ｍｕｓｅ

a minimalist image processor

overview

muse is a high-performance image manipulation tool, it provides various dithering algorithms, effects, and color grading capabilities while maintaining minimal dependencies and blazing-fast execution.

before & after

using the catppuccin palette:

before	after

key features

• advanced dithering algorithms (floyd-steinberg, bayer, ordered, jjn, sierra, atkinson, stucki)
• lospec.com palette compatibility
• vintage film emulation:
  • super 8 grain effect
  • super panavision 70 vignetting
• comprehensive color grading
• palette extraction from images
• lightweight implementation in pure c

installation

prerequisites

• c compiler (gcc/clang)
• make
• git

build from source

git clone https://github.com/getjared/muse.git
cd muse
make
sudo make install

usage

basic operations

# standard conversion with floyd-steinberg dithering
muse input.jpg output.png catppuccin.txt

# bayer dithering
muse input.jpg output.png nord.txt bayer

# ordered dithering
muse input.jpg output.png spooky-13.txt ordered

# no dithering
muse input.jpg output.png croma16.txt nodither

# extract palette
muse input.jpg -E palette.txt

effects

blur effect

muse -b 3 input.jpg output.png nord.txt

film effects

# super 8 film grain
muse -s 3 input.png output.png croma16.txt

# super panavision 70
muse -p 2 input.png output.png nord.txt

# combined effects
muse -b 3 -s 2 -p 4 input.png output.png spooky-13.txt

color adjustments

parameter	flag	range	default
brightness	-B	-255.0 to 255.0	0.0
contrast	-C	0.0 to 5.0	1.0
saturation	-S	0.0 to 5.0	1.0

# example with all adjustments
muse -B 10.0 -C 1.2 -S 1.1 input.png output.png nord.txt

dithering algorithms

algorithm	description	best for
floyd	floyd-steinberg (default)	general purpose, smooth gradients
bayer	ordered matrix pattern	retro graphics, consistent texture
ordered	8x8 threshold matrix	uniform pattern distribution
jjn	jarvis, judice, and ninke	enhanced detail preservation
sierra	sierra dithering	balanced error diffusion
stucki	stucki dithering	high-quality error diffusion
atkinson	atkinson dithering	classic mac-style dithering
nodither	direct color mapping	sharp color boundaries

palette system

location

palettes are stored in /usr/local/share/muse/palettes

custom palette format

;paint.net palette file
;palette name: custom theme
;colors: 16
ff000000    ; black
ff1a1b26    ; background
ff415166    ; muted blue
ffff9b82    ; coral
[...additional colors...]

palette extraction

# extract and display
muse input.jpg -E

# extract to file
muse input.jpg -E custom.txt

supported formats

input

• jpg/jpeg
• png
• bmp
• tga

output

• png (lossless)
• jpg (lossy, 95% quality)
• bmp (uncompressed)
• tga (lossless)

acknowledgments

• stb_image - image loading
• stb_image_write - image saving

╭──────────────────────╮
│ crafted with care    │
│ by jared             │
╰──────────────────────╯