1. technology and computing
2. operating systems
3. mac os

Pixaki
USER GUIDE
Introduction
What is Pixaki?
Pixaki is a powerful pixel art creation app for iPad. It
features many of the same features found in desktop apps
— such as custom canvas sizes, layers, precise colour
selection and customisable palettes — but with a gorgeous
multi-touch interface that is just right for iPad.
Whether you're creating 8-bit game characters or vast
isometric cityscapes, Pixaki has the tools you'll need in an
app you'll love.
Pixaki User Guide
What is Pixaki?
2
Pixel perfect precision
Some touch interfaces can feel like they lack
accuracy, but creating pixel art with Pixaki is every
bit as accurate as using a mouse and cursor.
Pixaki lets you smoothly zoom in up to 250x with a
simple pinch gesture to give you unparalleled
precision. It turns out that pixel art and iPad are
an awesome combination.
Pixaki User Guide
What is Pixaki?
3
Gallery
New artwork
Start something new
Learn how to create new artwork in Pixaki.
Pixaki User Guide
Start something new 5
Custom canvas sizes
Brand new in Pixaki 2.0 are custom canvas sizes.
Now you have the freedom to create whatever you
want at whatever size you want. The format is
width first, then height.
Tap and hold the delete key to quickly clear the
current value. You can enter a size anywhere from
1 x 1 px to 512 x 512 px.
Pixaki User Guide
Start something new 6
Presets
Pixaki comes with a selection of convenient
canvas size presets for you to choose from. There
are three sizes for sprites, perfect for game artists.
Then there's the canvas preset, which is based on
the resolution of your device — it's a quarter of
the width and height in landscape for a standard
resolution iPad, and an eighth for a retina iPad.
There are also sizes based on classic handheld
game consoles, great for demakes and mock-ups.
Demake challenge
A demake takes a modern video game and reimagines it for older
hardware. It's a great way to hone your pixel art skills. Why not
take your favourite game from today and create a pixel art mockup using the Game Boy or Game Boy Advance template?
Remember the Game Boy palette had just four colours! Send your
creations to [email protected].
Pixaki User Guide
Start something new 7
Import from iCloud Drive
You can import Pixaki files or images (PNG or
JPEG files) that you have stored on iCloud Drive.
From the gallery, tap the plus icon in the top right,
then select the ‘Import’ option. Select ‘iCloud
Drive’, then select the file you'd like to import.
Pixaki User Guide
Start something new 8
Import from photo library
If you've got an image in your photo library you
want to bring into Pixaki, you can use import to
start a new document with that image. From the
gallery, tap the plus icon in the top right, then
select the ‘Import’ option. Select ‘Photo Library’,
then select the image you'd like to import. Pixaki
will automatically open your newly created
artwork for you.
Note
You can only import images that are smaller than the maximum
size of 512 x 512 px. You can use the Photos app to crop an
image to be small enough to import, or use an image editing app
such as Procreate or Pixelmator (both highly recommended) to
resize the image.
Pixaki User Guide
Start something new 9
Import from Dropbox
You can import Pixaki files or images (PNG or
JPEG files) that you have stored on Dropbox.
You'll need to have the Dropbox app installed and
be signed in to your Dropbox account.
From the gallery in Pixaki, tap the plus icon in the
top right, then select the ‘Import’ option. Select
‘iCloud Drive’, then select ‘Locations’ in the top
left. If Dropbox does not already appear in the list
of locations, select ‘More’ and turn on Dropbox.
Once Dropbox is selected, you can select the file
you'd like to import and add it to Pixaki.
You can also import from Google Drive,
OneDrive, Transmit, and other document provider
apps using a similar process.
Pixaki User Guide
Start something new 10
Sharing
To share a document, select it from the gallery, then tap the
share icon. You can share the document as a Pixaki file, a
PNG, or a Photoshop file.
Sharing as a Pixaki file is a great way to collaborate with
others, or create an online backup of your work.
Sharing as a PNG file is great for creating game assets or
sharing to social media. When you share to services like
Twitter or Facebook, you should increase the magnification
setting so that images don't appear blurry.
