Pixel art · Photo · 4 × 2 widget

Pixel art photo widget

By the WidgetCraft team · Updated November 13, 2026

A pixel art photo widget frames a favorite picture with a short caption. 8-bit game screens: pixel fonts, chunky meters and limited palettes. This page gives the exact colors, type settings and layers, with a preview drawn from the same values.

Pixel art photo widget design preview: 8-bit game screens: pixel fonts, chunky meters and limited palettes. — Design preview drawn from the recipe below. Example values are shown; your widget uses live data.

What a pixel art photo widget shows

A photo widget puts a person, place or pet on the home screen without making it the wallpaper. The frame, the crop and the caption decide whether it feels designed or just pasted in.

You pick the picture with Android's photo picker, so WidgetCraft needs no storage permission, and the photo stays on your phone. It is a free element.

How the pixel art style shapes it

Pixel art widgets look like a handheld game console from the late 1980s. Text uses a pixel font, progress is shown as blocks or hearts, and the palette is a few flat greens or bright arcade colors.

Photos: Avoid photos; use flat pixel sprites or a solid color block instead.
Text: Use a pixel font in capitals and keep words short; pixel fonts are wide.

Pixel art photo widget recipe

Layer	Settings
Canvas	360 × 200, background #D8E8C0, corner radius 0, outline 4 pt #22331F, shadow #22331F offset 6/6 with radius 0
Layout	caption on the left, photo on the right
Image	190 × 160, corner radius 0, crop to fill, 3 pt outline
Text	place label, size 12, color #55704A
Text	caption in two lines, Press Start 2P, size 24, color #22331F
Shape	rule 28 × 3 in #D64545
Text	date, size 12, color #55704A
Ornament	four 12 × 12 dark squares in the corners for a notched pixel frame, and two small red squares as status lights
Font	Press Start 2P (import the font file), or the built-in Mono
Home screen size	4 × 2 cells

Pixel art color palette

Screen green #D8E8C0Background
Mid green #B8CFA0Surface and tracks
Dark pixel #22331FText
Moss #55704ALabels
Heart red #D64545Accent

How to make a pixel art photo widget in WidgetCraft

Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 360 × 200, the background to #D8E8C0 and the corner radius to 0. Add a 4-point outline.
Tap Add and choose Image. Pick your photo, size it to 190 × 160 and set crop to fill.
Set the image corner radius to 0 and add a thin outline. Drag the crop so the subject is centered.
Add a Text caption at size 24 in #22331F using Press Start 2P.
Add a small place label above and a date below, both at size 12 in #55704A, with a short rule in #D64545 between them.
Add the pixel art ornament with Shape layers and move them below the other layers in Layers: four 12 × 12 dark squares in the corners for a notched pixel frame, and two small red squares as status lights.
Tap Save, then Add to home screen and resize the widget on your launcher if needed.

Everything in this recipe works in the free version.

Tips for pixel art photo widgets

Import Press Start 2P or Silkscreen for authentic pixel type.
Keep every edge square and every color flat.
Choose a photo whose subject sits in the middle; widgets crop the edges.
Portrait photos suit 2 × 2 or tall widgets better than wide ones.
Very large images make widgets slow; let the app resize the photo when asked.
Do not use smooth gradients or rounded corners.
Do not use more than four colors in one widget.

Ready-made Retro Pixel templates

WidgetCraft includes a Retro Pixel template pack you can import and edit instead of starting from a blank canvas.

Habit experience23 editable layers

Launch pad18 editable layers

Pocket power HUD36 editable layers

Questions about the pixel art photo widget

What size is a pixel art photo widget?

It is designed for 4 × 2 home screen cells on a 360 × 200 canvas. You can resize it on the launcher and the design scales in proportion.

Which colors does it use?

Screen green (#D8E8C0) for the background, Dark pixel (#22331F) for the main text, Moss (#55704A) for labels and Heart red (#D64545) as the accent.

Is it free to make?

Yes. Photo widgets use free features in WidgetCraft, and the pixel art styling is free too.

What else is this style called?

People also search for 8-bit photo widget, retro pixel photo widget, pixel photo widget, game style photo widget. They describe the same look as this pixel art photo widget.