Create a Binary JPG
Reduce a JPG to exactly two colors of your choice. 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 Create a Binary JPG
- 1. Add the photo to reduce. Drop in the JPG you want rendered in just two colors. The tool reads each pixel's brightness to decide which of the two colors it becomes.
- 2. Pick your two colors. Choose Dark color for shadow areas and Light color for highlights, then toggle Dither on for a textured transition between them or off for a hard, flat edge.
- 3. Download the two-tone image. The tool maps the photo's brightness onto only your two chosen colors. Download the result for a poster-style graphic, a duotone effect or a bold minimal look.
When to use Create a Binary JPG
Create a Binary JPG reduces a photo down to exactly two colors of your choosing, with an optional dithered transition between them. It turns a normal photo into a bold, high-contrast graphic, which is a common look for posters, protest graphics and duotone branding.
- Making a duotone poster from a portrait. A gig poster wants a striking two-color treatment instead of a full-color photo. Set Dark color to navy and Light color to cream with dithering on for a textured, printable graphic.
- Creating a brand-colored hero image. A website wants a hero photo rendered in exactly the brand's two accent colors instead of natural tones. Setting those hex values as Dark and Light color locks the image to the palette.
- Producing a stencil-ready graphic. You plan to cut a stencil from a photo and need pure black and white with no gray. Turn off dithering for a hard-edged two-tone result that is easy to trace.
- Simplifying a photo for a screen-printed shirt. Screen printing works best with a limited number of flat colors. Reducing a photo to two colors that match your available inks gives you an accurate preview of the final print.
Examples
Two-tone poster
Input
photo.jpg + navy and cream
Output
photo.jpg rendered in just those two colors
About the Create a Binary JPG tool
Create a Binary JPG runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Reduce a JPG to exactly two colors of your choice. Whatever you put in stays on your device from start to finish.
The tool is part of EditSafely's JPG Tools section, 145 single-purpose utilities built around the same idea: open the page, get the result, keep your data to yourself.
You can shape the output with 3 settings, including Dark color, Light color and Dither, 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.
That local-first design has practical benefits beyond privacy. The tool keeps working on a flaky connection once the page has loaded, results are instant because nothing round-trips to a server, and it is safe to use with confidential material.
Frequently asked questions
Is Create a Binary JPG 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 Create a Binary JPG accept?
It accepts JPG and JPEG photos. 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.