Pixforge
Retro Pixel Art Palettes
Limiting colors is what gives pixel art its look. Pixforge includes 14 ready-made palettes you can apply to a converted photo or to your own artwork with one click.
Free · No signup · Runs in your browser
The 14 built-in palettes
Game Boy · 4 colors
The four green shades of the 1989 handheld. Instantly recognizable.
NES · 8 colors
Console-era colors for 8-bit style sprites and backgrounds.
PICO-8 · 16 colors
The popular 16-color fantasy console palette, great for small games.
Commodore 64 · 16 colors
Muted, slightly moody colors from the classic home computer.
CGA · 16 colors
Bold, saturated colors from early PC graphics.
Moonlight · 16 colors
A cool blue-violet ramp for night scenes and moody art.
Synthwave · 16 colors
Neon pinks, purples and cyans for retro-futuristic looks.
Nature · 16 colors
Earthy greens, browns and sky tones for landscapes.
Grayscale · 8 colors
Pure tonal values, useful for lighting studies and print.
Solarized · 16 colors
The well-known low-contrast developer color scheme.
Dracula · 12 colors
Dark purple-based scheme with vivid accents.
Nord · 16 colors
Arctic, muted blues and frost tones.
Sepia · 8 colors
Warm brown tones for an aged-photograph feel.
ZX Spectrum · 15 colors
The bright, clashing colors of the 8-bit British home computer.
How to apply a palette
- Convert or open your image in Pixforge.
- Open the palette dropdown. It starts on “Original Colors”.
- Choose a palette. Every color is mapped to the closest color in that palette.
- Fine-tune and export. Use the editor and the color mixer to adjust any pixel, then export.
Why limited palettes work
A small palette forces consistent contrast and a cohesive mood, and it mirrors the hardware limits of classic consoles and computers. If you need a custom set of colors, the built-in color mixer lets you build your own.
Frequently asked questions
How many palettes does Pixforge include?
14, ranging from classic hardware palettes such as Game Boy, NES, C64, CGA and ZX Spectrum to PICO-8 and mood palettes like Synthwave and Nord.
Can I create a custom palette?
Yes. Use the color mixer and color history to build and reuse your own colors.
Does applying a palette change my original image?
It changes the converted result in the editor. Your original file is never modified.