How Do You Cleanly Resize Pixel Art?

Art|Pixel Art

Pixel art is a form of digital art where individual pixels are used to create an image. It can be used to create anything from simple icons to complex scenes and characters.

As such, it’s often used in video games and other digital media. However, because the images are made up of individual pixels, they can be difficult to resize cleanly.

The most important thing to consider when resizing pixel art is maintaining its original aspect ratio. This will ensure that the image does not become distorted when it’s scaled up or down. This can be done by using a program like Photoshop or GIMP, which both have tools for constraining the aspect ratio when resizing.

Once you’ve established the correct aspect ratio for the image, you’ll need to decide how much you want to scale it up or down. If you’re increasing the size of the pixel art, then you’ll need to use an algorithm known as “nearest-neighbor scaling”.

This algorithm works by selecting the closest neighboring pixel for each new pixel that is added as a result of scaling up. This ensures that there’s no blurring or other distortion caused by scaling.

If you’re reducing the size of the pixel art then you’ll need to use a different algorithm known as “anti-aliasing”. With this technique, some of the color information from neighboring pixels is blended together in order to create smoother edges and avoid jagged lines. Again, programs like Photoshop and GIMP have tools for managing this process.

Conclusion

Resizing pixel art can be challenging because of its delicate nature but with careful consideration and appropriate algorithms it can be done cleanly. Ensuring that the correct aspect ratio is maintained is key, while algorithms like nearest-neighbor scaling and anti-aliasing will help keep any distortion or blurring at bay.