Color Quantization
Reduce color palette while maintaining quality. Optimize sprites for retro games and indexed color modes.
Colors
No shortcutAdvanced10 min readQuick Reference
Color Quantization
AsepriteKeyboard Shortcut
N/A
Toolbar Location
Aseprite toolbar — Color tools (Eyedropper)
Best Used For
- ▸Sample and match colors from existing pixels
- ▸Build and manage color palettes for consistency
- ▸Quickly pick colors while drawing without switching tools
Advanced⏱ 1–2 hours to master
Key Settings
Convert to indexed:Adaptive palette:Manual palette:Dithering:
Color Quantization reduces the number of colors in your sprite to a specific palette size. It is essential for retro game development where color counts are limited by hardware constraints.
Where to Find It
Sprite > Color Mode > Indexed, then configure the number of colors. Or use the Palette panel to manage colors manually.
How to Use
- Convert to indexed: Sprite > Color Mode > Indexed. Choose 16, 32, 64, or 256 colors.
- Adaptive palette: Let Aseprite generate an optimal palette for your sprite.
- Manual palette: Create a custom palette and map colors manually.
- Dithering: Enable dithering for smoother color transitions with fewer colors.
Pro Tips
- For retro consoles, use specific color limits: NES (54 colors), Game Boy (4 shades), Mega Drive (64 colors).
- Test your sprite at lower color counts to see how it looks in retro style.