Reduce, control and reuse colors precisely
Quantize any image to an exact number of colors with median-cut and dithering, inspect the palette, and export it for code, design tools, and pixel art — all in your browser.
Try it nowNo AI. Accurate algorithmic color reduction. Your image is never uploaded.
Colors
Dithering
Palette
Click any swatch to copy its HEX code.
Color usage
Export
Who uses PaletteForge?
Anyone who needs to control exactly which colors an image uses.
Pixel artists & game devs
Constrain sprites and tilesets to a fixed palette, compare dithering styles, and export .ase straight into Aseprite.
Brand & web designers
Extract a tight palette from a reference image and export CSS variables or .ase swatches for a consistent system.
Print & screen printing
Limit artwork to a precise number of inks before separating colors for screen printing or risograph.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. All color reduction happens entirely in your browser using local processing. Your image is never sent to any server.
What reduction algorithm does it use?
PaletteForge uses median-cut quantization to choose representative colors, with a perceptual weighted-RGB distance so similar colors map correctly. It is precise, deterministic algorithmic processing — no AI.
Which dithering options are available?
None, Floyd–Steinberg error diffusion, and Ordered dithering with a Bayer 4×4 matrix. You can switch between them and compare results instantly.
Can I use the .ase file in Adobe or Aseprite?
Yes. The exported .ase is a standard Adobe Swatch Exchange file with RGB colors and loads in Adobe apps and Aseprite.
Is PaletteForge free?
Yes, completely free. No account required, no usage limits, no watermarks.
How to Use PaletteForge
Reduce colors in 3 steps
- Load an image — drop a file, pick one, or paste from the clipboard. Nothing is uploaded; processing is local.
- Choose a color count and dithering mode. Use the before/after slider to compare the reduced result against the original.
- Copy any HEX, export the palette as HEX/CSS/JSON/.gpl/.ase, or download the reduced PNG.
Exact color counts
PaletteForge reduces any image to a precise number of colors — 8, 16, 32, or any custom value from 2 to 256 — using median-cut quantization. Rather than picking colors at random, the algorithm repeatedly splits the image's color space along its longest axis, so the final palette is built from genuinely representative colors, weighted by how much of the image actually uses them. The character of the original survives while thousands of subtle shades collapse into a controlled, predictable set.
Lower counts give bold, poster-like results that suit indexed PNGs, pixel art, and screen printing; higher counts preserve gradients and skin tones while still trimming color complexity. Because the reduction is deterministic, the same image at the same count always yields the same palette — useful when you need a repeatable look across a whole series of assets.
Compare dithering
Cutting colors down can leave visible banding across smooth gradients. Dithering hides it by interleaving the available palette colors in a fine pattern that your eye blends into in-between tones. PaletteForge offers three modes: None for clean flat fills, Floyd–Steinberg error diffusion for the smoothest photographic look, and Ordered (Bayer 4×4) for a crisp, retro halftone texture.
Switch modes and the before/after slider updates instantly, so you can weigh smoothness against file size on your own image instead of guessing. Floyd–Steinberg usually wins for photos and illustrations; ordered dithering is the classic choice for pixel art and a deliberately stylized, mechanical grain.
Export everywhere
Once the palette looks right, take it anywhere. Copy any single swatch as HEX with one click, or export the whole palette as a HEX list, CSS custom properties, or JSON for code; GIMP .gpl for open-source painting; and Adobe .ase swatches that load straight into Photoshop, Illustrator, and Aseprite.
You can also download the reduced image itself as a PNG with your chosen color count and dithering baked in. That makes PaletteForge a single step between a reference image and a production-ready palette — no manual eyedropper work, no copying hex codes by hand.
Privacy: your image never leaves your device
PaletteForge processes images entirely in your browser using the Canvas API. No file is transmitted to any server, which makes it safe for confidential or unreleased assets. Reload the page and everything is gone — nothing was ever sent anywhere.
There is no account, no login, and no usage limit. Everything runs from the page you already loaded, so you can use it on confidential mockups, unreleased game art, or client work without anything being uploaded. Close the tab and every trace is gone.
