Mini Pixel

Usually associated with low-resolution graphics and arcade video games, pixel art is still used to this day by game studios, even though technology surpassed those limitations long ago. Whether you just want to relax by drawing or intend on creating your own digital art for a 2D game, a personal project or just the fun of it, a pixel art editor might be what you are looking for.

While various online solutions are available for creating pixel art designs, you can also opt for standalone applications such as Mini Pixel, which deliver an accessible and easy-to-use drawing utility.

The developers of Mini Pixel created it with simplicity in mind, getting their inspiration from classic pixel art editors such as Microsoft’s Paint from older OS editions, Graphics Gale or IDraw3. As such, Mini Pixel provides a hassle-free layout with a basic feature set. It includes the tools you need to create your design and focus on your art, while not becoming overwhelming, a tendency that is quite obvious from the design of its interface.

The application has all its tools one-click away within its main window, which also comprises the preview area where the editing takes place. There are no additional menus to deal with and no extra options or tools other than those that are visible within the GUI.

Mini Pixel works with PNG files only, allowing you to create static pixel art. You get a flexible crop tool that allows enlarging your canvas, as well as selection tools, or rotating and flip options to help you manipulate your designs easier and faster.

There is a custom color palette you can customize freely, so that you have your own preferred colors and hues at hand when needed. This allows you to focus on your design rather than wasting time finding the colors you need.

Having just a basic feature set for your pixel art design might be a good thing, since this allows you to focus on creating your own design in its simplest form. On the other hand, Mini Pixel does not allow you to create game sprites or GIFs, nor does it feature access to a pixel art gallery, so you will have to rely on your own imagination or external sources to get design suggestions.

The application is easy to use, delivering nothing more than a simple pixel-level editor for small graphics.