Save, open, and export
Open a file
Section titled “Open a file”Choose File > Open. Pixelithra supports native .pxlithra, PNG, JPEG, PSD/PSB, and supported static or animated ASE/ASEPRITE files.
You can also double-click a .pxlithra file in Windows after launching Pixelithra once. Files open in tabs at 100% zoom. If you move the portable app, launch it once from its new location to update the file association.
Photoshop and Aseprite imports support a subset of their source formats. Check interchange limits before transferring layered artwork or animation. Unsupported features are rejected.
Import a sprite sheet as animation
Section titled “Import a sprite sheet as animation”Choose File > Import Sprite Sheet… to split a horizontal strip, vertical strip or regular grid into animation frames. Set columns/rows or a frame size in pixels, check the slicing preview, and choose the frame duration.
The import creates a new editable animation without changing the source image. See sprite-sheet import for suggested frame sizes, margins, spacing, empty frames and preview zoom.
Save an editable source
Section titled “Save an editable source”Choose File > Save to keep layers, editable paths, the document palette, animation frames and timing in a .pxlithra file. On the first save, choose a name and location. Use File > Save As to save another native copy.
Older native files still open. Earlier versions of Pixelithra may not read files saved by the current version.
An asterisk in a tab indicates unsaved changes.
Export a copy
Section titled “Export a copy”Choose a format from File > Export:
| Format | Use |
|---|---|
| PNG | Lossless flat image with transparency |
| JPEG | Flat image over a white background; transparency is not retained |
| PSD/PSB | Static layered exchange and supported Photoshop Frame Animation import/export; geometry rasterizes in the exported copy |
| ASE/ASEPRITE | Static or animated pixel-layer exchange with timing; paths/live fills rasterize in the copy |
| PNG sequence | Numbered composite frames plus a timing manifest |
| GIF | Composite frames with limited colors, transparency and timing precision |
PNG and JPEG export the displayed frame by default. Their export dialog offers 1×, 2×, 4× or 8× nearest-neighbor scaling and shows the output dimensions. A 32 × 32 sprite at 4× produces a crisp 128 × 128 image while its native source stays 32 × 32. The view zoom has no effect on export dimensions.
Choose a format in File > Export, then set Scope in its options. For PNG or JPEG from an animation, choose Current frame · all layers or export the first selected frame. The dialog shows the frame number. For animation outputs, Selected frames and layers exports the selected layers in each selected frame, keeping sequence order and supported timing. Export scope does not crop to a raster selection. Hidden layers remain hidden. When a selected live fill depends on other boundary layers, include those layers too.
File > Export Sprite Sheet… creates a horizontal, vertical or matrix PNG sheet. Choose its Scope in the sprite-sheet dialog; its preview updates to match. See animation export for timing, transparency, padding and interchange limits.
Scaling changes only the exported PNG/JPEG copy. Other formats keep their pixel dimensions.
Export does not replace the native save destination or mark unsaved source changes as saved. Keep your native file when you need to continue editing.
Close safely
Section titled “Close safely”When you close a modified tab, close all documents or exit, Pixelithra asks whether to save or discard changes. Cancel leaves the document open.
Recover interrupted work
Section titled “Recover interrupted work”Use File > Recover Documents… when recovery data is available. Restore opens an unsaved copy and preserves the original. Review the restored artwork and save it to the intended native destination.