Free Color Quantizer
Transform your images with professional color reduction technology. Create stunning retro effects, optimize GIFs, and generate artistic styles with intelligent dithering - completely free.
Private Color Processing
All color quantization happens locally in your browser using WebAssembly. Your images stay on your device, making it safe for artistic projects and confidential designs.
How Our Free Color Reducer Works
Upload Your Image
Select any image file to begin palette reduction
Configure Settings
Choose target palette size (2-256) and dithering options
Download & Share
Get your stylized image with professional results
Professional Color Reduction Features
Flexible Palette Control
Choose from 2 to 256 colors for perfect artistic control
Smart Dithering
Multiple algorithms: Floyd-Steinberg, Bayer, or clean modes
Universal Format Support
Process JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, and other popular formats
Instant Preview
See reduction effects instantly as you adjust settings
Palette Export
Export resulting palettes for use in other projects
Performance Modes
Balance between processing speed and output quality
Who Uses Our Free Color Reducer?
Web Developers
- •Optimize GIF file sizes through palette reduction
- •Create retro-style graphics for websites
- •Extract limited palettes from photographs
Digital Artists
- •Generate posterized artistic effects
- •Recreate vintage computer aesthetic
- •Prepare images for screen printing
Understanding Dithering Techniques
Method | Effect | Best For |
---|---|---|
No Dithering | Solid color blocks | Clean graphics, logos |
Floyd-Steinberg | Natural error diffusion | Photos, gradients |
Bayer (Ordered) | Regular pattern | Retro games, pixel art |
Atkinson | Light diffusion | High contrast images |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is color reduction?
Color reduction is the process of limiting the number of distinct colors in an image. It converts photographs with millions of colors down to a specific palette, useful for creating artistic effects, reducing file sizes, or meeting format requirements.
How many colors should I use?
It depends on your goal: 2-16 colors create strong artistic effects, 32-64 colors work well for retro graphics, 128-256 colors maintain good quality while reducing file size. GIFs are limited to 256 colors maximum.
What is dithering and when should I use it?
Dithering creates the illusion of more colors by mixing pixels of available colors. Use it when you want smoother gradients with limited colors. Skip dithering for clean, poster-like effects or when you want distinct color blocks.
Can I extract the resulting palette?
Yes! After processing, you can export the resulting palette as hex codes, RGB values, or even as a palette image. This is useful for creating consistent color schemes across projects.
Does color reduction reduce file size?
Often yes, especially for formats like GIF and indexed PNG that store palette information. However, the main purpose is artistic effect. For pure file size reduction, use our compression tool instead.
Advanced Technical Features
Reduction Algorithms
- • Palette range: 2 to 256 colors
- • MedianCut algorithm
- • Octree processing
- • K-means clustering
- • Custom palette import
- • Perceptual color space
- • Gamma correction
Dithering Algorithms
- • Floyd-Steinberg diffusion
- • Bayer ordered dithering
- • Atkinson dithering
- • Sierra dithering
- • No dithering option
- • Adjustable dither strength
- • Pattern size control
- • Error diffusion settings
Continue your image optimization workflow with these related tools
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