1. Check your animation first
Open your project and review the frames in the timeline. The regular sprite sheet export includes every frame, in document order. Check the animation before exporting so you do not carry an unwanted pose or missing pixel into your game.
You need at least two frames to use Sprite sheet (PNG) and Sprite sheet metadata (JSON). If you are starting with one image, follow the animation guide to make a second frame. For a single still sprite, an ordinary PNG is usually enough.
2. Export the sheet image
- Choose File → Export….
- Set Format to Sprite sheet (PNG).
- Choose Scale → 1x to preserve the original pixel dimensions.
- Choose a Layout: Grid, Horizontal strip or Vertical strip.
- Keep Pixel aspect at Original pixel dimensions (aspect recorded in sprite sheets) for this example, then choose Export.
A horizontal strip is easy to inspect: two 16 × 16 frames at 1x produce a 32 × 16 PNG. A vertical strip of those frames is 16 × 32. Grid arranges frames across rows automatically and can leave unused cells at the end.
3. Export the matching JSON
Open Export again and choose Sprite sheet metadata (JSON). Use the same Scale, Layout and Pixel aspect settings as the PNG, then export. Keep both files together. The JSON refers to the generated PNG filename, so update that reference if you rename the image.
The JSON records information such as frame rectangles, durations and animation tags. It does not contain the image itself. Export the pair again whenever you change the frames or export settings, so the coordinates still match the PNG.
The metadata uses an Aseprite-style structure. Check the importer documentation for your game engine or animation tool to see which structures it accepts. Some workflows use the JSON; others ask you to enter a fixed frame width and height.
4. Consider a packed sheet when needed
Packed sheet (ZIP: PNG + JSON) exports an image and its matching metadata together. Its Trim transparent edges option removes empty borders around individual frames. Padding leaves space between them, while Edge extrusion repeats their edge pixels into a border.
Packed frames can have different sizes and positions, so your receiving tool must understand the metadata to restore their placement. Start with a regular strip if your tool expects equal-size cells. Keep the .pxl project for editing: a packed sheet is a set of composited frames, not a replacement for your original layers.
5. Check the result in your receiving tool
If frames appear cropped or show parts of their neighbours, check the frame size and confirm that the PNG and JSON use identical settings. A sheet exported at 4x also has frames four times wider and taller.
If the artwork looks blurred when enlarged, check the receiving tool's texture filtering or scaling settings. Nearest-neighbour or point filtering keeps pixel edges distinct. Animation timing also depends on how that tool reads frame durations; a PNG alone cannot store your playback sequence.