What importing a palette means in Aseprite

Importing a palette into Aseprite means loading a set of colors from a file on your computer into the program so you can use those colors to paint. Aseprite comes with built-in palettes, but you can also bring in palettes you downloaded, created elsewhere, or received from someone else. The imported palette appears in your Aseprite workspace and stays there until you remove it or close the file.

A palette file is just a list of colors in a format Aseprite understands — usually .pal, .png, .gif, or .aseprite format. When you import it, you are not moving or changing the original file. You are telling Aseprite to read it and make those colors available to you right now.

Key Takeaways

  • Aseprite accepts palette files in .pal, .png, .gif, .aseprite, and a few other formats, and you can import them through the Palette menu or by dragging the file directly into the workspace.
  • Importing a palette does not change the original file — it only loads the colors into your current Aseprite project.
  • You can import multiple palettes at once and switch between them, or merge a new palette with the one you are already using.
  • If you want to keep a palette with a specific project, you can save it as part of your .aseprite file so it loads automatically next time.

The fastest way: drag and drop

The simplest method is to drag a palette file directly into your Aseprite window. Find the palette file on your computer (in File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac), click and hold it, drag it over the Aseprite window, and release. Aseprite will load the palette into your current project when ready.

This works for .pal, .png, .gif, and .aseprite files. If the drag-and-drop does not work, the file format may not be one Aseprite recognizes, or the file may be corrupted. In that case, use the menu method instead.

Using the Palette menu to import

Open Aseprite and go to the top menu. Click Palette, then look for an option like Open, Load, or Import (the exact wording depends on your Aseprite version). A file browser window will open.

Navigate to the folder where your palette file is stored. Select the file and click Open. Aseprite will load the palette into your workspace. The colors will appear in the color palette panel on the right side of the screen (or wherever you have your panels arranged).

If you do not see a Palette menu, check the Windows menu instead — some versions of Aseprite hide palette tools there. You can also right-click on the palette panel itself and look for import or load options in the context menu.

What happens when you import: replace vs. merge

When you import a palette, Aseprite usually asks whether you want to replace your current palette or merge it. Replace removes all the colors you were using and swaps them for the new palette. Merge adds the new palette's colors to the ones you already have.

If you choose replace and then realize you made a mistake, use Edit > Undo to get your old palette back. If you choose merge, you can always delete the colors you do not want later by right-clicking them in the palette panel and selecting delete.

Saving a palette with your project

If you import a palette and want it to load automatically every time you open that project, you need to save it as part of your .aseprite file. Go to File > Save As and make sure you are saving in .aseprite format (not .png or .gif). Aseprite will bundle the palette with the project file.

When you open that .aseprite file later, the palette will be there waiting for you. If you save as .png or .gif instead, the palette information is lost — only the image itself is saved.

Fixing common import problems

If a palette file will not import, check the file format first. Aseprite handles .pal, .png, .gif, .aseprite, .act, and .gpl files. If your file has a different extension, you may need to convert it using another tool or rename it to one of these formats (though renaming only works if the file is actually in that format underneath).

If the file is the right format but still will not load, the file may be corrupted or incomplete. Try downloading or creating the palette again. If you created the palette yourself in another program, make sure you exported it in a format Aseprite recognizes — some programs default to formats Aseprite cannot read.

If the imported colors look wrong or washed out, the palette file may have been saved with color space information that Aseprite is interpreting differently. This is rare but can happen with palettes created in professional design software. In that case, try opening the palette in a basic image editor, re-exporting it as a .png, and importing that version instead.

Where to find palettes to import

You can find ready-made palettes on sites like Lospec, which hosts thousands of palettes created by pixel artists and game developers. You can also extract palettes from existing images — if you have a .png or .gif file with colors you like, you can import it as a palette and Aseprite will read all the colors in that image.

Many pixel art communities share palettes freely. When you read one, it will usually be a .pal or .png file. Save it somewhere you can find it, then use one of the import methods above to load it into Aseprite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import a palette from a PNG image I already have?

Yes. Go to Palette > Open and select any .png or .gif file. Aseprite will read all the colors in that image and create a palette from them. This is useful if you want to match the colors of an existing piece of art.

What if I import a palette but the colors do not match what I see in the original file?

This usually happens when the original file was saved with color space information (like sRGB or Adobe RGB) that Aseprite interprets differently. Try opening the original file in a basic image editor like Paint or Preview, re-exporting it as a standard .png, and importing that version instead.

Do I have to choose replace or merge, or can I import multiple palettes at once?

You can import one palette at a time, but you can merge as many as you want. Import the first palette, choose merge, then import the second palette and merge again. All the colors will stack up in your palette panel.

Will importing a palette change the colors in my current drawing?

Not if you choose merge. If you choose replace, Aseprite will remap the colors in your image to the closest match in the new palette, which can change how your drawing looks. Use Undo when ready if this happens and choose merge instead.

Can I edit a palette after I import it?

Yes. Right-click any color in the palette panel and you can change it, delete it, or add new colors. These changes only affect the current project unless you save the project as .aseprite format, which stores the palette with the file.