Reduce Image Colors
Simplify RGB channel levels to create a limited-palette PNG.
How to use
- Choose an image.
- Set the target color count between 8 and 256.
- Press the button to save the simplified PNG.
How the reduction is calculated
This tool uses fast uniform RGB-channel quantization rather than extracting an optimal palette with k-means or median-cut. The requested color count is converted into channel levels, so the final number of unique colors is an approximation rather than an exact guarantee.
When this approach is useful
Use it when you want to quickly test how an illustration or texture feels with less color complexity, or when preparing a rough retro-style direction. If you need a hand-tuned exact palette, extract colors first and refine the asset in a dedicated editor.
Why gradients become stepped
Reducing channel levels makes neighboring shades collapse into the same bucket. Smooth gradients therefore become visible bands. Increase the target count when preserving smooth tonal transitions matters more than reducing color complexity.