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Posterize

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Color

Reduces the number of color levels for a flat, stylized look, with optional dithering.

Posterize reduces the number of distinct values each channel can have. At 8 levels, you get the classic poster/pop-art effect. At 2 levels, each channel is binary (on/off). Higher values create subtler banding.

Per-channel mode lets you set different level counts for R, G, and B independently. Dithering adds a subtle pattern to reduce visible banding.

Parameters

Section titled “Parameters”

Pins

ImageImage
InputRequired
MaskMask
InputOptional
ImageImage
Output

Color

LevelsInteger
Default: 32 Range: 2–256
When Per Channel is off

Distinct values per R, G, B channel. Applied independently to each channel; total unique colors can be up to levels cubed (e.g. 2 = up to 8, 4 = up to 64). 8 = classic poster effect. 256 = no change (passthrough)

Per ChannelToggle
Default: false

Enable separate level controls for Red, Green, and Blue. Off: all channels use the same number of levels

Red LevelsInteger
Default: 32 Range: 2–256
When Per Channel is on

Distinct values for the red channel. 2 = on/off, 256 = unchanged

Green LevelsInteger
Default: 32 Range: 2–256
When Per Channel is on

Distinct values for the green channel. 2 = on/off, 256 = unchanged

Blue LevelsInteger
Default: 32 Range: 2–256
When Per Channel is on

Distinct values for the blue channel. 2 = on/off, 256 = unchanged

DitherToggle
Default: false

Apply ordered (Bayer 4x4) dithering to reduce visible banding between color levels. Creates a stippled pattern that simulates more colors than the level count allows

Mask

Mask FitChoice
Default: None (native size)
Mask connected

How the mask is sized when it doesn't match the image. None: center at native size, no scaling. Stretch: scale to exactly match image dimensions. Fit: scale to fit inside image, preserving aspect ratio. Fill: scale to fill image, cropping overflow

  • None (native size)Center the mask at its native size — no resizing. Unmasked regions are unaffected.
  • StretchStretch the mask to exactly match the image dimensions. May distort the mask shape.
  • Fit (letterbox)Scale the mask to fit inside the image, preserving aspect ratio. Letterboxes where needed.
  • Fill (crop)Scale the mask to fill the image, preserving aspect ratio. Crops edges if aspect ratios differ.

Usage Tips

Section titled “Usage Tips”
  • Low levels (2–4) create bold graphic effects; 8–16 creates subtle stylization.
  • Enable dithering to smooth out color transitions at low level counts.
  • Combine with Quantize for even more control over the final palette.
  • Connect a mask input to posterize only specific regions, useful for selective stylization.
Section titled “Related Nodes”