Burkes dithering online
Dither images with the Burkes algorithm — a fast, two-row simplification of Stucki. Free, private, runs entirely in your browser.
About Burkes dithering
Daniel Burkes proposed this variant in 1988 by dropping the third row of the Stucki kernel. Seven neighbours share the error, with a divisor of 32 for easy integer math.
Burkes is noticeably faster than Stucki or Jarvis while keeping most of their smoothness, making it a good choice for large images or quick iteration.
Diffusion kernel
* 8 4 2 4 8 4 2 (÷32)
“*” marks the current pixel; numbers show how much of its quantization error each neighbour receives.
Best for
- Large images
- Fast previews
- Clean pixel art
How to dither an image
- Add your image. Click Upload image, drag a file onto the preview, or paste with Ctrl/⌘+V. JPG, PNG, WebP and GIF work.
- Pick an algorithm and palette. Error diffusion (Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson…) for photos, Bayer for a retro crosshatch.
- Tune it. Raise pixel size for chunkier pixels; adjust brightness and contrast to control which tones become dark or light.
- Download. Export a lossless PNG at up to 8× with crisp nearest-neighbour scaling.
FAQ
What is Burkes dithering?
Daniel Burkes proposed this variant in 1988 by dropping the third row of the Stucki kernel. Seven neighbours share the error, with a divisor of 32 for easy integer math.
When should I use Burkes?
Burkes works best for: large images, fast previews, clean pixel art.
Is DitherImage free?
Yes. DitherImage is completely free with no sign-up, no watermark and no usage limits.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. All processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript and the Canvas API. Your images never leave your device.