Free Online Image Dithering Tool

Image dithering is a technique used to create the illusion of color depth in images with a limited color palette. By strategically distributing pixels, dithering algorithms can simulate colors that aren't available in the palette, creating smooth gradients and detailed images even with severe color restrictions. This technique was essential for early computer graphics, video games, and printing, and remains popular today for creating retro-style artwork and optimizing images for specific display requirements.

Our free online image dithering tool makes it easy to apply professional dithering effects to your photos and graphics. Simply load your image using the "Load Image" button, select your preferred dithering algorithm (Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson, Bayer, or Jarvis-Judice-Ninke), choose a color palette from our collection of retro palettes, adjust the settings to your liking, and click "Process Image" to see the results instantly. You can compare the original and dithered images side-by-side and download the final result in PNG format with no watermarks.

Floyd-Steinberg Dithering

Floyd-Steinberg is the most widely-used error diffusion dithering algorithm. It distributes quantization errors to neighboring pixels in a specific pattern, creating natural-looking results with excellent detail preservation. Perfect for general-purpose image dithering and photo conversion.

Atkinson Dithering

Developed by Bill Atkinson for the original Apple Macintosh, this algorithm creates a distinctive high-contrast look with sharper edges. Atkinson dithering uses less error diffusion than Floyd-Steinberg, resulting in brighter images with a unique aesthetic that's perfect for retro Mac-style graphics.

Ordered (Bayer) Dithering

Bayer dithering uses a fixed pattern matrix to determine pixel colors, creating consistent crosshatch patterns. This fast, pattern-based approach produces a classic retro appearance reminiscent of early computer graphics and dot-matrix printing. Ideal for creating vintage-style images and textures.

Jarvis-Judice-Ninke Dithering

JJN is a sophisticated error diffusion algorithm that distributes errors across a wider area than Floyd-Steinberg. This produces exceptionally smooth gradients with minimal artifacts, making it excellent for high-quality image conversion where detail preservation is critical.

Our dithering tool includes authentic color palettes from classic computer systems and gaming consoles. Choose from CGA 4-color for early PC graphics, Game Boy green for handheld gaming nostalgia, ZX Spectrum for British computing history, NES for 8-bit console aesthetics, Commodore 64 for legendary gaming colors, Apple II for early personal computing, Pico-8 for fantasy console artwork, and various grayscale options. Each palette is historically accurate and perfect for creating authentic retro-style images.

Unlike other image dithering tools that require downloads, accounts, or add watermarks, our tool is completely free and runs entirely in your browser. Your images never leave your device, ensuring complete privacy and security. There are no file size limits, no watermarks on output images, no account registration required, and no tracking or analytics on your images. Our tool uses Web Workers for fast, non-blocking processing, supports multiple professional dithering algorithms, includes authentic retro color palettes, offers advanced image adjustments (brightness, contrast, saturation), and provides real-time comparison between original and dithered images.

Image dithering is perfect for creating retro-style artwork and graphics for games, converting modern photos to vintage aesthetics for social media, optimizing images for e-ink displays and low-color screens, creating unique artistic effects for digital art projects, generating textures for game development, preparing images for specialized printing requirements, producing 1-bit or limited-color graphics for embedded systems, and creating nostalgic content that evokes classic computer and gaming aesthetics.