Dither Image (Dithering Effect): what it does
Dithering shows shades with patterns of only a few colours, the way early computers, games consoles and e-ink screens do. Choose the pattern: Atkinson (the crisp look of the first Macintosh), Floyd–Steinberg (smooth, fine noise) or ordered Bayer (the regular crosshatch of old games). Then choose the colours: any two (ink and paper), 4 greys, Game Boy greens, CGA or the 16-colour PICO-8 palette. Pixel size makes the pattern bigger or finer, scaled to the photo. It runs in your browser, so the image is never uploaded.
How to use it
- Drop a photo into the box, paste it with Ctrl+V, or tap to choose one from your phone.
- See the effect straight away. The thumbnails show every other effect on your photo too.
- Adjust the settings, and hold “Hold to compare” to see the original.
- Download at full resolution as JPG, PNG or WebP.
Tips
- Atkinson keeps highlights clean and looks best on portraits; Floyd–Steinberg keeps more mid-tone detail.
- If the result looks muddy, raise Contrast before changing anything else.
- Save as PNG: JPG compression blurs the single pixels that make dithering work.
- A pixel size of 2–3 shows the pattern clearly on phones and social media.
Frequently asked questions
What is dithering?
A way to fake more shades than a palette has by mixing pixels of the available colours in a pattern. From a distance your eye blends them into greys or in-between colours.
Which dithering algorithm should I use?
Atkinson for a crisp, high-contrast retro look; Floyd–Steinberg for the smoothest, most detailed result; Bayer for a regular, game-like pattern that stays stable across similar images.
Is my image uploaded?
No. The dithering is calculated in your browser on your own device.