Dithr
Retro camera filter app for iOS
Dithr lets you recall the glory days of 1980s and ’90s computer graphics
by snapping photos and videos using common pixel patterns and color
palettes of that era.
Modern screens and printers can reproduce millions of colors, making for
mostly smooth display of colorful images. But in the early PC days, only
a few colors at a time could be rendered, creating the need for
color-reduction techniques to get the best results out of limited
technology. “Dithering” (also known as “halftoning”) is an umbrella term
for various methods of simulating intermediate colors by sprinkling dots
of “pure” colors in different patterns.
Features
-
Select from a variety of
dithering filters and
color palettes
- Adjust pixel resolution from ultra-chunky to just-tolerable
-
Capture filtered photos & videos with live camera view, using
front or back camera
- Apply filters to old photos from your library
Get it!
Free download gets you a fully functional app for snapping and editing
still photos. Add video recording capability for $1.99.
Get it from the App Store!
Filters
Dithr implements three of the common algorithms of the 1970s–90s:
- Random
-
Each pixel randomly chooses the nearest lighter or darker color
similar to the original pixel color. This results in a “static” effect
which loses a lot of detail on still photos but is pretty cool in
video form.
- Bayer
-
This classic algorithm gives a “cross-stitch” appearance and is very
fast to calculate, so it’s great for video.
- Floyd-Steinberg
-
This more advanced technique creates a much more “organic” look and
does a good job at representing smoother color transitions. Since it
is much slower than the other filters, Floyd may not work for live
video at high resolutions.
Questions? Bugs? Suggestions?
Take a look at our Support page, or shoot us an
email at
dithr@chrislewis.codes.
Share and enjoy!
Dithr is on Twitter,
Instagram,
Facebook, and
Flickr. Post your
pics with hashtag #dithr!
Color Palettes
- Black & white
-
The original palette. Not much needs to be said about it!
- Eight colors
-
A simple palette of the six basic “full value” colors—red, green,
blue, cyan, magenta, yellow—along with black and white.
- Optimized
-
This algorithm goes through your image (or live camera frame) and
picks out 16 representative colors from the image.
- Color Callout
-
A “special effect” mode that lets you tap any spot in your image and
highlight that color, graying out everything else. Great for turning
mundane scenes into dramatic artistic statements!
- Vintage computer palettes
-
When personal computers became widespread in the 1970s and ’80s,
different brands and models used their own distinctive color palettes.
Dithr comes with a few popular historical reenactments to help you
trip down memory lane:
- Apple ][
- VIC-20
- Commodore 64
About the Project
Dithr was coded and designed by
Chris Lewis.
The font used on this site is
Output by
David Jonathan Ross. Use good fonts, and
pay for them!
“App Store” and the iPhone image are trademarks of Apple Inc.