BYTETOOLS

Dither Image

Apply Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson or ordered Bayer dithering to any image online. 1-bit, grayscale or color levels for a retro, e-ink or pixel-art look.

Drop an image to ditherProcessed locally — never uploaded

What is the Dither Image?

The ByteTools image dithering tool reduces a photo to a handful of colors while preserving the illusion of smooth shading.

  • Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson and ordered Bayer 4×4 algorithms
  • 1-bit black & white, grayscale or per-channel color output
  • Adjustable number of tone levels (2–16)
  • Live preview that updates as you change settings
  • Lossless PNG export preserves the exact dither pattern
  • 100% private — processing never leaves your browser

How to use the Dither Image

  1. 1

    Upload the image you want to dither.

  2. 2

    Pick an algorithm: Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson or ordered (Bayer 4×4).

  3. 3

    Choose the palette mode — 1-bit black & white, grayscale or color — and the number of levels.

  4. 4

    Preview the result, then click Download PNG.

About the Dither Image

The ByteTools image dithering tool reduces a photo to a handful of colors while preserving the illusion of smooth shading. It does this by scattering the quantization error into neighbouring pixels — the technique behind classic Mac graphics, 1-bit game art, e-ink displays and the currently popular retro web aesthetic.

Three algorithms are included: Floyd–Steinberg error diffusion (the standard, with its 7/16, 3/16, 5/16, 1/16 weights), Atkinson dithering (the lighter, contrastier variant from the original Macintosh), and an ordered 4×4 Bayer matrix for that regular crosshatch pattern. Output can be pure 1-bit black and white, grayscale with a chosen number of levels, or color with per-channel levels.

Dithering runs entirely in your browser using canvas pixel data — nothing is uploaded anywhere. Drop in a photo, pick an algorithm and palette, and download the result as a lossless PNG.

Frequently asked questions

What is image dithering?

Dithering simulates shades that a limited palette cannot show by mixing pixels of the available colors in careful patterns. From normal viewing distance the dots blend into intermediate tones, so a 2-color image can still look like it has smooth gradients.

What is the difference between Floyd-Steinberg and ordered dithering?

Floyd–Steinberg pushes each pixel's rounding error onto its neighbours, producing an organic, noise-like pattern. Ordered (Bayer) dithering compares every pixel against a fixed threshold matrix, producing a regular repeating crosshatch. Error diffusion usually looks smoother; ordered looks more retro and screens better at small sizes.

What is Atkinson dithering?

Atkinson dithering is a variant developed by Bill Atkinson for the original Apple Macintosh. It diffuses only 6/8 of the error to nearby pixels, which loses a little shadow and highlight detail but produces a cleaner, higher-contrast image that many people prefer for 1-bit art.

Why would I dither an image instead of just reducing colors?

Straight color reduction creates ugly flat bands where gradients used to be. Dithering trades that banding for fine texture, keeping the perceived detail. It is essential for e-ink screens, thermal printers, embroidery previews and retro game art.

Should I save a dithered image as PNG or JPG?

Always PNG. JPG compression blurs the carefully placed single pixels that make up the dither pattern and reintroduces the artifacts you were trying to control. This tool exports lossless PNG for that reason.

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