Sharing as a PSD lets you continue to work on your artwork
using desktop applications, like Photoshop and Pixelmator.
Pixaki User Guide
Sharing
11
Deleting
To delete any document, select it from the gallery, then tap
the delete icon. You'll be prompted for confirmation before
the file is deleted.
Pixaki User Guide
Deleting
12
Editing
To edit a document, select it from the gallery, then tap the
edit icon or tap the preview image.
Edit
Pixaki User Guide
Editing 13
Renaming
To rename a document, select it from the gallery, then tap
the name. This will show the keyboard, where you can type
in a new name.
Pixaki User Guide
Renaming
14
Drawing
Pixel brush
The brush tool is a solid square pixel brush. Touch and
drag across the screen to draw freeform lines. Use the
slider at bottom of the screen to adjust the size of the
brush, from 1 x 1 px to 20 x 20 px.
Pixel brush
Pixaki User Guide
Brush size slider
Pixel brush
16
Eraser
The eraser is great for making small corrections to your
pixel art, and works similarly to the brush. Use the slider on
the bottom of the screen to adjust the size.
If you'd prefer to have the drawing interface mirrored as shown, you can select
the left handed interface option in the Settings app. Select ‘Pixaki’ from the list
of apps on the left, then turn on the left handed interface switch.
Eraser size slider
Eraser
Pixaki User Guide
Eraser 17
Bucket fill
Use the bucket tool if you want to quickly fill a large area
with a single colour, or replace a colour that you've already
painted. Select the bucket tool, then tap on the area you'd
like to fill with the currently selected colour.
Bucket fill
Pixaki User Guide
Bucket fill
18
Undo
Redo
Undo and redo
You can quickly correct mistakes using the undo and redo
buttons. You can also swipe three fingers across the canvas
left to undo, or right to redo.
Pixaki User Guide
Undo and redo
19
Selection
Cut
Copy
Cut and copy
Tap the selection icon to trigger selection mode. Touch and
drag across the screen to select an area, then tap the cut
or copy icon to cut or copy that section of the current layer.
You can paste your selection back into Pixaki, or any other
app that supports pasting images.
Selection mode
Pixaki User Guide
Cut and copy 21
Paste
Paste
With an image on the clipboard, you can paste it by
selecting the paste icon when in selection mode.
Pixaki has a paste-to-tile feature that lets you quickly tile an
area with an image from the clipboard. To use this feature,
touch and hold the paste icon and the image will be tiled
across the canvas.
Pixaki User Guide
Paste 22
Rotate anti-clockwise
Flip horizontally
Rotate clockwise
Flip vertically
Transform
One you've made a selection, you can rotate the selected
pixels clockwise or anti-clockwise, or flip them horizontally
or vertically.
If you choose to rotate an area that isn't square, the
selection will go in to move mode so that you can decide
on the exact placement of the pixels.
Pixaki User Guide
Transform
23
Move / Place
Move
To move pixels around, make a selection, then tap the
‘Move’ button. Dragging the selection will then move the
pixels underneath. When you are finished, you can place
the pixels by tapping the ‘Place’ button, or by exiting
selection mode. You can move the pixels to another layer
by selecting a different layer whilst in move mode.
Pixaki User Guide
Move 24
Colour
Hue, saturation, and
brightness
To select a new colour to draw with, tap on the currently
selected colour in the bottom toolbar. This will bring up the
hue, saturation and brightness pickers, which allow you to
select the desired colour with high precision.
Colour picker
Pixaki User Guide
Hue, saturation, and brightness
26
Hex code
If you have a particular RGB hex code to work with, you
can enter this by bringing up the standard colour picker,
then selecting the ‘Hex Code’ button. Use the keypad to
enter either a three- or six-digit hex code.
Pixaki User Guide
Hex code
27
Colour loupe
Eyedropper
To sample a colour from the canvas, select the eyedropper
tool from the toolbar, or touch and hold anywhere on the
canvas to bring up the eyedropper. Drag your finger
around to select the colour you want, which is previewed in
the loupe. When you've finished selecting the colour, the
brush tool will be automatically selected so you can
continue drawing.
