bit, Censor, Retro 16, Mosaic, Vivid, and Grayscale
  • Compare the original and processed images
  • Download images as PNG, WebP, or JPEG
  • Persist settings in local storage

Pixelation

The pixelation effect is controlled by the block size. Smaller blocks preserve more detail, while larger blocks create a more pronounced pixel-art effect.

Pixelate supports two sampling modes:

  1. Average sampling: Calculates a representative color for each pixel block.
  2. Nearest-neighbor sampling: Uses a nearby source pixel to determine the block’s color.

Image Adjustments

Pixelate includes controls for adjusting:

  • Brightness
  • Contrast
  • Saturation

These adjustments can be combined with pixelation and color reduction to create different visual styles.

Color Reduction

The application can reduce an image’s color palette using median-cut color quantization. The palette can contain between 2 and 256 colors, making it possible to create anything from a highly limited monochrome-style image to a more detailed retro illustration.

Presets

Pixelate includes several one-click presets:

  • 8-bit
  • Censor
  • Retro 16
  • Mosaic
  • Vivid
  • Grayscale

Presets provide a quick starting point for experimenting with different pixelation styles.

Export

Processed images can be downloaded in the following formats:

  • PNG
  • WebP
  • JPEG

Settings

Settings are saved to local storage, so adjustments can be reused between sessions.

Explore the source code on GitHub or try the Pixelate app.