Pixel art has been around for a longer period. It continues to be a popular art style for games, illustrations, and animations. Creating pixel art can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it requires the right software tools. Whether creating a retro-style game, animating a character for an indie film, or developing pixel art as a hobby, dedicated software for pixel art provides essential tools for your projects. Such software gives you a pixelated canvas, sprite animation features, colour tools optimized for palette-based palettes, and import/export options for common pixel art file formats.

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Introduction

Pixel art is a digital art style that uses small, square pixels to create images. It’s commonly used in video games, illustrations, and animations. To create pixel art, you need the right software tools. Many software options are available, but not all are created equal. In this article, we’ll explore the best software for pixel art.

What is Pixel Art?

Pixel art is a digital art style that uses small, square pixels to create images. It’s often associated with retro video games and has a distinct aesthetic. Pixel art can be created by hand, pixel by pixel, or with the help of software tools. Pixel art is still popular today and used in various media, including games, illustrations, and animations.

Benefits of Pixel Art

Pixel art has several benefits, making it a popular choice for game developers, artists, and animators. These benefits include:

• Unique Aesthetic: Pixel art has a unique and recognizable aesthetic that differentiates it from other digital art styles. It’s often associated with retro video editor games, but it can also be used in many other contexts.
• Low File Size: Pixel art images have a smaller file size than other digital art styles. It makes them ideal for use in games and animations where file size can be a limiting factor.
• Easy to Create: Creating pixel art can be simple and straightforward. With the right software tools, anyone can create pixel art, even if they don’t have experience with traditional art techniques.
• Flexible: Pixel art can be scaled up or down without losing quality, making it a flexible choice for game developers and animators.

Factors to Consider when Choosing Pixel Art Software

When choosing pixel art software, there are several factors to consider. These factors include:

• Price: Pixel art software can range from free to several hundred dollars. Consider your budget when choosing software.
• Features: Look for software with the features you need to create the pixel art you want. It may include layers, animation tools, and colour palettes.
• User-Friendliness: Choose software that is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface.
• Compatibility: Make sure your chosen software is compatible with your computer’s operating system.

Top 10 Pixel Art Software

Aseprite 

Aseprite is widely considered the industry standard for pixel art software. It has an intuitive and polished interface, supports multilayered files, offers palette management right inside the canvas, and has animation and tweening features to create smooth sprite animations. 

Key highlights

1. A vast array of drawing tools, including brushes, pencils, inks, erasers, and clone stamps.
2. You can edit, replace and remap palettes on the fly.
3. Work with layers, mask layers, transformation layers, and frame-by-frame animation – all of which can be named, locked, and grouped.
4. You can Import GIMP XCF files, Photoshop PSD files, PNG and JPG images, and export to PNG and JPG sequences.
5. Use keyframes, interpolation, easing functions, loops, and more to create smooth animations.
6. Get early access to features and tools still in development. 
7. Try Aseprite risk-free with a fully functional 30-day trial. After the trial, a one-time license fee applies.

Pros

• User-friendly interface.
• Lots of features.
• Built-in pixel-perfect mode.

Cons

• Expensive compared to some other software options.
• Ca’t save files with a trial version.

GIMP

GIMP, Free and open-source software for pixel art released under the GNU General Public License. Many brushes can be customized for spacing, scatter, angle, size, and more.

Key highlights

1. Restore your work even after closing and re-opening files.
2. Unlimited colour management includes colour spaces, colour profiles, colour pickers, colour themes, gradient editor, hue/saturation, and colour replacement tools. 
3. Create smooth animations frame-by-frame.
4. Import/export options include PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, PPM, Cineon, TIFF, OpenEXR, PDF, PostScript, and more.
5. Automate repetitive tasks and customize the interface to your needs using the powerful script-fu language.
6. Cross-platform support for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Use the software on whatever operating systems you work with.

Pros

• It can be downloaded and used without any cost.
• Customized to fit the user’s preferences and workflow.

Cons:

•  Limited support for CMYK colour spaces.
• Does not natively support RAW image files.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop has rich pixel-level photo, video editing tools, including brushes, brush variants, pens, markers, erasers, clone stamps, patch tools, content-aware fill, etc.

