Split a Sprite Sheet into Separate Sprites
Photobun works as a free sprite sheet cutter that follows the actual shapes instead of a fixed grid. Select › All Objects finds every sprite on a transparent or plain background and numbers them, and Extract to Boards places each one on its own board at the size you choose, ready to export as individual PNG files.
How to Split a Sprite Sheet into Separate Sprites
- Click Open a sprite sheet; every object is selected and numbered automatically.
- Check the tinted pieces, and fix any that are merged or split by editing the selection.
- Choose Select › Extract to Boards and set the board size, margin and background.
- Export all boards as PNG to get one file per sprite.
Shape-based detection
Pieces are found by flooding the background in from the edges, so irregular layouts, packed sheets and sprites of different sizes are cut cleanly.
Numbered preview
Each separate piece is tinted and numbered before you extract, so you can see exactly how many sprites will be created.
Uniform output boards
Every sprite is centred on a board of the same size with an optional margin and scale-to-fit, which keeps frames aligned for game engines.
Editable outlines
The Direct Selection Tool turns the selection into Bézier points, so you can reshape a piece's outline before extracting it.
Sprite sheets come from many places: asset packs, AI image generators that draw several poses on one canvas, scanned stickers and icon sets. When the frames aren't on a perfect grid, grid-based slicers cut straight through sprites; detecting shapes avoids that problem.
For game engines such as Unity, Godot or GameMaker, consistent frame sizes matter more than tight bounds. Using one board size for every piece and centring each sprite gives you frames that line up when they are animated.
The same workflow helps outside games too: cutting product shots photographed together on a white table, splitting a sheet of stickers, or separating icons drawn in a single file.
Frequently asked questions
What backgrounds does it work with?
Transparent backgrounds and plain solid colours. A tolerance setting decides how close to the background colour a pixel has to be to count as background.
What if two sprites touch each other?
Touching sprites are detected as one piece. Separate them by subtracting from the selection with the Lasso or Marquee tool, or by reshaping the outline with the Direct Selection Tool.
Can I cut a sheet by a fixed grid instead?
Photobun cuts by shape rather than by rows and columns, which handles uneven sheets well. For a strict grid, use guides and the Rectangular Marquee to select each cell.
Which formats can I export?
PNG keeps transparency and is the usual choice for game sprites. WebP and JPEG are also available, and you can save all the boards together as a layered PSD.