To make a pixel art sticker from a photo, convert the photo to pixel art on a coarse grid, remove the background so it becomes transparent, add a thick die-cut border around the subject, and export it as a PNG. The transparency lets it sit on any chat bubble or background, and the border gives it the peel-off sticker look. The whole thing takes a couple of minutes if you start with the right photo.
What makes a good pixel art sticker? #
Stickers are small, sit on busy backgrounds, and get glanced at rather than studied. The best ones have:
- One subject. A face, a pet, a mug, a plant. Not a group shot.
- A strong silhouette. You should recognize it from its outline alone.
- A coarse grid. Around 20 to 45 cells across. Chunky pixels read better at sticker size.
- Few colors. Flat, bold color beats subtle shading.
- A border. A white or dark outline separates the sticker from whatever is behind it.
Step 1: Pick a photo with a plain background #
Automatic background removal in pixel converters is simple compared with AI cut-out tools, so the photo does most of the work. Shoot your subject against a plain background that contrasts with it:
- A dark cat on a white sheet, not on a dark sofa.
- A person against a bare wall, not a bookshelf.
- A mug on a single-color table, photographed from slightly above.
Keep the background visible in all four corners of the frame. Many simple cut-out tools, including the one in Pixelize, use the corners to decide what “background” looks like.
Step 2: Convert on a coarse grid #
Use a larger pixel size than you would for a portrait. In Pixelize, where photos are processed on a 720-pixel-wide copy, 16px gives 45 cells across and 24px gives 30. Pick a palette with strong colors, such as PICO-8, Sweetie 16 or Neon, and try dithering on None for flat, sticker-like color areas. If you haven’t converted a photo before, how to turn a photo into pixel art covers each setting.
Step 3: Cut out the background #
In Pixelize, go to the FX tab and turn on Cut out background. It works on the pixel grid before the palette is applied:
- It averages the colors in the four corners to decide what the background color is.
- It starts at every edge of the image and removes connected cells that are close to that color.
- What’s left is your subject on a transparent background.
The Cut-out strength slider controls how close a color has to be to count as background.
- Too low: a ring of leftover background (a “halo”) stays around your subject. Raise the strength.
- Too high: the removal eats into parts of the subject that are similar in color, like white fur on a white sheet. Lower the strength, or reshoot on a more contrasting background.
One limitation to know about: because the removal spreads inward from the edges, background enclosed by the subject, like the gap between an arm and a body, stays filled in. Pose your subject so the background can reach around it, or fix those gaps in a pixel editor afterward.
Step 4: Add a die-cut border #
Turn on Sticker border (it only works once the background is cut out). Pixelize grows a solid outline around your subject’s silhouette, cell by cell, so the border follows the pixel steps exactly. You can choose:
- Thickness: 1 to 6 cells.
- Color: white, near-black, pink, blue or yellow.
White is the classic vinyl-sticker look and works on dark chat themes. Near-black suits light backgrounds and a more “game sprite” feel. Two or three cells is a good starting thickness at 30 to 45 cells across.
Step 5: Add an outline (optional) #
The Outline effect darkens cells on strong edges inside the subject and along its edge. Combined with a white border, it gives the cartoonish, cel-shaded sticker look you see on sticker sheets.
Step 6: Export as a transparent PNG #
Choose an export size (S, M or XL, up to a 2160-pixel long edge) and tap Save, Share or Copy to clipboard. The file is a PNG with a transparent background. Don’t convert it to JPEG, which doesn’t support transparency and softens pixel edges.
How to use your pixel art stickers #
In chats and social apps #
Copy to clipboard and paste into a chat, or share straight to the app. Support for transparent images varies. Some apps show transparent areas as white or black, so send yourself a test first.
As a Telegram sticker pack #
Telegram’s sticker guidelines say static stickers must be PNG or WEBP, with one side exactly 512 pixels and the other side 512 pixels or less. They recommend a transparent background and a white stroke, which is exactly what the border step produces. You upload them through the @Stickers bot.
Pixel converter exports are usually larger than 512 pixels, so you’ll need to shrink the image. Use a tool that scales with nearest-neighbor, such as Lospec’s free Pixel Art Scaler, which runs in your browser. For perfectly even pixels, the grid should divide evenly into 512 (for example 32 cells at 16 pixels each). Otherwise a few rows will be one pixel wider than others, which you’ll only notice up close. Our guide on upscaling pixel art without blur explains why whole-number scaling matters.
WhatsApp and other sticker packs #
Other apps set their own size and file-format rules for sticker packs, and some need a separate sticker-pack app to import them. Check the platform’s own help pages for the current requirements.
Printed vinyl stickers #
Most print shops accept a transparent PNG and cut along the edge of the artwork, which is where the die-cut border helps. Export at the largest size (XL) so the print stays sharp. At 300 pixels per inch, a common print guideline, 2160 pixels is about 7.2 inches. Ask your printer what resolution and file format they want.
Troubleshooting #
- The background won’t go away. The background isn’t close enough to the corner colors. Raise the cut-out strength, or reshoot on a plainer background.
- Part of the subject disappeared. The subject shares colors with the background. Lower the strength or use a contrasting background.
- The border option is grayed out. Turn on Cut out background first.
- Edges look ragged. Use a larger pixel size, or turn dithering off.
Want the same look for your avatar? How to make a pixel art profile picture uses the same cut-out and border tools with a square crop.
Frequently asked questions #
What file format should a pixel art sticker be? #
PNG with a transparent background is the standard. Telegram also accepts WEBP for static stickers. Avoid JPEG, which has no transparency and blurs hard pixel edges.
What size should a sticker be? #
It depends on the platform. Telegram static stickers need one side exactly 512 pixels. For printing, export as large as possible and ask the printer for their minimum resolution.
How do I get rid of the halo around my sticker? #
A halo is leftover background that wasn’t close enough in color to be removed. Increase the cut-out strength a little, or photograph the subject against a plainer, more contrasting background.
Can I make pixel art stickers of my pet? #
Yes, and pets make great stickers. Photograph them against a plain, contrasting surface, keep the whole animal in frame with some background in every corner, and use a coarse grid so fur doesn’t turn into noise.