Posterize Effect

Posterize Levels (lower = more graphic)
8 levels → up to 512 colorsFewer levels produce a flat, poster-style look.

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Workflow & Usage

  1. Add images
    Drag & drop, paste, or click to upload JPEG/PNG/WebP files.
    Previews load instantly and reflect EXIF orientation.

  2. Set global posterization
    Use the Levels slider (2–32) to control how flat or detailed the effect looks.

    • Lower levels: strong, graphic poster look
    • Higher levels: subtle, soft transitions
  3. Fine-tune individual images
    Click Edit on any card to adjust its Levels offset.
    The modal shows a large preview and updates in real time.

  4. Select what to export
    Toggle Include in ZIP on each item, or remove images you don’t need.

  5. Export

    • Download a single image
    • Download all as ZIP
      Output files keep their original format and clear names like:
      photo-posterize-8levels.jpg

All processing stays local and private. No uploads, no tracking.


Use Cases

  • Poster-style graphics
    Turn photos into bold, print-style visuals for banners, thumbnails, or editorial design.

  • Comic-book & pop-art looks
    Reduce color complexity for stylized, illustration-like results.

  • Social media content
    Create eye-catching variations of existing images with just a slider.

  • Branding
    Use mid-level posterization to create a cohesive visual theme.

  • Educational graphics
    Simplify visuals for presentations or teaching materials.


Tips for Best Results

  • Lower levels create drama.
    Try 4–8 levels for the strongest poster-style look.

  • Avoid tiny images.
    Posterization works best on medium to high-resolution photos.

  • Combine with other tools.
    After posterizing, you can use:

  • Use per-image edits for consistency.
    Some images respond stronger than others — the Edit modal helps normalize your set.


How It Works

  • Pixel-level processing
    The tool draws your image on a Canvas, reads raw pixel data via getImageData, and remaps colors into a smaller number of discrete steps.

  • Levels-based quantization
    Posterization divides the 0–255 color range into N evenly spaced buckets.
    Example for 8 levels:

    • Colors are snapped to the nearest of 8 possible values
    • Smooth gradients become bold geometric bands
  • Full-resolution export
    The same algorithm is applied to your original image dimensions when exporting.

  • EXIF-aware loading
    Images are decoded with orientation preserved using createImageBitmap({ imageOrientation: 'from-image' }).

  • Privacy by design
    No servers involved. Everything runs in your browser, offline-ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

JPEG, PNG, and WebP. Exports keep the original format and file extension.

It reduces the number of color levels in an image. Instead of smooth gradients, you get bold, graphic bands of color — similar to print posters or comic art.

Yes. Use the global Levels slider (2–32), then fine-tune each image individually in Edit mode.

No. Everything runs entirely in your browser. Your images never leave your device.

Yes. Once loaded (or installed as a PWA), the tool works offline because all processing is on-device.

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