Ribbon bitmap: a dithered 3D ribbon in two tones of green
Ribbon bitmap reduces the render to two flat colors and fakes every shade in between with a regular dither pattern. The ribbon shape, slim strands looping through each other, is drawn in a dark forest Ink on a pale pistachio Light color, a pairing borrowed from early LCD screens. Contrast is raised to 130 and the form is tilted to Rotate X 44, which opens up the loops and keeps the checkered shading visible along each strand.
Make it yours
Balance ink against paper
Dither has only on and off pixels, so Brightness acts like an exposure dial. Nudge it to -5 to fill the strands with more dark pixels, or up to 15 to thin them into a lighter lace. Far below zero, the pale backdrop starts to collect pixels too.
Slow the shimmer
Dither patterns crawl as the ribbon turns. Speed is 10 by default; take Speed down to 3 or 4 for a gentle drift, or to 0 when you need a clean still.
FAQ
Why does dithering make an image look retro?
Early screens and printers could show very few colors, so software mixed them in fine patterns to suggest shading. This preset does the same with just two colors. The visible pixel pattern is a strong cue for early computer and handheld graphics, which is why it suits games, zines and developer tools.
How it works
Pick a source
Use one of 10 built-in 3D shapes, import a GLB, OBJ or STL model, or upload a PNG, JPG or WebP image.
Choose an effect
Switch between 9 effects and set cell size, contrast, brightness and, for ASCII, the characters used.
Color and use it
Keep the source colors or go duotone with your own palette, then sign in with a free UX Pilot account to use it on the canvas or export it.