Key Highlights

1. Restore edits even after closing and re-opening files.
2. Completely transform colours or precisely colour match.
3. Robust animation features include animation panels, presets, onion skinning, shape animation, keyframes, motion paths, interpolation, etc. 
4. Unmatched filters and effects include motion blur, radial blur, mosaic, lattice, distort, twirl, swim, etc. 
5. 3D features include extruding, beveling, pivoting, lighting, materials, 360 image browsing, VR integration, and more. 
6. Automate repetitive tasks and modify the interface to suit your needs.
7. Use one software instalment across both Windows and Mac.

Pros

• A comprehensive range of tools and features.
• Has a large and active community of users.

Cons

• Premium software with a high price tag.

Pro Motion NG

Pro Motion NG ( cosmigo ) is an open-source 2D animation software for pixel art with features tailored for frame-by-frame animation, tweening, and keyframing. Specifically designed for animators and sprite/pixel artists.

 Key highlights

1. Easily combine, nest, name, lock, blend modes, and transform layers and groups.
2. Store and reuse animation data through vertex transformations (VT) and expressions. 
3. Animate in any order and control animation playback using NLA tracks.
4. Automate repetitive tasks and integrate with third-party plugins.
5. Influence the software roadmap by providing feedback and suggestions.
6. It can function as a basic digital painting tool. Create and import brushes.
7. View previous and next frames as transparencies over the current frame. Easily align animation.

Pros

• Support for tilesets and animations.
• Allowing users to create a workspace that suits their needs and preferences.

Cons

• Has a smaller user community.
• Limited compatibility with other software.

GraphicsGale 

GraphicsGale is an affordable 2D animation and sprite editing software for pixel art designed specifically for animators and pixel/sprite artists. Helps to enhance the animation/sprite editing experience over time. Provide feedback to influence the roadmap.

 Key highlights

1. Set keyframes anywhere along your animation and precisely control timing.
2. View previous and next keyframes over the current frame. Easily align animation.
3. Animate in any order and control playback using NLA tracks. Get creative with non-linear storytelling.
4. Deformation tools include twist, bend, multi-plane, ripple, and shape. Deform animation in new ways for unique squash/stretch, folding, and morphing effects.
5. Enhance animations and sprites using Photoshop-like layer features.
6. Automatically create smooth interpolation/easing between keyframes for visually appealing motion. Save time and encourage experimentation.
7. Bring animations to life with parallax particles, emitters, physics, and rendering filters.

Pros

• Lightweight software makes it fast and efficient.
• The free version offers most of the basic features for pixel art creation.

Cons

• A User interface may look outdated.
• Limited feature set compared to other digital art software.

Adobe Illustrator 

Adobe Illustrator, Popular professional vector graphics editor used by designers, illustrators, animators, and more. Part of the Creative Cloud suite of Adobe design tools. 

Key Highlights

1. Powerful shaping tools Create and modify any shape with pixel-level control and precision.
2. See and edit the radius of rounded corners in real-time. Perfect curves and shapes easily.
3. Apply a wide range of strokes, fills, gradients, brushes, layer styles, real brushes, pattern brushes, etc., for creative effects. 
4. Add shadows, highlights, blurs, distortions, textures, and more using layer styles, blend modes, or filters.
5. Animate objects smoothly along a path or use shape animation. Create buttons, page transitions, slideshows, etc. Bring designs to life!
6. A large collection of third-party tools: Additional brushes, typefaces, shapes, scripts, tutorials, and more can be found within the ecosystem.
7. New features and enhancements provide continual improvements to ease of use and creativity.

Pros

• A vast range of design tools.
• Industry standard for graphic design.
• Resizable, with no loss in quality.

Cons

• Large files can be demanding.
• Not ideal for ske

Pyxel Edit

Pyxel Edit is a dedicated pixel art software editor designed for animators, game developers, and pixel artists. Specifically tailored to pixel art workflows. Unlimited pixel colour palettes with on-screen management. Precisely control colors within your palettes.

