About pixel-art-mcp
pixel-art-mcp is a local MCP server for turning images into pixel art and preparing sprite palettes. It is for artists and assistants that need image conversion, recoloring, or crisp enlargement without API keys or native dependencies.
Key features
- 01Convert images to pixel art
- 02Extract palettes as hex and GPL
- 03Remap sprites to built-in or custom palettes
- 04Upscale with nearest-neighbour scaling
- 05List built-in palettes
Use cases
- 01Convert a photo into a PICO-8-style sprite
- 02Extract a palette from a screenshot
- 03Recolor sprites for Game Boy colors
- 04Enlarge a sprite for a store page
MCP support
Exposes image conversion, palette extraction and remapping, upscaling, and palette listing as tools for MCP clients. It runs locally and accepts PNG or JPEG files and image URLs.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://mcp.simplepixelart.com/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http comficker-pixel-art https://mcp.simplepixelart.com/mcp{"mcpServers":{"comficker-pixel-art":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.simplepixelart.com/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"comficker-pixel-art":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.simplepixelart.com/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"comficker-pixel-art":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.simplepixelart.com/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"comficker-pixel-art":{"serverUrl":"https://mcp.simplepixelart.com/mcp"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
Tools
5| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| input | string | Yes | Path or URL of a PNG or JPEG image |
| scale | integer | No | Upscale factor for the saved PNG, nearest neighbour (e.g. 8 for a crisp preview) |
| width | integer | No | Width of the pixel grid in pixels (height keeps the aspect ratio) |
| colors | integer | No | Number of colours when no palette is given |
| output | string | No | Where to save the PNG (defaults next to the input) |
| palette | string | No | Palette name (pico-8, sweetie-16, endesga-32, game-boy, 1-bit) or hex colours like "#1a1c2c,#5d275d" |
Details
From the project READMEsimplepixelart-mcp
An MCP server that gives AI assistants (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code…) real pixel art tools: turn any image into pixel art, extract a palette, recolour sprites to PICO-8 or Game Boy colours, and upscale without blur.
Runs locally, works on PNG and JPEG files or image URLs, no API keys, no native dependencies.
Tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
pixelate_image | Image → pixel art. Shrinks to a pixel grid (e.g. 64 px wide), reduces to N colours with median cut or maps to a named palette, saves a PNG (optionally upscaled for preview). |
extract_palette | Pulls the main colours out of an image and returns hex codes plus a GIMP / Aseprite .gpl palette. |
remap_palette | Recolours existing pixel art so every pixel uses a palette colour — PICO-8, Sweetie 16, ENDESGA 32, Game Boy, 1-bit or your own hex list. |
upscale_pixel_art | Nearest-neighbour upscale by a whole number, so pixels stay sharp. |
list_palettes | Lists the built-in palettes. |
Install
Add it to your MCP client config. For Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json), Cursor (.cursor/mcp.json) and most other clients:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pixel-art": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "simplepixelart-mcp"]
}
}
}
Claude Code:
claude mcp add pixel-art -- npx -y simplepixelart-mcp
Requires Node.js 18 or newer.
Examples
Ask your assistant things like:
- "Turn
~/photos/cat.jpginto 48 px wide pixel art with the PICO-8 palette, and save an 8x preview." - "Extract a 6-colour palette from this screenshot and give me the .gpl file."
- "Recolour every sprite in
assets/to the Game Boy palette." - "Upscale
hero.png10x for the store page."
Use it as a library
import { loadImage, pixelate, saveImage } from 'simplepixelart-mcp/src/pixel.js'
const img = await loadImage('photo.jpg')
const { display, palette } = pixelate(img, { width: 64, palette: 'sweetie-16', scale: 8 })
await saveImage(display, 'photo-pixel.png')
Want to edit the result?
The tools get you a clean starting grid; the fun part is fixing it by hand. Open the PNG in SimplePixelArt, a free online pixel art editor with layers, animation and tileset tools, or try its in-browser pixel art converter for live adjustments. No account needed.
Development
npm install
npm test # starts the server over stdio and calls every tool
License
MIT © Comficker
Comments
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