Rasterizing and antialiasing vector line art in the pixel art style

Abstract

Pixel artists rasterize vector shapes by hand to minimize artifacts at low resolutions and emphasize the aesthetics of visible pixels. We describe Superpixelator, an algorithm that automates this process by rasterizing vector line art at a low resolution pixel art style. Our technique successfully eliminates most rasterization artifacts and draws smoother curves. To draw shapes more effectively, we use optimization techniques to preserve shape properties such as symmetry, aspect ratio, and sharp angles. Our algorithm also supports ''manual antialiasing, the style of antialiasing used in pixel art. Professional pixel artists report that Superpixelator's results are as good, or better, than hand-rasterized drawings by artists.