For matching colors
Pixel Art Palette Extractor
See the most common colors in a picture, copy their color codes, or save the list for your next drawing.
Example: character picture → reusable color swatches
Try this tool- 1. AddPixel-art picture
- 2. AdjustCount its colors
- 3. SaveColor swatches and codes
1. Choose a pixel-art picture
A PNG gives the clearest color list. This tool counts colors; it does not change the picture.
How to use it
1. Use original artwork rather than a screenshot
Upload a lossless PNG where possible. A screenshot can include editor chrome, a checkerboard, or a background you did not paint. JPEG and smooth resizing introduce extra shades that obscure a deliberately small pixel-art palette.
2. Choose which transparent pixels count
Minimum alpha uses a 1–255 scale. The default 128 counts pixels at about half opacity and above; 255 counts only fully opaque pixels. Analyze again after changing the threshold so the result uses your new choice.
3. Inspect the list and export a usable subset
Choose the top 8, 16, 32, or 64 colors. Click a hex code to copy it, or save CSS or JSON for the displayed set. Ranking is by frequency, not hue, brightness, or the artistic role of a color.
Frequency is a starting palette, not a finished color ramp
Each qualifying pixel counts once by its decoded RGB value. Matching RGB with different qualifying alpha values contributes to the same color. Similar shades such as #303040 and #303041 stay separate; the tool does not cluster or quantize colors.
Percentages use all pixels passing Minimum alpha, not the whole canvas or only displayed colors. If the top eight colors cover 85% of qualifying pixels, their percentages add to 85%. Transparent padding is excluded rather than counted as black.
Frequency tells you which colors occupy space, not which ones matter most. A one-pixel eye highlight may be essential while a dominant floor color is irrelevant. Extract a character separately, then organize shadows, base colors, and highlights into ramps yourself.
| Setting or input | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1024 canvas pixels; 600 pass threshold | Frequency denominator is 600 |
| A color occurs 150 times | 25% of counted pixels |
| Top 8 out of 23 distinct colors | Exports include those 8, not all 23 |
Check before downloading
Unexpected color counts usually point to the source
Look for antialiasing, JPEG artifacts, or a background. An exact counter faithfully records those shades; showing fewer top colors does not simplify the image itself.
Keep rare accents when they serve the artwork
Use frequency as evidence, then make an artistic choice. Input limits are 4096 px per side, 8 million pixels, and 100,000 distinct qualifying colors.
Questions
Does choosing 16 reduce the image to 16 colors?
No. It changes the displayed and exported list. The source is not quantized, recolored, or rewritten.
Why do percentages not add up to 100%?
Lower-ranked hidden colors account for the remainder. Every percentage uses all qualifying pixels. Rounding can also cause small differences.
Why is an important highlight missing?
The list is ranked by pixel count. Increase the display limit, use a tighter source crop, or sample the accent manually. Rank is not visual importance.
Can I use a photograph?
JPG is accepted, but photographs may contain huge numbers of near-matching colors and hit the distinct-color limit. Use a clustering tool for a small representative photo palette, not this exact counter.
What is in CSS and JSON?
CSS contains numbered variables for displayed colors. JSON includes the source name, alpha threshold, and displayed colors with counts. Neither includes the image or automatically recolors another sprite.
Related tools and tutorials
Build a useful pixel-art palette — Turn exact counts into purposeful shadow and highlight ramps.
Pixel Art Upscaler — Preserve hard pixel edges when enlarging a mock-up.
PNG Edge Cleaner — Inspect contaminated edges before counting their colors; retain a source copy.