Eyedropper
Pixaki User Guide
Eyedropper
28
Palette
Switch palettes
Global and document
palettes
There are two sorts of palettes in Pixaki: global and
document. The global palette is the place for your
favourite colours, and is accessible in every document. A
document palette is the place to put colours that you'll only
use in that document, and is only accessible when the
document is open. You can switch between the two using
the control at the top of the colour palette.
When you share a Pixaki document, the document palette
is shared as part of the file, but he global palette is not.
Pixaki User Guide
Global and document palettes
30
Adding and deleting
colours
To add the currently selected colour to the current palette,
press the add colour button at the bottom of the palette.
You can only add a colour to the palette if it is not already
in the palette. If the add layer button is disabled, this is
because the currently selected colour is already in the
palette.
To delete a colour from the palette, first select the colour
from the palette, then tap the selected colour again. This
will bring up the palette menu where you can delete the
colour.
Pixaki User Guide
Adding and deleting colours 31
Organising colours
To reorder the colours in the palette, touch and hold on
the colour you'd like to move, then drag it to the new
location.
Pixaki User Guide
Organising colours 32
Layers
Creating and deleting
To make a new layer, press the add layer button. You can
create up to 20 layers per document.
To delete a layer, first select the layer, then tap the layer
again. This will bring up the layers menu, where you can
delete the layer.
Add layer
Pixaki User Guide
Creating and deleting layers 34
Adjust opacity
To adjust the opacity of a layer, first select the layer, then
use the ghost slider to change the opacity. This is a great
way to create lighting and translucency effects.
Opacity slider
Pixaki User Guide
Adjust opacity 35
Move layers
To move a layer, touch and hold the layer you'd like to
move, and drag it to where you'd like it to be. As you drag
to reorder the layers, the canvas will update to give you a
preview.
Pixaki User Guide
Move layers
36
Cut, copy, and paste
To cut or copy a layer, first select the layer, then tap the
layer again. This will bring up the layers menu, where you
can cut or copy. The layer is copied as an image, which
you can paste into any app that supports it. If you have an
image already copied to the clipboard, you can paste it as
a new layer.
Pixaki User Guide
Cut, copy, and paste 37
Duplicate and merge
To duplicate a layer, first select the layer, then tap the layer
again. This will bring up the layers menu, where you can
select to duplicate the layer or merge it down.
Pixaki User Guide
Duplicate and merge 38
Acknowledgements
Artwork credits
Thanks to the talented artists who created the artwork used in this guide.
Pixaki User Guide
The Cherry Tree
VHS City
Starry Night
by Jason Tammemagi
genuinehuman.tumblr.com
by Jason Tammemagi
genuinehuman.tumblr.com
by Toby Ryan
pixels.tobyryan.com
Yeti House
“Mech”
Coffee Time
by Jason Tammemagi
genuinehuman.tumblr.com
by Toby Ryan
pixels.tobyryan.com
by Toby Ryan
pixels.tobyryan.com
By the Park
Britain expects
Cyberpunk 2015
by Jason Tammemagi
genuinehuman.tumblr.com
by Rick Payne
pixelcorrupter.tumblr.com
by Jason Tammemagi
genuinehuman.tumblr.com
Artwork credits
40
About the developer
Hi, I’m Luke, and I created Pixaki. Back in 2011, I was working on a pixel art game
and thought how amazing it would be if I could create all of the art on my iPad.
Nothing on the App Store at the time seemed to do what I wanted, so I set about
creating my own app in my spare time outside of my full time job. Four years and
two major releases later, Pixaki is still a part time project, and there is still much I’d
like to add to it, but I’m immensely proud of it and hope you enjoy using it.
Thank you so much for buying Pixaki. If you want to help support further
development, and you enjoy using the app, please help to spread the word. My aim
is to turn Pixaki into a full time business – there’s a long way to go, but with your help
I believe it’s possible.
For all the latest news about Pixaki and helpful tips on pixel art, you can sign up to
the mailing by visiting pixaki.com.
Pixaki User Guide
About the developer 41