Does this perfectly reverse dithering back to the original image?

No. This is a best-effort approximation, not a true inverse of dithering: real de-dithering would require identifying which pixels are dither noise versus genuine detail, which a simple blur doesn't attempt to distinguish.

What does the strength setting control?

It sets the box blur's radius, from 1 (a light smoothing pass) to 10 (a strong blur). Higher strength removes more of the dithered dot pattern but also softens real edges and fine detail.

Will this also remove real image detail?

Yes, to some degree — a box blur can't distinguish dither noise from genuine fine detail, so higher strength settings soften both together.

What's the best strength to start with?

A low value like 1 or 2 usually removes light dithering while keeping most detail intact; only increase it if visible dot patterns remain.

PNG Dithering Remover - Smooth Away Dithered Texture Online

Overview

Introduction

This tool smooths away visible dithering texture from a PNG using an adjustable-strength blur, entirely in your browser.

It's a quick way to clean up dithered scans, old graphics, or images exported with a dithered color palette.

What Is PNG Dithering Remover?

A client-side tool that reduces dither's characteristic dot or crosshatch pattern by applying a small-radius box blur, reusing the site's existing blur lib function rather than re-deriving smoothing math.

It's a best-effort approximation aimed at visually softening dither noise, not a mathematically exact reversal of any particular dithering algorithm.

How PNG Dithering Remover Works

The tool passes the image and a chosen strength value (used as the blur radius) directly to the site's existing box-blur lib function, which averages each pixel with its neighbors within that radius.

Because dithering scatters small, sharp variations across neighboring pixels, averaging over a small radius blends those variations back together, reducing the visible dot pattern at the cost of also softening genuine edges and fine detail nearby.

When To Use PNG Dithering Remover

Use it to clean up an old GIF-derived or palette-dithered image before further editing or upscaling.

It's also useful for smoothing scanned or compressed images that show visible dither artifacts.

Often used alongside PNG Bayer Filter Adder, PNG Enhancer and PNG Bit Depth Converter.

Features

Advantages

Runs entirely client-side; the uploaded image never leaves your device.
Reuses the site's tested box-blur implementation rather than a separate, unverified de-dithering algorithm.
Strength is adjustable from a light 1-pixel touch-up to a strong 10-pixel smoothing pass.

Limitations

Not a true dithering inverse; it can't distinguish dither noise from real detail, so both get softened together.
Higher strength values can leave the image visibly blurry rather than crisp, especially on small images.

Examples

Light cleanup of a lightly dithered image

Input

A 400x400 PNG with subtle Bayer dithering, strength = 1

Output

A 400x400 PNG with the dot pattern noticeably softened while most detail remains sharp

A strength of 1 uses the smallest blur radius, gently blending away fine dither noise.

Heavy cleanup of a strongly dithered image

Input

A 400x400 PNG with bold 2-level dithering, strength = 6

Output

A 400x400 PNG with the dither pattern almost entirely smoothed away, but visibly softer overall

A larger blur radius removes more of the dot pattern at the cost of blurring real edges too.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

Start at strength 1-2 and only increase if the dot pattern is still clearly visible.
Follow up with the enhancer tool's sharpen pass if the blur softened edges more than you'd like.

Developer Notes

The lib function operates on a plain Uint8ClampedArray PixelBuffer with no DOM dependency: it validates strength is a whole number 1-10, then delegates directly to the existing blurPng lib function using strength as the box-blur radius, rather than re-implementing any smoothing math.

PNG Dithering Remover Use Cases

Cleaning up a GIF-derived or palette-dithered image
Softening scan artifacts before further photo editing
Smoothing a retro dithered texture back toward a photographic look

Common Mistakes

Using a very high strength expecting only the dither to disappear — real edges and detail get blurred too.
Entering a non-integer or out-of-range strength value, which the tool rejects since it must be a whole number from 1 to 10.

Tips

Try the lowest strength that visibly reduces the dot pattern before going higher.
Compare against the Bayer filter adder tool to see the exact kind of pattern this tool is designed to soften.

PNG Dithering Remover