Create a Dithered JPG
Recreate a JPG with a tiny palette using Floyd–Steinberg dithering. 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 Dithered JPG
- 1. Add the photo to dither. Drop in the JPG you want reduced to a tiny color palette. The tool reads its pixels so it can apply Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion across the image.
- 2. Choose black & white or a limited palette. Turn on Black & white palette for a pure two-tone dot pattern, or leave it off and set Palette size (if not B&W) to control how many colors the dithered result uses.
- 3. Download the dithered image. The tool distributes rounding error across neighboring pixels so the reduced palette still reads as a recognizable photo. Download the result for a retro or print-inspired look.
When to use Create a Dithered JPG
Create a Dithered JPG recreates a photo using a drastically smaller color palette, spreading the resulting error across neighboring pixels with Floyd-Steinberg dithering so detail is preserved through pattern rather than color. It is the technique that made old newspapers and early computer displays render photos at all.
- Recreating a retro newspaper print look. You want a photo to look like it was printed in black and white halftone newsprint. Turning on the black and white palette produces that dotted, high-contrast texture directly.
- Simulating an early computer display. A retro-computing project wants images that look like they came from an era with a 16-color or 4-color screen. Setting a small Palette size recreates that limited, dithered aesthetic.
- Preparing artwork for a monochrome e-ink display. An e-paper device or thermal printer only supports two tones. Dithering the source photo in black and white keeps it recognizable within that hardware constraint.
- Making stylized art from an ordinary photo. You want a graphic, poster-like treatment of a portrait rather than a straight photo. A dithered pass at a small palette size turns it into bold, textured art.
Examples
Retro newspaper look
Input
photo.jpg + black & white
Output
photo.jpg dithered to pure black and white dots
About the Create a Dithered JPG tool
Create a Dithered JPG runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Recreate a JPG with a tiny palette using Floyd–Steinberg dithering. 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 2 settings, including Black & white palette and Palette size (if not B&W), 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 Dithered 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 Dithered 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.