TOOLS › PIXEL CIRCLE GENERATOR
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Pixel Circle Generator

Pixel perfect circles and ellipses at any size, drawn the way pixel artists draw them: symmetric, no stray pixels, the right shape for odd and even diameters. Filled or outlined, with a grid preview and a row map you can copy.

1 · SIZE

2 · SETTINGS

Style
Background
Output size Native
Native is one image pixel per art pixel, which is what you want to paste into an editor. The multiples are for previews and mock-ups.
Everything is live. LOCK keeps width and height equal; turn it off for an ellipse. The preview grid shows every cell at a large zoom so you can count pixels.
Need a coin, orb, shield or planet rather than a plain disc? SpriteLab draws it as a finished sprite from a prompt.
Rendering…
RENDERINGYour circle appears here.
Row map · one line per row, # = filled

      

How it works

Pick a size

Any width and height from 1 to 256. The chips cover the common sprite sizes. Leave LOCK on for a circle, turn it off for an ellipse.

Filled or outlined

A filled disc, or a ring with a 1 to 4 px stroke. Set the colour and, if you want it, a solid background.

Copy or download

Download the PNG at native size to paste into your editor, or copy the row map as text and draw it by hand. The grid preview lets you count pixels at a glance.

What makes a circle pixel perfect

A pixel circle is not a smooth circle sampled onto a grid. It is a set of rules about symmetry and stepping that artists have agreed on for decades, and a naive "is this pixel inside the radius" test breaks them. Small circles come out as squares with the corners on, and even diameters grow a stray centre pixel.

ODD DIAMETERS

Have a single centre pixel and one widest row. A 3 px circle is a plus sign. A 5 px circle is a plus with the diagonals filled in. The top and bottom runs are always an odd count.

EVEN DIAMETERS

Have no centre pixel. The two middle rows share the widest span and the shape is mirrored across a line between pixels. A 4 px circle is a rounded square with the four corners empty.

CLEAN STEPS

The runs along the edge get shorter at a steady rate from the flat top to the 45° point, then the pattern flips. No run of 1 next to a run of 3, no double corners. That steadiness is what reads as round.

This tool uses the midpoint ellipse method, which produces exactly those shapes for both odd and even sizes and for ellipses of any proportion. The outline mode subtracts a smaller shape from a larger one, so the ring stays an even thickness rather than pinching at the diagonals.

FAQ

Is the pixel circle generator free?

Yes. It runs in your browser with no account and no watermark. Make as many circles and ellipses as you need.

Why do even sizes look different from odd sizes?

An odd diameter has a single centre pixel and a single widest row. An even diameter has no centre pixel, so the two middle rows share the widest span. Both are correct; the tool uses the variant pixel artists expect for each.

What is the row map for?

It writes the circle out as text, one row per line, with a hash for each filled pixel. Copy it and use it as a reference while you draw by hand in your editor, or paste it into notes for a tile size you use often.

Can I make an ellipse?

Turn off LOCK and set width and height separately. The same midpoint method draws the ellipse, so the result is symmetric on both axes with no stray pixels.

How thick can the outline be?

One to four pixels. The stroke is the filled shape minus a smaller filled shape inset by the thickness, so the ring stays even all the way round.

More free tools

In the app

Open SpriteLab to keep building with your sprites.