Image Conversion Tips — How to Get Clean Pixel Art
Design Studio automatically converts uploaded images into pixel art. The final quality, however, depends heavily on the source image and the settings you choose. This page explains the differences between the conversion methods and shares tips for a clean result.
1. The Three Conversion Methods
Method 1 (Standard)
Assigns palette colors based on perceptual color difference — how close colors look to the human eye. It is the most balanced option and works for both photos and illustrations. Start here if unsure.
Method 2 (Illustration / Simple)
Slightly boosts brightness and contrast before converting. Best for anime-style illustrations, icons and logos — images with few colors and flat shading that you want to reproduce crisply.
Method 3 (High Contrast)
Emphasizes contrast and saturation for a vivid, punchy finish. Effective for washed-out photos, or when you want a design that stands out from a distance.
2. Images That Convert Well
- Few colors: The fewer colors in the source, the less the pixel art breaks down.
- Clear outlines: Illustrations with strong line art keep their silhouette even when shrunk.
- Large subjects: Canvases are at most a few hundred pixels. Crop so the subject fills the frame.
- Simple backgrounds: Busy backgrounds become noise. Use the background removal feature or pick images with plain backgrounds.
3. Cropping Advice
- Adjust position and zoom so the part you want fills the canvas.
- For outfit designs, keep the main motif centered within the visible area (front/back) of the garment.
- Fine text and intricate patterns rarely survive conversion — dropping them often looks better.
Tip: You can switch between the three methods with one tap on the preview screen. If the result looks "messy", try adjusting noise reduction and color reduction before changing methods — reducing the color count alone often cleans things up dramatically.
4. Troubleshooting
- Faces get crushed: Raise the precision (canvas size) or crop closer to the face.
- Colors look dull: Try Method 3, or brighten the original image and re-upload.
- Grainy result: Set noise reduction to Medium or High.
- Gradients turn into bands: Merge similar colors in the color reduction step to soften banding.