Best programs for making pixel art and spritesheets.

[Jiggykoopbob]

Hi!
I don't know a good place to post this, but here's my question.

What are the most recommendable software to make pixel art and organising the sprites into spritesheets for game in general that use pixel art graphics?

I asked this because i am just curious. Thanks in advance.

 

[JoePal]

Hello! Typically, it comes down to what program you feel most comfortable with. There are a lot of options out there and you'll find playing around with a few will help you see which feels most natural for your own process. I use GIMP personally, but it takes a little bit of getting used to if you've never worked with a program like Photoshop before.

Edit: Also, I'd suggest starting with free options or trials before you buy anything. My other tip is to think about how involved you want to get in the process. Some program are made to be easy and specifically for arranging/editing sprites, but might limit you in other ways. Using something with more potential like Photoshop/GIMP/etc. will give you a lot of control but will require more commitment on your end.

 

[TheGentlemanLoser]

it's fairly barebones (though supported by a robust arsenal of plugins) but in this regard, paint.NET absolutely changed my life for the better, no doubt about it

 

[sawworm]

For me Aseprite is the best pixel art program, its UI is similar to Photoshop. Pretty easy to use.

 

[BK-tdm]

it's fairly barebones (though supported by a robust arsenal of plugins) but in this regard, paint.NET absolutely changed my life for the better, no doubt about it

Paint.NET user here, can confirm if you know how, it works.

All boils down to which one you feel most comfortable with.

 

[Kay_Erthisia]

For me Aseprite is the best pixel art program

I second Aseprite! Use it for absolutely all my pixel art. Plenty of YT tutorials on how to use it well, too. Once you get used to the UI, making more complex pixel art has never felt more intuitive and easy

Perhaps not as good at making tilesets, but the grid functionalities and layers are enough for me to cobble together my own. Particularly since RPG maker doesn't exactly have the most complicated tileset setups!

 

[Holder]

I use Aseprite now. However if you're wanting a free option which is very similar and something I used to use all the time, then Graphics Gale is perfect.
Easy to set up grids and frames to test animations and such alike.

 

[PoptartPresident]

Piskel is pretty great too! Recently it is getting downgraded to where it no longer has a saved account, but the main site will still have the tools for you to use anytime. Like a quickie.
Been using for years though!

It even has a downloadable version like an App/desktop usage. So that's a big plus : )

Piskel - Free online sprite editor

Piskel, free online sprite editor. A simple web-based tool for Spriting and Pixel art. Create pixel art, game sprites and animated GIFs. Free and open-source.

www.piskelapp.com

 

[Avery]

Graphicsgale is my program of choice, mixed with Gimp for some recoloring/transparency things :3

 

[Iron_Brew]

I've used paint.net since about 2012, and it's phenomenal for spriting!

 

[Shaz]

I've moved this thread to Useful Development Tools. Thank you.