Draw stepped outlines inside a pixel grid
Pixel Outline samples a square grid and draws a line inside a cell wherever a neighboring cell differs enough in color or transparency. It keeps the sampled silhouette, rather than growing a border outside it.
Creative applications
- Outline palette studies and small graphic portraits.
- Separate neighboring color regions without adding gaps between cells.
Starting workflow
- Start with a clearly separated subject and set Pixel size to keep its important features.
- Raise Sensitivity until the boundaries you want receive a line. Reduce it if texture produces too many edges.
- Adjust Thickness and Outline color at the intended viewing size.
- For a limited-palette base, place Pixel Art before Pixel Outline and use the same Pixel size in both.
Key controls
- Pixel size
Set the square grid width in output pixels. Match Pixel Art’s Pixel size when stacking to keep the cells aligned.
Default: 16 · Range: 1 to 128
- Thickness
Set the line width in output pixels. It is capped at half the cell size, so narrow cells cannot receive an oversized stroke.
Default: 1 · Range: 1 to 8
- Sensitivity
Higher values detect smaller color or alpha differences. Zero suppresses outlines; 100% detects any nonzero difference.
Default: 50% · Range: 0% to 100%
- Outline color
Choose the stroke color. Its opacity follows the shared Reveal image or Cut out mode; fully transparent cells stay transparent.
Default: #101820
- Mix
Blend the treatment with the input. Zero restores the input exactly; use full Mix to keep the cell treatment distinct.
Default: 100% · Range: 0% to 100%
Practical tips
- Try Pixel Art at Pixel size 8, Retro 16, then Pixel Outline at size 8 and Thickness 1.
- Lower Sensitivity when every small palette transition becomes a line.
Limitations
- This traces sampled cell differences, not semantic objects or continuous vector paths.
- Sampling can change a fine source silhouette. The outline itself never expands that sampled silhouette.
- The stroke can introduce colors beyond a preceding fixed palette.
- Each grid effect samples its input again. A later grid effect can replace earlier outlines or bevels; start with Pixel Art followed by one finishing treatment.
