Tilf (Tiny Elf) is a lightweight, cross-platform pixel art editor developed in Python with PySide6, designed for simplicity, speed, and freedom from account systems or installation overhead. It focuses on enabling artists to create sprites, icons, and small 2D assets quickly, without requiring setup, dependencies, or internet connectivity. Tilf provides a familiar drawing environment with essential tools—such as pencil, eraser, fill, eyedropper, rectangle, and ellipse—along with zoom, grid display, real-time preview, and undo/redo capabilities. It supports importing and exporting images in PNG, JPG, and BMP formats, including transparency options. With its single-executable builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux, Tilf can be run instantly and is ideal for both hobbyist pixel artists and developers needing a quick sketching tool for sprite work. The project emphasizes accessibility and minimalism over complexity, making it approachable even for users with no technical background.
Features
- Grid display, zoom (1–50x), and customizable background color
- Import/export of PNG, JPEG/JPG, and BMP formats (supports transparency)
- Live preview dock with customizable positioning
- Undo/redo with up to 50 history states for non-destructive editing
- Cross-platform single executable for Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux
- Essential drawing tools: pencil, eraser, fill, eyedropper, rectangle, ellipse