# Image Dithering Online - 1-bit Black & White for Thermal Printers & E-ink > Free online image dithering: turn photos into 1-bit black & white, 4-level grey, e-ink or Game Boy palettes with Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson or Bayer ordering. - URL: https://qilingtools.com/en/image/dither - Category: Image Tools (https://qilingtools.com/en/image) - Tags: [Image](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/image), [Creative Effects](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/effects) - Last updated: 2026-10-26 - Price: Free, no sign-up - Privacy: Runs locally in the browser; files are never uploaded Devices that only print or show two colours — receipt and label printers, e-ink displays, laser engravers — cannot reproduce greyscale photos, and a plain threshold throws away most of the tones. Dithering simulates grey with the density of black and white dots: Floyd–Steinberg is smooth and natural, Atkinson (the classic Mac look) keeps highlights and shadows cleaner, and Bayer ordered dithering gives a regular halftone pattern. Beyond 1-bit black & white you can output 4-level grey, black/white/red for tri-colour e-ink, Game Boy green, or a custom ink and paper colour for two-tone posters. Set the output width to 384 px (58 mm thermal) or 576 px (80 mm thermal) and tune brightness and contrast for the best print. ## How to use 1. Drop in images 2. Choose the algorithm, colours and output width, and tune brightness and contrast 3. Click Dither and download the PNG ## Features - Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson, Bayer or plain threshold - B&W, 4-level grey, B/W/red, Game Boy, custom two-tone - 58 mm / 80 mm thermal and e-ink width presets - Pixel zoom for a retro look ## FAQ ### Which width should I use for a thermal printer? 58 mm receipt printers are usually 384 dots wide and 80 mm printers 576. Pick the matching width and print at 1:1 so each pixel maps to one print-head dot. ### What is the difference between the algorithms? Floyd–Steinberg gives the smoothest gradients for photos; Atkinson diffuses only part of the error, giving stronger contrast and cleaner areas for portraits and illustrations; Bayer creates a regular grid pattern that looks stylised and suits fast e-ink refreshes. ### Are my files uploaded? No. Everything runs locally in your browser with no network upload, and is discarded when you close the page. ### Do I need to sign up or pay? No. The site is completely free, needs no account, has no usage limits and adds no watermark. ## Related tools - [PDF to Image](https://qilingtools.com/en/pdf/to-image): Free online PDF to image converter: render every page as a high-resolution JPG or PNG at 72/150/300 DPI, download all as a ZIP. Processed locally, no upload. - [Image to PDF](https://qilingtools.com/en/pdf/from-image): Free online image to PDF converter: combine JPG, PNG and WebP images into one PDF in order, with A4 or image-sized pages. Processed locally, no upload. - [Compress Image](https://qilingtools.com/en/image/compress): Free online image compressor: batch compress JPG, PNG and WebP with adjustable quality and a max size, showing the before and after sizes. Runs locally. - [Resize Image](https://qilingtools.com/en/image/resize): Free online image resizer: batch resize by pixel width and height or by percentage with the aspect ratio locked. JPG, PNG and WebP, processed locally. - [Convert Image](https://qilingtools.com/en/image/convert): Free online image converter: batch convert JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF and BMP images to JPG, PNG or WebP. Processed locally, no upload. - [Watermark Image](https://qilingtools.com/en/image/watermark): Free online image watermark tool: batch add text watermarks with position, tiling, opacity, size and color settings. Processed locally, no upload. - [Stitch Images](https://qilingtools.com/en/image/stitch): Free online image stitcher: join screenshots or photos vertically or horizontally into one long image, with gap and background options. Processed locally. - [Remove Background](https://qilingtools.com/en/image/remove-bg): Free online background remover: AI finds people, products and animals and cuts the background to a transparent PNG, or swaps in a white, red or blue backdrop.