Chat assets
Discord and Twitch pixel sizes
Chat platforms care about exact pixel counts. A soft 512×512 PNG that looks fine in a folder will get crushed into a blurry emoji once Discord resizes it. Convert to the target grid first, then upload the small PNG.
Open the sprite converter. Leave dithering off. Turn on Drop the corner color when the backdrop is a flat studio color. Export small PNG. That file's width and height must match the size the platform asks for, or you'll upload blur.
Discord
Custom emoji: Discord accepts up to 256 KB and displays emoji around 32 CSS pixels, but the upload asset is commonly authored at 128×128. Set width to 128, Square on, colors 8 to 16. If the subject needs a transparent outside, keep corner drop on and check the checkerboard. Animated emoji is a different product (GIF/APNG rules change); this tool only makes still frames.
Server icon and profile avatar: Discord wants a square image; 128×128 or 256×256 both work as sources. For a pixel look, author at 64 or 128 and let Discord scale with nearest-friendly art (thick outlines). Don't upload the large preview PNG; that file is a zoomed view with optional grid lines.
Stickers and banners have larger limits and are closer to illustrations than sprites. If you still want a pixel sticker, 160×160 or 320×320 with a short palette is enough. Past that you're making a painting.
Twitch
Subscriber and bits emotes need three static sizes: 28×28, 56×56, and 112×112. Design at 112 with Square on, 8 colors, dithering off. Export small PNG at 112. Then make 56 and 28 by scaling the 112 file with nearest neighbor in any editor (or run the converter twice at those widths on the same source and paint until the outline matches). Uploading only 112 and hoping Twitch invents crisp 28s is how thin lines vanish.
Badge art is smaller still. Keep shapes readable at 18×18 if that's what the dashboard asks for. A face that worked at 112 won't survive 18 without becoming a blob. Redesign the 18 as a symbol, not a shrink.
Shared rules
Outline at least 2 pixels thick if the emote will sit in a chat line. One-pixel outlines disappear on phone chat. Cap colors early. Merge crumbs after conversion if speckles ate the shopping list energy you don't have for a chat emoji. Transparency: PNG only. The transparent sprites guide covers corner-drop mistakes.
The size ladder for games (16 / 32 / 64) is still useful as a thinking tool: sprite sizes. Discord 128 is just "64, but bigger." Twitch 28 is "16, but with a little more room." Small vs large export is this note.
Worked path for a Twitch emote: crop the subject tight, converter at 112, 8 colors, paint the outline, export small PNG, duplicate the project at 56 and 28, fix any broken eye, upload all three. Don't dither between sizes. You'll regret running a photo filter and calling the blur an emote.
If the brand already has a vector logo, rasterize it into the converter at the target width instead of photographing a sticker on a desk. Desk photos add shadows the palette will treat as extra colors. Flat source in, flat emoji out.
File size caps matter too. Discord emoji rejects heavy files; keep the small PNG under the listed KB limit by using few colors and no baked grid. Twitch emote upload forms will show their own limits. If a file fails, check that you didn't upload the large preview by mistake. The large file can be hundreds of pixels on a side with grid lines drawn in.
When chat sizes are the wrong target
Skip platform grids for game character sheets, print posters, or stitch charts. Don't use emoji sizing on a wide banner. You'll get a tiny speck in the middle.
Worked path for Discord 128 emoji
Crop tight on the face or object. Sprite converter, width 128, Square on, 8 colors, dither off, corner drop on for a flat backdrop. Raise contrast until the outline separates from fill. Paint a two-cell outline if the subject is thin. Export small PNG 128×128. Open on black and white backgrounds. Upload that file, not the large preview. If the line art still feels thin at chat size, drop to width 96 and thicken strokes, then export again. The size ladder explains why thin lines die on phones.
Questions
Which file do I upload to Discord?
The small PNG at real pixel size, usually 128×128 for custom emoji. Transparent PNG, not JPG.
Why three Twitch sizes?
Three zoom steps. Twitch wants 28, 56, and 112 so the client stays crisp. Make art at 112, then export or downscale with nearest neighbor.
Should I dither an emoji?
Usually no. At 28 or 32 cells, dithering reads as dirt. Flat colors and a hard outline win.
My Discord emoji was rejected for file size.
Use fewer colors, export small PNG without grid lines, and avoid the large preview. A 128×128 flat emoji should stay under typical KB caps.
Can I animate emoji with this tool?
No. Pixelate Tools exports still PNGs. You'll need GIF or APNG workflows outside this converter for animation.
Keep going
Updated 30 September 2026