🎨Palettize Menu

Palettize can reduce and re-map image colors to fit color requirements.

"Palettize" menu

Palettize

"Palettize" has several input settings, but requires at least one layer and frame for each image. It can be found in "Help" -> "Retro Diffusion Scripts" -> "Palettize," or in "Sprite" -> "Palettize."

"Palettize" requires an active sprite canvas and the RGB color mode.

It also uses "k-means" clustering to reduce the number of colors in an image.

Left: 16,980 colors | Right: 54 colors

Palette Source

Palette source options

"Palette source" lets you pick which color palette you want applied to the selected images.

Baseline color image

Automatic

The "Automatic" palette source analyzes the image and selects the best number of colors to reduce it to without losing detail.

New palette chosen based on least colors while retaining quality

Best Palette

The "Best Palette" palette source looks at a folder with multiple PNG palette images and decides which palette best fits the current image based on color differences.

Available palettes in example: nice31, blk-36, commadore64, fantasy24, and vinik24. Commadore64 was chosen for its better coverage of all hues.

Commadore64 color palette

Adaptive

The "Adaptive" palette source restricts the colors to an exact number, and any new colors are derived from the original image.

Palette reduced to exactly 24 colors

Active Palette

The "Active palette" palette source uses the colors from the current sprite's palette.

Defaults

The "Defaults" palette source provides a list of the palettes that are built into Aseprite.

File

The "File" palette source lets you choose an image to use as a palette. It must be a PNG image.

URL

The "URL" palette source loads the image from the url in the text box.

Dithering

Dithering options

Dithering was a technique commonly used in older art to make better use of the then limited colors. Now, it is a common practice in pixel art used to create details, gradients, and other image features.

Matrix Size

"Matix Size" can be set to "None" (no dithering), "Bayer 2x2," "Bayer 4x4," or "Bayer 8x8."

Bayer 2x2

Bayer 2x2 dithering

Bayer 4x4

Bayer 4x4 dithering

Bayer 8x8

Bayer 8x8 dithering

Dither Strength

Strength 2, 6, and 10

"Dither Strength" controls how much dithering is applied to the image.

Denoising

Denoising is an advanced feature and is only recommended for experienced users. Without experience, denoising often leads to poor results.

Left: Normal palettization to 24 colors | Right: Denoised to 24 colors

Smoothness

"Smoothness" (appears when the denoise box is checked) does exactly what it says-it controls an image's smoothness. This is related to kernel size.

Strength

The "Strength" slider controls how aggressively the denoising tries to remove stray pixels.

Processing Cels

This applies "Palettize" to multiple images. If both options are checked, all images in the sprite will be processed.

All layers

The "All layers" checkbox applies "Palettize" to all layers in the selected frame.

All frames

The "All frames" checkbox applies "Palettize" to all frames on the selected layer.

Process in Background

"Process in background" keeps the command line interface minimized.