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image‑rendering CSS Demo - Online Crisp or Smooth

Developer Tools Educational CSS demo image‑rendering pixelated
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🎨 Image Rendering CSS Demo

Compare image-rendering modes — pixelated, crisp-edges, smooth & auto — in real time

Preview
pixelated
pixelated
pixelated
Best for pixel art ↑
crisp-edges
crisp-edges
Sharp edges ↓↑
auto
auto
Browser default
smooth
smooth
Bilinear interpolation
📋 CSS Code
Copy & paste into your stylesheet
/* Image Rendering: pixelated */ image-rendering: pixelated; -ms-interpolation-mode: nearest-neighbor; /* IE */
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the CSS image-rendering property do?
The image-rendering CSS property controls how images are scaled by the browser. It tells the browser which algorithm to use when resizing an image—whether to prioritize speed and sharp pixel edges (pixelated, crisp-edges) or visual smoothness (smooth, auto). This is especially noticeable when scaling images up significantly, such as enlarging pixel art or small icons.
What's the difference between pixelated and crisp-edges?
pixelated uses nearest-neighbor interpolation when scaling up (preserving hard pixel blocks), but may smoothly interpolate when scaling down. crisp-edges preserves sharp edges during both upscaling and downscaling when possible, though exact behavior varies by browser. For pixel art games, pixelated is generally the preferred choice for upscaling sprites.
Which browsers support image-rendering?
All modern browsers support image-rendering: Chrome 41+, Firefox 3.6+, Safari 11+, Edge 79+. For older WebKit browsers (Safari < 11, iOS < 11), use the vendor prefix -webkit-optimize-contrast as a fallback for crisp-edges. For IE, use -ms-interpolation-mode: nearest-neighbor.
Should I use image-rendering for responsive images?
Generally, no. For photographs and natural images, the default auto (smooth interpolation) provides the best visual quality at any scale. image-rendering: pixelated or crisp-edges is specifically intended for pixel art, QR codes, screenshots of text, barcodes, and other graphics where preserving hard edges matters more than smoothness.
Does image-rendering affect page performance?
Nearest-neighbor interpolation (pixelated) is actually faster than bilinear/bicubic interpolation (smooth) because it requires fewer computations per pixel. For large images or frequent rescaling (e.g., CSS animations with scale transforms), using pixelated can marginally reduce GPU load. However, for most use cases the performance difference is negligible.
How do I use image-rendering with CSS transform: scale()?
image-rendering also applies when images are scaled via transform: scale() in most browsers. However, for the most consistent cross-browser behavior, it's recommended to set the image's width and height attributes (or CSS dimensions) directly rather than relying solely on transforms. This ensures the rendering hint is applied during the initial layout paint.
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