How to make a Discord emoji from an image
Make a custom Discord emoji from any picture: crop it to a square or fit it with transparent padding, resize to 128×128 and stay under Discord's 256 KB emoji limit.
- Drop, paste or choose an image — a PNG with a transparent background works best.
- Choose “Crop to square” to fill the emoji, or “Fit inside” to keep the whole image with transparent padding.
- Keep 128×128 and PNG, or pick WebP for photos.
- Download, then in Discord open Server Settings → Emoji → Upload Emoji.
How the compressor hits an exact size
The tool decodes your image in the browser, then re-encodes it with the browser's own JPEG, WebP or PNG encoder. For JPEG and WebP it runs a binary search on the quality setting — usually 6 to 10 test encodes — and keeps the highest quality whose file is at or under your target. If even a low quality (40%) is still too large, it reduces the pixel dimensions by the amount the byte count suggests, then searches quality again, so you get the largest picture that fits rather than a blocky one. PNG is lossless, so for PNG only the dimensions change. If your file is already under the target and you keep the same format, the original is returned untouched.
Everything happens on your device with the Canvas API; nothing is uploaded, and the re-encoded file does not carry the original EXIF metadata (camera, GPS).
Frequently asked questions
What size is a Discord emoji?
Discord recommends 128×128 pixels and requires custom emojis to be under 256 KB (at time of writing, October 2026). In chat they display at about 32 px, or larger when sent alone, so bold, simple images work best.
How do I keep a transparent background?
Use PNG or WebP output. JPEG cannot store transparency. If your source image has a white background, remove it in an editor first; this tool keeps whatever transparency the image already has.
Can I make animated emojis here?
Not yet. This tool outputs still images. Animated emojis are GIFs and also need to be under 256 KB.
Who can upload custom emojis?
Anyone with the Create Expressions permission in a server. Every server starts with 50 static emoji slots, and boosting adds more.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser using the Canvas API. The image never leaves your device, which also makes it safe for ID photos and signatures.
Is it free?
Yes. Compressing one image at a time is free with no signup and no watermark. Gridloom Pro adds batch compression of many images with a single ZIP download.