Break a picture into shaped pixel tiles
Pixel Tiles fills equally sized cells with sampled image colors. Square, round, and diamond shapes reveal transparent space around each tile. Dark and bright tiles keep the same dimensions.
Creative applications
- Geometric photo mosaics and patterned cutouts.
- Round or diamond grids over another layer in the desktop studio.
Starting workflow
- Choose a subject with enough contrast to remain readable through gaps.
- Set Pixel size, then compare Square, Round, and Diamond without changing the cell spacing.
- Raise Gap to reveal more transparent space. Inspect the exported PNG against both light and dark backgrounds.
- Place Pixel Art before Pixel Tiles at a matching Pixel size for a shaped, limited-palette grid.
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
- Shape
Choose the tile silhouette. Round and Diamond leave corner gaps even when Gap is zero.
Default: Square · Choices: Square, Round, Diamond
- Gap
Inset each tile within its cell. The percentage removes that fraction of its full width; the grid spacing stays fixed.
Default: 12% · Range: 0% to 80%
- 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 size 12 with Color 32, followed by Pixel Tiles size 12, Round, Gap 12%.
- Use Square and Gap 0% for a solid sampled grid before judging the other shapes.
Limitations
- Tile size does not vary with brightness; this is not a halftone screen.
- At tiny pixel sizes, a narrow shape may occupy very few output pixels or disappear.
- Choose PNG to retain gaps; an opaque export background fills transparency.
- 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.
