PNG to 8-Bit Converter

Turn 24-bit and 32-bit PNGs into real 8-bit palette PNGs - up to 256 colours, soft transparency kept, files often half the size. Want to shrink them without touching the colours? Try Compress PNG.

Drop PNGs here or browse Up to 50 images, 60 MB each - or paste one with Ctrl+V Real indexed PNG Soft alpha kept Nothing uploaded

Before / after

Original 8-bit

Drag across the picture to compare. The right side is the real 8-bit file you will download.

Palette-

Your images

Add images

0 images - click one to preview it.

Presets

Colours in the palette

colours

any number from 2 to 256

Original-

8-bit PNG-

Change-

Ctrl + Enter convert

How to Convert a PNG to 8-Bit

Add your PNGs. Drop one or more PNG images into the box, browse for them or paste one with Ctrl+V.
Pick the colours. Keep 256 colours for the best quality, or go down to 128, 64, 16 or any number from 2 to 256 for smaller files.
Choose dithering. Floyd-Steinberg for photos and gradients, ordered for a retro look, none for flat logos. Drag the slider to compare.
Convert and download. Press Convert. One or two PNGs download directly, three or more come as a ZIP.

No PNG handy? Press Try a sample image - a gradient badge with soft edges shows what dithering and transparency do.

8-Bit vs 24-Bit vs 32-Bit PNG

The bit number tells you how a PNG stores each pixel.

Type	Colours	Transparency	Best for
8-bit indexed	Up to 256 (palette)	Yes, per palette colour	Logos, icons, UI, pixel art, screenshots
24-bit truecolour	16.7 million	No	Photos that must stay lossless
32-bit truecolour + alpha	16.7 million	Yes, per pixel	Photos and artwork with soft transparency

A palette PNG is still lossless as a file format. Only the step from millions of colours down to 256 can change pixels - and when your image already has 256 colours or fewer, nothing changes at all.

How the Palette Is Built

Good 8-bit output is all about picking the right 256 colours.

This tool measures colour differences in OKLab, a colour space that matches how eyes see, so skin tones and skies get the shades they need. It splits the colours with median cut, then refines the palette with k-means rounds.

Transparent pixels share one palette slot, and semi-transparent colours keep their own opacity. The palette is sorted so the tRNS chunk stays as short as possible.

Dithering Explained

Dithering mixes palette colours in tiny patterns so your eye sees the shades in between.

Floyd-Steinberg

Spreads each pixel's error to its neighbours. The smoothest result for photos and gradients.

Atkinson

Spreads only part of the error, like classic Mac graphics. Cleaner flat areas, slightly more contrast.

Ordered

A fixed Bayer pattern - the crisp crosshatch of retro games. Compresses well with few colours.

None

Each pixel takes the nearest colour. Perfect for flat logos; gradients may show bands.

The Strength slider lets you dial dithering down - often 70-80% keeps gradients smooth with a smaller file.

Tips for the Smallest 8-Bit PNG

Fewer colours, smaller file. 64 or 128 colours look the same as 256 for many illustrations.
Pack small palettes saves 16-colour images as 4-bit - half the pixel data again.
Photos? 8-bit is rarely the smallest. PNG to WebP or PNG to JPG usually wins.
Check what you have. The PNG Analyzer shows the colour type, bit depth and chunks of any PNG.
Making a GIF? GIF frames are 8-bit too - PNG to GIF builds one from your images.

Frequently Asked Questions

A 24-bit (or 32-bit with alpha) PNG stores the full colour of every pixel. An 8-bit PNG stores a palette of up to 256 colours and one byte per pixel that points into it.

That is why 8-bit files are often 50-80% smaller for logos, icons, screenshots and illustrations.

Yes. The file is written as PNG colour type 3 (indexed) with a PLTE palette chunk, bit depth 8 - or 1, 2 or 4 bits when you turn on Pack small palettes. Photoshop, GIMP and Python PIL open it in "P" (palette) mode.

Yes, including soft edges. With Full alpha each palette colour gets its own opacity in a tRNS chunk, so anti-aliased edges and shadows stay smooth. You can also choose 1-bit alpha (every pixel solid or clear) or flatten onto a colour.

Images with 256 colours or fewer - most logos, icons and pixel art - are converted losslessly, and the tool tells you when that happens.

Photos and gradients lose some colours. Dithering hides most of the banding; compare both sides of the preview slider before you download.

Floyd-Steinberg gives the smoothest gradients and suits photos. Atkinson is lighter and keeps flat areas cleaner. Ordered (Bayer) makes the regular pattern of retro games, and None is best for flat logos.

For screenshots, logos and illustrations, usually 50-80% smaller. For a photo it depends on the colours and dithering.

The sizes shown are measured from the real file, so you always know before you download. Need an even smaller photo? PNG to WebP or Compress PNG may win.

Yes. Drop up to 50 images; the same settings apply to all of them. One or two files download directly, three or more come as one ZIP.

No. The palette is built and the PNG is written inside your browser, so your images never leave your device.