png · palette · quantize · local

Reduce PNG palette for smaller files

Cut a PNG's palette down to 8–256 colors with median-cut quantization. Great for illustrations, screenshots, and UI assets.

PNG Color Quantizer
Source
—
no file
Output
—
64 colors
Saved
—
ratio
Status
idle
live
Colors:
input · image

image/png,image/* · runs locally · nothing uploaded

output · preview
Original
—
Quantized (64)
—
Quick Start

How it works

Pick an image, tune the options, then download the result. Everything runs in your browser.

  1. 01

    Pick a PNG

    Drop or select. Works on any image, though best for graphics.

    Files stay in memory as an HTMLImageElement — the original bytes are never uploaded, and EXIF metadata is preserved until you explicitly transform it.

    uploadcanvaslocaldecode
    input · bytespng · loaded
    source.png
    loaded · decodedcanvas · ready
  2. 02

    Choose palette size

    8 is the smallest; 256 keeps near-original fidelity.

    Encoder quality is exposed where the format supports it — JPEG and WebP get a 0–1 quality slider; PNG is lossless. Options re-render the canvas immediately.

    paletteoptionslive previewencoderquality
    colors · tunable64 · live
    palette = 64
    options applied · liveencoder · live
  3. 03

    Run median-cut

    The color space is recursively split along the longest axis, mapping each pixel to the nearest bucket centroid.

    Pixel work runs on the Canvas 2D context — drawImage resamples with the browser’s bilinear filter and getImageData/putImageData back per-pixel passes.

    algorenderCanvas 2Dpreviewpx-perfect
    algorithm · resampledmedian cut · px-perfect
    splitBoxes -> centroids
    preview · livepx-perfect
  4. 04

    Download PNG

    Save the quantized PNG. Often smaller, always crisper on simple graphics.

    Downloads ship via a hidden anchor with an object URL — no server round-trip, and the file on disk is untouched. The output filename inherits a sensible suffix.

    exportdownloadblobclient-sideobject URL
    ok · blobready · saved
    -0% size
    shipped · ready to shipsuccess
Pro tips

Browser-only image work that scales

Convert with quality control

JPEG/WebP let you pick a 0–1 quality. Default 0.92 is a good compromise of size and visible quality.

PNG isn’t free

Use PNG only for transparency or sharp edges. For photos, WebP is smaller at the same perceived quality.

Strip EXIF for privacy

Photo EXIF often contains GPS, camera model, and timestamps. Strip before sharing public uploads.

Watch the colour profile

Convert to sRGB before web export. Wide-gamut images render oversaturated in non-managed browsers.

AVIF when it’s available

AVIF beats WebP on size at the same quality. Detect support via <picture> with fallbacks.

Lazy-load below the fold

Add loading="lazy" on <img>. The browser handles scheduling — no IntersectionObserver needed.

Use Cases

When to use this tool

Common workflows it speeds up.

UI screenshots

Shrink design docs with limited-palette PNGs. Decoded into a Canvas 2D context — original bytes never leave the tab, so you can process customer-uploaded photos, internal screenshots, or sensitive diagrams without privacy concerns.

px-perfect

Icon packs

Reduce file sizes for design system icons. Encoders expose quality 0–1 where the format supports it (JPEG, WebP); PNG and AVIF stay perceptually lossless. Pick 0.85 for web, 0.95 for archival, 0.7 for thumbnails.

quality-tunable

Illustrations

Vector-style art quantizes cleanly with no quality loss. Pair with the EXIF Stripper before sharing user-uploaded photos publicly. Camera serial numbers, GPS coordinates, and timestamps often hide in image metadata and leak more than the picture itself.

format-aware

Email assets

Lighter graphics for newsletter images. Output preserves colour profile (sRGB) so it renders consistently across browsers, monitors, and print pipelines. Wide-gamut workflows can opt into Display P3 for modern Apple devices.

EXIF-safe

Web compression

Compete with JPEG file sizes without lossy artifacts. Re-runs only on option changes, never on window resize, so the canvas stays responsive on large images. drawImage uses the browser's bilinear filter for fast resampling.

client-side

Retro art

Get an authentic limited-color look. Downloads as .png, .jpg, .webp, or .avif with the correct MIME so editors apply native handling on save. The filename inherits a sensible suffix derived from the input.

compression-ready
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Recursively splits the color space along the longest axis until you have the requested bucket count, then maps every pixel to the nearest bucket centroid.
Usually yes for graphics. Photos with smooth gradients may bloat slightly due to banding patterns.
Yes — pixels with alpha < 8 are skipped during palette building.
Median-cut on the same input is deterministic.
No. Everything runs locally in your browser.
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