Minecraft Map Art Pixel Art Generator
Pick a file from your device, choose a size and palette mode — the tool matches every pixel to the closest map color and counts how many pixels of each block appear in the image itself (not counting staircase support blocks or the map's north reference row).
How we calculate
An item map can only show a limited set of colors: every block's base color gets multiplied by one of a few brightness factors, giving a palette of 61 colors on a flat map, or 183 if you build with a one-block step between rows. For every pixel of your image the tool looks for the closest available palette color using a weighted RGB distance, not a single color channel.
Dithering (the Floyd-Steinberg method) does not change the palette itself — it spreads each pixel's rounding error onto the neighbors to its right and below. That makes smooth gradients in a photo look less "banded", even though the game still only shows the exact same number of distinct shades.
The materials list only counts blocks that actually appear in the result, showing one representative block per palette color and converting the totals into stacks (64 items) and shulker boxes (27 stacks). Colors that are hard to obtain can be toggled off in the palette list so the matcher skips them entirely.
Sources
checked 17 September 2026
Questions and answers
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. Reading the file, processing it and building the pixel art all happen in your browser on a canvas. The link that saves your settings only stores the size, mode and the list of disabled colors — the image itself is never included and never sent anywhere.
What is the difference between "flat" and "staircase" mode?
On a flat floor a map can only show one shade of each block's base color, so 61 colors are available. Building the art with a one-block height step between rows lets the game apply a different brightness factor per row, unlocking 183 colors — a more accurate image, but a harder build.
Why use dithering, and is it always better?
Dithering spreads the color rounding error onto neighboring pixels, so smooth gradients look less banded from a distance. On small, sharp artwork or logos it can instead add unwanted "noise" — for images like that, try turning it off and comparing the result.
What does "representative block" mean in the materials list?
Several different blocks in the game can share the exact same map base color (several wool colors of the same shade, for instance). The tool shows only one example block per palette color — to see every block that would work, check the full list of options on the wiki.
Why is the grid limited to a certain number of maps?
The 8-map limit per side is the tool's own practical choice, not a game rule: a larger grid makes the in-browser preview noticeably slower and turns the materials list into something too long to read comfortably.
Unofficial tool. Not affiliated with the developers or publishers of Minecraft.