Dithering Algorithms Explained

Three algorithms dominate digital dithering: Floyd-Steinberg, Atkinson and Bayer ordered. They all turn limited palettes into convincing gradients, but they each look different. Here's how to pick.

The core idea

Your display or printer can only use a fixed set of colors. A gradient from black to white using only black and white pixels seems impossible — you can't print "gray." So you cheat: you mix black and white pixels in patterns that, from a distance, look gray.

How you arrange those pixels is what dithering algorithms decide.

Floyd-Steinberg dithering

Invented in 1975 by Robert Floyd and Louis Steinberg. The most common error-diffusion algorithm.

How it works: For each pixel, you pick the closest available color, then push the "error" (the difference between the original and the picked color) to the neighbouring pixels — 7/16 to the right, 3/16 to the bottom-left, 5/16 below, 1/16 to the bottom-right.

Looks like: Smooth gradients with organic, scattered pixel noise. The most photo-like dither.

Best for: Photographs, smooth shading, anything where you want the dithering to be subtle.

Atkinson dithering

Invented by Bill Atkinson at Apple for the original Macintosh in 1984.

How it works: Similar to Floyd-Steinberg, but only spreads 6/8 of the error (one-eighth in each of six directions). The remaining 2/8 gets discarded.

Looks like: Higher contrast than Floyd-Steinberg. More white space, crisper highlights, slightly "punchy" feel.

Best for: Classic 1980s Mac aesthetic. Portraits where you want bright eyes and crisp shadows. Looks great with black-and-white photos.

Bayer ordered dithering

Invented in 1973 by Bryce Bayer (yes, the same Bayer as the Bayer filter in camera sensors).

How it works: Uses a fixed threshold matrix (typically 4×4 or 8×8) to decide whether each pixel becomes light or dark. No error diffusion — every pixel is decided independently based on its position in the matrix.

Looks like: A recognisable, repeating crosshatch or grid pattern. The most "digital" dither.

Best for: Game art, retro UI, pixel art, anything where you want the grid to be visible. Very fast to compute.

Quick comparison

Try them side by side

Upload an image to the STUDIO·ITY Dither Effect and toggle between algorithms in real time. Adjust palette, contrast and color levels until it looks right.

Dithering vs halftone

If you came here from halftone, the short version: dithering uses fixed pixels in patterns, halftone uses variable dot sizes on a grid. Read Halftone vs Dither for the full comparison.

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