Comparison between "sharp edges" and "blocky" image rendering

The CSS image-rendering property has three currently proposed values according to the information found on MDN: auto, crisp-edges, and pixelated. However, I am unable to discern a clear distinction between crisp-edges and pixelated as both options are intended to simply scale up pixels without any interpolation.

This raises the question of where exactly the difference lies between the two settings.

Answer №1

Although @codl's response is accurate, it lacks some key information. As outlined in the specification, the distinction between crisp-edges and pixelated spans beyond just a single factor.

  1. crisp-edges facilitates pixel scaling techniques that differ significantly from nearest-neighbor. Other non-smoothing pixel scalers like the hqx family and EPX/Scale2x can be utilized. On the contrary, pixelated is limited to nearest-neighbor or similar methods.

  2. crisp-edges is applicable for both upscaling and downscaling, while pixelated specifically caters to upscaling scenarios. It deploys the same algorithm as auto during downscaling operations.

The rationale behind these distinctions lies in the fact that pixelated was primarily crafted for pixelated sprites, designed to maintain their characteristic pixilation even at larger sizes. Conversely, crisp-edges aims to preserve sharpness along the edges of images to prevent blurring. While a small sprite may lose clarity when downscaled (which doesn't diminish its inherent pixelation), employing a pixel-art scaling method can uphold crisp edges but reduce overall pixilation—contrary to the essence of pixelated.

Nevertheless, there are emerging use cases for pixelated that transcend sprite applications, leveraging its dual scaling algorithms. For instance, in HiDPI environments, conventional consensus asserts that auto upscaling to standard DPI results in blurry icons. By leveraging pixelated, icons can upscale without losing clarity, yet undergo normal downscaling processes. This empowers CSS to employ diverse scaling algorithms sans the need for JavaScript intervention to ascertain original image size or final display dimensions.

Answer №2

As stated in the specification, it appears that using the crisp-edge value enables smooth scaling algorithms suitable for pixel art such as 2xSaI and HQ2X; on the other hand, the pixelated option only supports common nearest-neighbour scaling.

Answer №3

There was a specification change in February 2021.

The definition of crisp-edges has been updated to mean "use nearest neighbor," while pixelated now means "maintain a pixelated appearance," indicating that an alternative to nearest neighbor filtering can be used if desired to keep the image looking pixelated.

As of the current year (2022), crisp-edges (only supported in Firefox) and pixelated (supported in Chrome/Edge and Safari) are actually functioning as nearest neighbor filters.

However, it's important to note that when using image-rendering: crisp-edges to scale up images, users may not see the expected results due to the conversion from CSS pixels to device pixels based on the devicePixelRatio, which may not always be an integer value.

For instance, scaling a 128x128 pixel image to 256x256 with image-rendering: pixelated may not result in each original pixel being scaled to 2x2 due to variations in devicePixelRatio among different devices.

An example is provided below with a 64x64.png image and various scaling methods:

  1. Default (image-rendering: smooth)
  2. Image-rendering: pixelated
  3. Image-rendering: crisp-edges
  4. Offline scaling to 256x256 then scaled back to 128x128 using default (image-rendering: smooth)

.inline {
  display: inline-block;
  border: 1px solid red;
  text-align: center;
  padding: 10px;
}
<div class="inline">
  <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/akzX9.png"
       style="width: 128px; height: 128px;">
  <div>smooth up</div>
</div>

<div class="inline">
  <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/akzX9.png"
       style="width: 128px; height: 128px; image-rendering: pixelated">
  <div>pixelated up</div>
</div>

<div class="inline">
  <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/akzX9.png"
       style="width: 128px; height: 128px; image-rendering: crisp-edges">
  <div>crisp up</div>
</div>

<div class="inline">
  <img src="https://i.imgur.com/aahR6GT.png"
       style="width: 128px; height: 128px;">
  <div>smooth down</div>
</div>

<p>zoom in/out with Ctrl/Cmd +/-</p>

If you run the snippet and then zoom in your browser (Ctrl/Cmd +/-), you may notice differences in the visual quality of the scaled images depending on the method used.

Furthermore, a JavaScript library for scaling can help enhance the functionality of

image-rendering: pixelated/crisp-edges
by ensuring the image is always scaled to a multiple of device pixels.

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