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Pixel Art Outline Generator

Add a clean outline to any sprite, on whole pixels. Pick the color, thickness and corner style, then download the PNG. Nothing gets uploaded.

Outline generator

How to add an outline to pixel art

  1. 01

    Drop your sprite

    Any PNG with a transparent background. A sprite on a flat color works too, the tool can clear it first.

  2. 02

    Pick the style

    Color, thickness, rounded or square corners, outside or inside. The preview updates as you go.

  3. 03

    Download the PNG

    The outline is drawn on whole pixels, so it lines up with the sprite at any zoom.

Pixel art outline styles

The same 32 pixel mushroom with each style, on a grass-green game background. All of them come out of the tool above.

No outlineSofter and more painterly. Works when the sprite contrasts well with the game background.
Dark outlineThe classic look. The sprite reads on any background, even at 16 pixels.
Tinted outlineEach outline pixel is a dark shade of the color next to it. Close to the selective outlining pixel artists do by hand.
Square cornersFills the diagonal corners too, for a heavier, blockier outline.
Inside outlineRecolors the sprite's own edge pixels, so the size stays the same. Handy for tiles and sheets on a fixed grid.

Fix a broken outline

Sometimes the sprite already has an outline, but it has holes in it. That usually happens when the background gets removed, because the dark outline sits right where sprite and background meet and some of its pixels get cut away.

Drawing a new outline on top would double it. SpriteCook's Smart outline repair puts back only the missing pixels, in the outline's own color. It runs by default when you remove the background from a pixel art sprite or animation, and the pixel editor has it as Smart repair in the Outline dialog.

How Smart outline repair worksPixel art background remover
Pixel art coin stack with stretches of its dark outline missing on the left and bottom, and a light rim on one side
Background removal took a long stretch of the outline on the left and bottom, and left a light rim on one side.

More free pixel art tools

Pixel art background remover

Clear a flat background on whole pixels, or use the API for batches.

AI pixel art fixer

Snap blurry, upscaled AI pixel art back to its real pixel grid.

Sprite sheet slicer

Split a sheet into frames, or pack a GIF into one PNG sheet.

AI pixel art generator

Make sprites with a clean outline and a transparent background.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add an outline to pixel art?+
Drop a sprite with a transparent background into the tool above, pick a color, thickness and corner style, and download the PNG. The outline is drawn on whole pixels, so it lines up with the rest of the sprite.
What color should a pixel art outline be?+
A very dark color from your palette usually looks better than pure black, because it sits closer to the sprite's own colors. The Tinted option makes each outline pixel a dark shade of the color next to it, a lot like the selective outlining pixel artists do by hand.
Should pixel art have an outline?+
Outlines help small sprites read against busy backgrounds, which is why most characters, enemies and items have one. Tiles and backgrounds often skip it so the sprites on top stand out. If your sprite already contrasts well with the game background, no outline is a fine choice too.
Should the outline be 1 pixel or thicker?+
1 pixel suits sprites shown at their real size, from about 16 to 64 pixels. Thicker outlines are for things shown large, like stickers, UI badges and icons.
What is the difference between rounded and square corners?+
Rounded leaves the diagonal corner pixels empty, which gives the softer outline most pixel art uses. Square fills those corners too, for a heavier, blockier look.
Can I outline a whole sprite sheet?+
Yes. Frames on a sheet are separated by transparent pixels, so each one gets its own outline. Turn off Expand canvas so the sheet keeps its grid, and leave as much space around each frame as the outline is thick.
How do I fix gaps in an outline after removing the background?+
Background removal can cut pixels out of a dark outline. In SpriteCook, Smart outline repair runs by default when you remove the background from a pixel art sprite or animation, and the pixel editor has a Smart repair mode in its Outline dialog for sprites you already have. Both put the missing pixels back in the outline's own color.
Does it work on an image that still has a background?+
The outline needs transparency to know where the sprite ends. If your image is on a flat background, the tool offers to remove it first. For harder backgrounds, use the pixel art background remover.
Is it free, and are my images uploaded?+
It's free with no signup, and it runs in your browser. Your image never leaves your device.