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Ref2Pixel
Ref2Pixel is an automated pixel-art editor for Windows. Import photos/references, create sprites, tilesets and animations—everything in one seamless workflow with batch export. Perfect for artists and teams who want to save time.

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Features
Steam is learning about this software 
Requires agreement to a 3rd-party EULA
Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔
German ✔

Early Access Software

Get involved with this software as it develops.

Note: This Early Access software is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to use this software in its current state, then you should wait to see if it progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Ref2Pixel is evolving quickly. Early Access lets us ship a usable, production-ready pixel-art tool now while we openly iterate on larger features—such as automated character animation and character generation from reference images—guided by real feedback from artists and teams.”

Approximately how long will this software be in Early Access?

“About 6–12 months (estimate). We’ll leave Early Access when the planned features are stable and well-tested.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“Planned for 1.0 (subject to change):
Automated character animation & character generation from references
Expanded export presets (sprite sheets + atlas/JSON for common engines)
Deeper batch pipelines and preset management
Additional palette/quality tools (dithering, cleanup, anti-banding)
UI/UX polish, performance improvements, documentation & tutorials”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Usable and stable for daily work:
Photo/Reference → Pixel Art (scaling, alignment, palette lock, dithering/posterize)
Sprites, tilesets, atlases with an intelligent tileset system; save/load prefabs
Animation: timeline, onion skin, auto-frames, FX (e.g., wind/rotate/spiral), GIF/APNG preview
Batch export: PNG, GIF/APNG, sprite sheets + optional JSON/atlas
Palettes: save/load, generate from canvas, harmonic/random palettes
Projects: thumbnails, folder-based structure, Undo/Redo, HiDPI UI, EN/DE interface
Some advanced automations and export presets are still in development.”

Will this software be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Likely lower during Early Access. We plan a modest price increase for 1.0 to reflect the added features.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Steam Discussions for bug reports, requests, and feedback
Regular changelogs and roadmap updates in the Community Hub
Opt-in beta branches to test new features early”
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This game is not yet available on Steam

Planned Release Date: Nov 24, 2025

This application will unlock in approximately 2 days

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About This Software

Ref2Pixel automates your entire pixel art workflow – from reference import to animation and export.
You focus on creativity, Ref2Pixel handles the repetitive tasks.

Core Features

  • Photo/Reference → Pixel Art: scaling, alignment, palette lock, dithering, edge cleanup

  • Sprites & Animations: timeline, onion-skin, frame duplication, GIF/APNG preview

  • Tilesets & Atlases: sheet-synced generation, atlas packing, grid control

  • Batch Export: one-click output for PNG, GIF/APNG, sprite sheets + optional JSON/atlas

  • Project Automation: creation, renaming, thumbnails, folder-based structure

  • Palette Tools: import/export (e.g. HEX), quantization, color ramps

Why Ref2Pixel?

  • Saves time through automation and reusable presets

  • Ensures consistent results for teams and solo artists

  • Easy export for popular engines and workflows

Technical Details

  • Engine: Flutter (64-bit Windows)

  • UI: English / German; HiDPI-ready

  • Export & File Paths: fully configurable

Who It’s For

Pixel artists, indie studios, retro graphic designers, game devs, and creators who want professional sprites, tilesets, and animations without micro-management.

⚙️ AI Content Clarification

Ref2Pixel itself does not use any generative AI.
The software runs entirely offline using deterministic, algorithmic processing.
Input reference images may include AI-generated material, but the resulting pixel art is created by the program’s own algorithms, not by AI.
Any AI usage applies only to user-provided references or marketing visuals, not to the software or its outputs.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

Some reference images were originally AI-generated.
The final pixel art was manually created, edited, and upscaled using Ref2Pixel.
No AI-generated assets are directly included in the product.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS:
    • Processor:
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Graphics:
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Storage: 100 MB available space
    • Sound Card:
    • Additional Notes:
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
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