Key Highlights

1. Achieve subtle gradients and a wider range of colours with 32-bit, or optimize file sizes with 16-bit.
2. Advanced brush system including airbrush, pencil, eraser, and clone brushes. Customize spacing, scatter, size, alpha, etc., for brushes. Pixel-level precision.
3. Preserve edits even after closing and re-opening files.
4. Create smooth animation transitions between keyframes at the pixel level.
5. Affordable pricing with personal and commercial versions available. Commercial licensing offers team-wide installation, commercial projects, and priority support.

Pros

• Easy to learn.
• Easy palette creation and management.
• Built-in tool for detecting tile collisions.
• One-time purchase cost is low.

Cons

• A smaller community for support and resources.
• Only supports pixel-based art.
• Not designed for 3D modelling.
• Only supports PNG and GIF file formats.

Pixaki 

Pixaki Free, open-source pixel art editor released under the MIT license. No licensing fees. Dedicated pixel art editor tailored for animators, game developers, pixel artists, and more. 

Key Highlights

1. Easily nest name, lock, blend modes, and transform different elements. 
2. Choose colour depth based on your project’s file size vs. colour accuracy needs.
3. Frame stepper and playback for reviewing animation. Ensure animation achieves the desired effect before finalizing.
4. Multiple pixel art-themed themes include classic pixel art palettes, 8-bit, Gameboy, SNES, etc. 
5. Help shape the future of Pixaki by providing feedback and suggestions on improving the pixel art editing experience.
6. The community benefits from lower barriers to entry, transparency, and customization. 

Pros

• Built specifically for iPad and iPhone.
• Easy palette creation and management.

Cons

• Fewer features than other software.
• Not available for Android or desktop.
• Limited font management capabilities.
• No text warp or transform features.

Krita

Krita, free and open source digital painting software, a Rich set of brushes including blurred, shaped, calligraphy, watercolor, and more. Brush engines provide responsive brush behavior. 

Key Highlights

1. Unlimited layers, layer groups, masks, vector shapes, and path shapes.
2. Non-linear animation features include keyframes, easing, shape animation, position/scale/rotation animation, animation graph editor, etc. 
3. Make creative editions or adjust the tone with filters.
4. Use pressure-sensitive tablets for greater control and expression.
5. Tight integration with other open-source software for pixel art, including Scribus (page layout), Digikam (photo management), Blender (3D creation), etc. Use resources across applications.
6. Access comes at no cost, and transparency permits learning how the software and community work together.

Pros

• Powerful and versatile brush engine.
• Advanced layer masking capabilities.
• High dynamic range painting capabilities.
• Apply and modify filters without losing data.

Cons

• Large files and complex brushes may slow down the program.
• Basic text tools with limited options.
• No dedicated perspective grid or tool.

Pixie 

Pixie Dedicated pixel art software editor designed for animators, game developers, and pixel artists tailored to pixel art workflows. Precisely control colors within your palettes. Achieve subtle gradients and a wider range of colors with 32-bit, or optimize file sizes with 16-bit.

Key Highlights

1. Unlimited pixel colour palettes with on-screen management.
2. Easily combine, nest, name, lock and transform different elements. Organize large or complex pixel art.
3. Create smooth animation transitions between keyframes at the pixel level.
4. Combine multiple sprites and frames into a single file for animation reuse. 
5. Helpful community with forums, wiki, patch reviews, and other resources for getting started or finding solutions.

Pros

• Low-cost or free software options are available.
• Choose any resolution for your artwork.
• Minimal setup and fast production.

Cons

• Not ideal for creating highly detailed artwork.
• It may not support popular file types.

In conclusion, numerous software options are available for creating pixel art, each with unique features, strengths, and weaknesses. Aseprite and Adobe Photoshop are powerful and versatile programs that offer a wide range of tools and capabilities but can be costly and overwhelming for beginners. GIMP and GraphicsGale are free and user-friendly options with various helpful features. Still, they may lack some advanced tools and functionalities.

While Pro Motion NG, Pixaki, Krita, and Pixie are all powerful and affordable options with unique features tailored specifically for pixel art creation. Ultimately, the best software for pixel art will depend on the specific needs and preferences of the user. It is recommended to try multiple options and determine which software works best for the individual’s workflow and project requirements.

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