How do I convert an image to the EGA palette?

Upload an image, keep the target mode on EGA / VGA 16 colors, pick a dithering method if you want, and download the result as a PNG. It runs entirely in your browser.

Which 16 colors does EGA use?

The default EGA 16-color palette matches the CGA RGBI colors for backward compatibility, including the hardware-corrected brown at index 6. EGA can also remap those 16 slots to any of its 64 master colors.

Convert an image to the EGA palette

Drop in any picture and render it through the authentic EGA 16-color palette — with real dithering and optional retro pixelation. Download the result as a PNG. Everything happens in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

Click to choose an image or drag & drop it here · or

target mode dithering pixelation monitor

CGA palette

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The real EGA 16. The default EGA palette is the 16 CGA-compatible RGBI colors — including the hardware-corrected brown at index 6, not dark yellow. This converter quantizes to exactly those values, pulled from the same data as the EGA palette reference.

About EGA conversion

EGA shows 16 colors on screen, and by default those 16 are the CGA-compatible RGBI set — which is what this converter targets. (EGA can also reprogram its 16 slots to any of a 64-color master palette; almost no software did, but you can explore that in the 16-of-64 remapper.) Because the default EGA and VGA 16-color palettes are identical, this same tool is also an image-to-VGA-16 converter.

Use dithering to approximate colors the 16 can't show: Floyd–Steinberg and Atkinson diffuse the error for smooth gradients, Bayer gives an ordered retro pattern, and none posterizes into flat regions. With 16 colors you'll often get a clean result with light or no dithering. For the more constrained 4-color CGA look, switch the target mode or use the CGA converter; to reduce a PNG specifically, see PNG to CGA palette.

Everything runs locally on a canvas — the image never leaves your browser, and the download is a PNG at the working resolution.

Frequently asked

Is EGA 16 the same as VGA 16?: Yes — the default 16-color palettes are identical across EGA and VGA (and match CGA), so this converter works for both.
Why is one of the colors brown?: Index 6 is the hardware-corrected brown (#AA5500), kept from CGA for compatibility, rather than the math-derived dark yellow. See how CGA color works.
Is my image uploaded?: No. It's processed in your browser and never sent anywhere.

CGA image converter · EGA palette · EGA remapper