How does pixel sorting work?

The image is treated as a set of scan lines (rows from left to right by default). On each line the tool finds runs of consecutive pixels that meet the interval condition and re-orders the pixels in each run by the chosen property, such as brightness, before putting them back in place. Pixels outside the runs stay where they are, so the big shapes survive while the runs turn into smooth gradient streaks — the signature smeared, melting look.

What is the difference between threshold, edge and random intervals?

Threshold sorts only pixels whose brightness lies between the limits — for example letting just the sky and highlights flow. Edge mode breaks the runs at object outlines, so people and buildings keep sharp edges while flat areas smear. Random lengths ignore the picture and cut every line into fragments of varying length, which looks more chaotic. Whole line sorts each line end to end, the most extreme option.

Why does the export look slightly different from the preview?

The preview is computed live on a copy scaled to 640 px, while the export is sorted again at full resolution. Threshold, edge, angle and length settings are all scaled to the image size, so the overall look matches, but the full image has more detail and edge detection and random breaks land in slightly different places. Exports of the same image with the same settings and seed are always identical.

How do I apply the effect to only part of the image?

Tick “Only sort painted areas”, then press and drag on the preview to paint; the red areas are the ones that get sorted. Adjust the brush size, switch to the eraser, or fill everything and erase what you don’t want. The mask works together with the threshold or edge condition and is scaled up to the full image on export.

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🌁Pixel Sorting Online - Glitch Art Pixel Sort Effect

Pixel sorting is a classic glitch-art technique: scan the image line by line (or column by column, or along any angle), pick runs of neighbouring pixels and re-order them by brightness, hue or another property, so the picture melts into streaks and waterfalls of colour while keeping its overall shapes. This tool gives you full control. Sort by brightness, lightness, hue, saturation, the red, green or blue channel, or the darkest or brightest channel. Define the runs by a brightness threshold (only pixels between the lower and upper limit, or the inverse), by Sobel edge detection (runs break at object edges, so outlines stay crisp while flat areas smear), by random lengths that slice the picture into fragments, or sort whole lines end to end. Set any angle from 0 to 359°, reverse the order and add random breaks for a more shattered look. To melt only part of the picture, turn on the mask and paint the areas to sort right on the preview. Every random choice comes from a seed, so the same settings and seed always reproduce the same result. The preview runs live on a downscaled copy; the export is re-sorted at full resolution in a Web Worker and saved as a lossless PNG, and your image never leaves your device.

Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browserLast updated: 2026-10-26

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How to use Pixel Sorting

1Drop a photo
2Choose what to sort by, the interval mode (threshold, edges, random or whole line), the angle, and tune the limits; paint a mask to affect only part of the image
3Export a full-size PNG when you like it — change the seed for a different variation

FAQ

How does pixel sorting work?: The image is treated as a set of scan lines (rows from left to right by default). On each line the tool finds runs of consecutive pixels that meet the interval condition and re-orders the pixels in each run by the chosen property, such as brightness, before putting them back in place. Pixels outside the runs stay where they are, so the big shapes survive while the runs turn into smooth gradient streaks — the signature smeared, melting look.
What is the difference between threshold, edge and random intervals?: Threshold sorts only pixels whose brightness lies between the limits — for example letting just the sky and highlights flow. Edge mode breaks the runs at object outlines, so people and buildings keep sharp edges while flat areas smear. Random lengths ignore the picture and cut every line into fragments of varying length, which looks more chaotic. Whole line sorts each line end to end, the most extreme option.
Why does the export look slightly different from the preview?: The preview is computed live on a copy scaled to 640 px, while the export is sorted again at full resolution. Threshold, edge, angle and length settings are all scaled to the image size, so the overall look matches, but the full image has more detail and edge detection and random breaks land in slightly different places. Exports of the same image with the same settings and seed are always identical.
How do I apply the effect to only part of the image?: Tick “Only sort painted areas”, then press and drag on the preview to paint; the red areas are the ones that get sorted. Adjust the brush size, switch to the eraser, or fill everything and erase what you don’t want. The mask works together with the threshold or edge condition and is scaled up to the full image on export.