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Pixel art cleaner

Pixel art cleaner: snap AI art to its true grid

Updated · Türkçe

Quick answer

Image models draw something that looks like pixel art but isn't: soft edges, thousands of colors and a grid that wanders. This tool finds the grid the picture was meant to sit on, reads each block as one color, cuts the palette to the size you choose and gives you a clean PNG. It all happens in your browser.

Clean a picture

How to use it

  1. 1.Add a picture

    Drop a PNG, JPEG or WebP. Sprites and small scenes work best. A photo has no grid to find.

  2. 2.Check the grid

    If the status says the grid was found, the block size is set for you. If it wasn't, move the block slider until the blocks line up with the drawing.

  3. 3.Choose how many colors

    Sixteen is a good start. Go lower for a harder, more retro look; go higher if shading disappears.

  4. 4.Download

    The PNG is enlarged by a whole number, so every art pixel stays a clean square.

What it does to your picture

Problem in AI pixel artWhat the tool does
Blocks that aren't the same sizeFinds the block size along both axes, band by band
A grid that drifts across the pictureLets each band of rows or columns shift a little
Soft edges between blocksReads one color per block, so edges become hard
Thousands of near-identical colorsPicks a palette in Lab color space and maps every block to it
Half-transparent fringesMakes each block either clear or solid

This is the same code that cleans the drawings in Teleplay's pixel-art games, running here on your machine.

Games made on Teleplay

Questions

Is my image uploaded?

No. The picture is read and cleaned by code running in this tab. Nothing about it is sent to us or stored.

Why was no grid found?

The picture may not be pixel art at all, or its blocks may be too small or too uneven. Set the block size by hand and judge the result by eye.

What is the largest image it takes?

4,096 pixels on the longest side. A larger one is refused, because shrinking it first would blur the grid the tool is trying to find.

Does it work on photos?

It will turn a photo into blocks, but that is pixelation, not a cleanup. A good result depends on the art being drawn on a grid.

Can I keep transparency?

Yes. A block that is mostly clear stays clear, and the PNG keeps its transparency.