Create a Dithered PNG
Use point-matrix dithering to simulate smooth gradients with only a few colors. Runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
Drop a file here, or click to browse
Files never leave your device
Output
The result appears here as you type.
How to use Create a Dithered PNG
- 1. Upload your PNG. Add the photo you want simulated with a smaller palette, such as photo.png. Images with smooth gradients show off dithering's texture the most clearly.
- 2. Choose black and white or a palette size. Turn on Black & white palette for a classic pure black-and-white dot pattern, or leave it off and set Palette size (if not B&W) to dither toward a specific number of colors.
- 3. Download the dithered PNG. Save the resulting image, dithered to pure black and white dots or your chosen palette, and use it for a retro print or low-color display look.
When to use Create a Dithered PNG
Create a Dithered PNG uses point-matrix dithering to simulate smooth gradients with only a few colors, tricking the eye into perceiving more tones than are actually present. Create a Dithered PNG suits retro visual styles and situations where a genuinely limited color palette is required.
- Recreating a retro newspaper print look. A designer wants photo.png to look like it was printed on newsprint and dithers it to black and white to get that classic halftone-style dot pattern.
- Preparing images for a limited-color e-ink display. A developer building content for an e-ink screen with a small color palette dithers photos so gradients still read smoothly on the constrained display.
- Styling art for a retro game aesthetic. An indie game developer wants textures to look like they came from an old console and dithers reference images down to a small, era-appropriate palette.
Examples
Retro newspaper look
Input
photo.png + black & white
Output
photo.png dithered to pure black and white dots
About the Create a Dithered PNG tool
Create a Dithered PNG runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Use point-matrix dithering to simulate smooth gradients with only a few colors. Whatever you put in stays on your device from start to finish.
The tool is part of EditSafely's PNG Tools section, 108 single-purpose utilities built around the same idea: open the page, get the result, keep your data to yourself.
You can shape the output with 2 settings, including Black & white palette and Palette size (if not B&W), and the result refreshes the moment you change one. The finished file is put together in browser memory and saved with the Download button, so it never touches a server on the way to your disk. A worked example further down the page shows exactly what the tool produces for a real input.
That local-first design has practical benefits beyond privacy. The tool keeps working on a flaky connection once the page has loaded, results are instant because nothing round-trips to a server, and it is safe to use with confidential material.
Frequently asked questions
Is Create a Dithered PNG free to use?
Yes, it is completely free. All 2,658 tools on EditSafely work without an account, a subscription or usage limits.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
Everything happens locally. Your browser downloads the tool's code once, then does all the processing itself; nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or logged. You can even go offline after the page loads and it will still work.
Which files does Create a Dithered PNG accept?
It accepts PNG images. There is no file size cap imposed by a server; very large files are limited only by your device's memory.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. The tool works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. There is no account to create, no extension to add and no software to install.
How do I save the output?
Click the Download button once the result is ready. The file is built in your browser's memory and handed straight to your downloads folder, without passing through a server.