IMG · Images tools

Posterize Effect

Flat color bands

Posterization reduces smooth gradients into hard steps. Upload a photo, choose the number of color levels, and preview the posterize effect online. The tool maps each RGB channel into distinct color bands, creating a flat, graphic look.

Level limits

The color levels run from 2 to 32. At 2, the image snaps into stark, high-contrast chunks ideal for a stencil or comic-book style. Values between 4 and 8 create the classic posterize image filter look. Values closer to 32 retain more of the original shading while still flattening the image colors slightly.

Source images

Photos with soft light changes show broad, visible bands after posterizing. Flat graphics, screenshots, or vector-style artwork tolerate lower level counts better because they already lack natural gradients. If a photo has heavy compression noise, a low color level setting might amplify that noise into harsh speckles.

Format support

The browser processes the image locally without uploading it. The posterize tool online reads the pixel data and snaps the red, green, and blue values into the selected buckets. The alpha channel remains untouched. You can posterize images in JPEG, PNG, or WebP, and the full-resolution download keeps the original format.

Frequently Asked Questions

JPEG, PNG, and WebP. The download keeps the same file type as the original image.

No.

Color Levels control how many steps each RGB channel can use. `2` creates the strongest banding; `32` keeps more of the original shading.

Yes. The effect changes RGB values and leaves the alpha channel alone, so transparent PNG and WebP pixels stay transparent.

Posterization reduces nearby tones into hard steps. Fine noise and texture can become visible bands or speckles, especially at low level counts.

No. This page processes one image at a time.

Yes. After the page loads, the posterize pass can run without a network connection.

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