Pixel Art Size Reference

Canvas sizes for pixel art at a glance: what 8×8 through 128×128 are each good for, with color budgets and typical use cases.

Canvas sizes

Canvas	Best for	Color budget
8×8	Tiny icons, bullets, cursors	2–4
16×16	Pickups, items, small characters	3–6
32×32	Standard characters, detailed items	6–12
48×48	Detailed characters, mid bosses	8–16
64×64	Hero characters, portraits	12–24
128×128	Illustration pieces, splash art	24–32

Display scale should be an integer (1×, 2×, 3×…) of the draw size.

Doubling both dimensions quadruples the pixel work — pick the smallest readable size.

Next step

Pick a size and start drawing — the editor presets cover every canvas above.

How to choose a pixel art canvas size: what 8×8, 16×16, 32×32, 64×64 and 128×128 are each good for, and how resolution shapes the whole workflow.

A direct comparison of 8×8, 16×16 and 32×32 pixel art: what fits at each size, side-by-side character examples, and when to use each.

Canvas sizes for pixel art at a glance: what 8×8 through 128×128 are each good for, with color budgets and typical use cases.

Canvas	Best for	Color budget
8×8	Tiny icons, bullets, cursors	2–4
16×16	Pickups, items, small characters	3–6
32×32	Standard characters, detailed items	6–12
48×48	Detailed characters, mid bosses	8–16
64×64	Hero characters, portraits	12–24
128×128	Illustration pieces, splash art	24–32