Sort Pixels in an Image
Reorder pixels by brightness along each row or column for a pixel-sort glitch look. Runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
Drop a file here, or click to browse
Files never leave your device
Output
The result appears here as you type.
How to use Sort Pixels in an Image
- 1. Upload the image to glitch. Add any image file. Its pixels will be reordered by brightness within each row or column to produce a pixel-sort effect.
- 2. Choose Direction and Threshold. Pick Rows to sort along each horizontal line or Columns to sort vertically, then set Threshold to decide which pixels count as bright enough to include in the sorted runs.
- 3. Download the pixel-sorted image. Save the result once the streaking pattern matches the glitch look you want.
When to use Sort Pixels in an Image
Sort Pixels in an Image reorders pixels by brightness along each row or column, producing the streaky, melted glitch-art look known as pixel sorting. It's a purely visual effect for anyone building distorted or glitchy imagery.
- Making glitch art for a music release. An album cover or single artwork wants that distinctive streaked, digital-decay look popular in glitch art. Sorting pixels by brightness along rows produces that effect directly from a source photo.
- Creating a data-corruption visual effect. A video game or film project needs a still that looks like corrupted image data. Column-based pixel sorting at a chosen threshold gives that vertical streaking look convincingly.
- Experimenting with threshold-driven glitch intensity. You want to compare how different brightness thresholds change the intensity of a pixel-sort effect on the same photo. Adjusting Threshold and re-running the tool makes that comparison quick.
Examples
Row pixel sort
Input
photo.png + horizontal + threshold 50
Output
photo.png with bright pixels sorted along each row
About the Sort Pixels in an Image tool
Sort Pixels in an Image does its work locally, right in the browser. Reorder pixels by brightness along each row or column for a pixel-sort glitch look. There is no upload step, no queue and no account, and your data never travels over the network.
It belongs to the Image Tools collection on EditSafely, a set of 200 small, focused Image utilities that share the same instant, private workspace.
You can shape the output with 2 settings, including Direction and Threshold (%), and the result refreshes the moment you change one. The finished file is put together in browser memory and saved with the Download button, so it never touches a server on the way to your disk. A worked example further down the page shows exactly what the tool produces for a real input.
Running locally also makes the tool fast and dependable: results appear as you type or drop a file, there is no server outage that can take it down mid-task, and confidential data can be processed without a second thought.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sort Pixels in an Image free to use?
Yes, it is completely free. All 2,658 tools on EditSafely work without an account, a subscription or usage limits.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
Everything happens locally. Your browser downloads the tool's code once, then does all the processing itself; nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or logged. You can even go offline after the page loads and it will still work.
Which files does Sort Pixels in an Image accept?
It accepts images in any common format (PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF and more). There is no file size cap imposed by a server; very large files are limited only by your device's memory.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. The tool works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. There is no account to create, no extension to add and no software to install.
How do I save the output?
Click the Download button once the result is ready. The file is built in your browser's memory and handed straight to your downloads folder, without passing through a server.