Presets are the single biggest lever in Pixelize. Before any color or detail setting matters, the preset decides what kind of pixel art the AI aims for: a faithful conversion, a cute chibi remake, a square avatar, or a full environment. You pick one in step 2 on Pixelize, and every generation follows that direction.
This guide is a decision aid: what each preset is actually for, how to recognize when you picked the wrong one, and when switching presets fixes more than changing settings ever will. For what the individual sliders and toggles do, see Pixelize settings explained.
Which preset should you pick first?
Match the preset to the result you want to hold in your hands, not to the source image:
- You want the closest, least stylized remake → Redraw.
- You want a cute, exaggerated character remake → Chibi.
- You want a different camera angle on a character → Side.
- You want a face or bust for a profile picture → Portrait.
- You want a tiny tile that reads at emoji size → Icon.
- The place is the subject, not a character → Scene.
If none of those sentences clearly describes your goal, start with Redraw. It is the least opinionated preset, so its results tell you the most about how the AI reads your source. Every other preset adds a stronger bias on top of that reading.
Redraw: the faithful baseline
Redraw keeps composition, pose, and subject as close to your upload as the pixel conversion allows. It is the only non-square character preset, so it also respects wide and tall aspect ratios.
Use Redraw when you are testing a new source image, when the original framing already works, or when you would be annoyed if the AI invented a new pose. It is the preset to return to whenever results from other presets drift too far from the source.
Failure signs: if a Redraw result looks muddy or the face collapses into a few blocks, the problem is usually the source or the framing, not the preset. Crop closer or pick a cleaner image before trying a different preset — better source images covers this in depth.
Chibi: deliberate exaggeration
Chibi pushes a small-bodied, big-headed, cute interpretation. It is the preset that changes your subject the most on purpose, which makes it fun for playful remakes and stickers — and wrong for anything that must stay faithful.
Chibi locks the output to 1:1, and the detail control becomes Pixel Size (Large / Medium / Small). Large pixels lean into the toy-like look; Small keeps more of the original features.
Failure signs: if you keep regenerating because the character "doesn't look like themselves", that is not a failure — it is the preset working as designed. Switch to Redraw or Portrait instead of spending more credits.
Side: a different angle
Side aims for side or three-quarter views, useful when the source is a straight-on shot and you want variety, or when you are building a small set of the same character from several angles. Square output with Pixel Size.
Failure signs: Side has to invent geometry the source does not show, so details like asymmetric hair or logos may land on the wrong side or disappear. If the invented angle bothers you more than it delights you, this preset is not for that image.
Portrait: faces first
Portrait produces half-body or head-focused results and is the natural choice for avatars and profile pictures. It is square with Pixel Size, plus a Front Face switch that nudges the pose toward a straight-on facing — handy when the source looks away but you want a forum-style portrait.
Failure signs: a full-body source with a small face gives Portrait very little to work with. Crop the upload to the chest or shoulders first; the preset frames the face, but it cannot recover detail that occupies twenty pixels of the original.
Icon: readable at tiny sizes
Icon favors bold silhouettes, simple shapes, and few competing details — things that survive being displayed at 64 pixels. Think emoji-scale remakes, server icons, and tiny shareable tiles. Square with Pixel Size.
Failure signs: busy sources with props, patterns, and layered clothing fight this preset. If the result looks like a smudge, simplify the input: crop to the head or a single object and generate again.
Scene: places, not characters
Scene is for environments — rooms, streets, landscapes, storefronts. Background controls disappear because the backdrop is the subject; the preset keeps the whole composition coherent instead of isolating a figure.
Failure signs: using Scene on a character-centric image produces an environment that happens to contain a person, often with less care for the face than you want. Flip to Redraw or Portrait when a character matters.
How square presets change the settings panel
Chibi, Side, Portrait, and Icon lock aspect to 1:1 and swap the Detail control for Pixel Size. This is not a limitation to fight: these presets are tuned for square, avatar-like output, and Pixel Size (Large / Medium / Small) is the honest control for how chunky the result feels. Portrait additionally shows the Front Face switch, and Scene hides background options entirely.
If you need a non-square canvas for a character, use Redraw with a fixed ratio, or see crop and aspect ratio.
Decision tree: which preset when you are stuck
Walk the list top to bottom; stop at the first match.
- The place matters more than any character → Scene.
- You need a tiny tile that reads at emoji size → Icon.
- You need a face / bust for a profile picture → Portrait.
- You want a cute, exaggerated remake on purpose → Chibi.
- You want a different camera angle on the same character → Side.
- Otherwise → Redraw.
If you already generated once and hate the kind of look, do not nudge Colors first — switch preset using the list above, then regenerate once.
Common mix-ups (fix without new screenshots)
- Used Chibi, then complained it “doesn’t look like them” — switch to Redraw or Portrait; Chibi is meant to exaggerate.
- Used Scene on a character close-up — switch to Redraw or Portrait; Scene optimizes for environments.
- Used Icon on a busy full-body shot — crop to the head or a single object, or switch to Portrait / Redraw.
- Used Portrait on a tiny face in a wide group photo — Manual crop to one face first; the preset cannot invent missing pixels.
- Wanted a wide banner but picked Portrait / Icon / Chibi / Side — those lock 1:1; use Redraw (or Scene) with a fixed aspect instead.
Should you switch presets or change settings?
Switch the preset when the kind of result is wrong: wrong pose philosophy, wrong framing category, wrong level of stylization. Change settings when the kind is right but the execution needs tuning: too many colors, pixels too fine, background should be transparent.
A practical rule: if two generations in a row are wrong in the same fundamental way, the preset is wrong. If they are wrong in different small ways, keep the preset and adjust one setting at a time.
Do presets cost different amounts?
No. Every preset costs the same 1 credit per image, and a failed generation refunds its credit. Trying two presets on the same source costs two credits — usually a better investment than four regenerations under the wrong preset. See how credits work.
Next steps
Once the preset matches your goal, tune the remaining controls in Pixelize settings explained, fix framing with crop and aspect ratio, or walk the full pipeline in the image-to-pixel-art workflow.