Open the free square face generator and follow along.
Open Square Face Generator and set the pixel grid to 32x32 for a crisp retro PFP; you can export at 512x512 later. Choose one face shape from four options: square, round, oval, or angled. Then pick eyes, brows, mouth, hair, and accessories. For Discord/TikTok recognition, limit busy details: 2 eye pixels per eye, 1-3 hair colors, and no more than 2 accessories, such as glasses plus an earring. Use the randomize button 5-10 times, screenshot 3 favorites, then edit manually. Check the silhouette at 64x64: if the hair, hat, or headphones disappear, simplify the shape by removing 1-2 pixels. Name each draft by platform, for example discord_pixel_v1, tiktok_pixel_v2, github_pixel_v3. This keeps revisions organized before you move to color.
Build a palette of 6-10 colors: 1 background, 2 skin tones, 2 hair tones, 1-2 clothing colors, 1 accent, and black/white for eyes. Use a minimum 3:1 contrast ratio between the face and background. For Discord dark mode, avoid pure black outlines on dark gray; use #1A1A1A or add a 1px light rim. TikTok crops profile photos into a circle, so keep the focal face inside the central 80% and choose a solid background like #FFFFFF, #FFD166, or #1E90FF. Use one accent color, such as cyan #00E5FF, for glasses or an earring. Test at 48x48 by zooming out; if the mouth vanishes, darken it by 20%. Save the hex list so future avatars match your brand.
Use PNG, not JPEG, so pixel edges stay sharp. Keep the canvas 1:1 square. For most PFPs, export 512x512 or 1024x1024: a 32x32 avatar upscaled 16x equals 512x512, and a 64x64 avatar upscaled 16x equals 1024x1024. Turn off anti-aliasing or use nearest-neighbor scaling. If your tool offers transparent background, export one transparent PNG for Discord and GitHub, plus one solid-background PNG for TikTok. Add 8-16px padding around the head so circular crops do not cut hair or accessories. Name files clearly, like pfp_discord_512.png and pfp_tiktok_1080.png. Check file size: keep each under 2MB for fast uploads; a 512x512 PNG often lands between 30KB and 150KB. Review the exported file at 100% zoom before uploading.
Discord: open User Settings > My Account > Edit User Profile > Change Avatar. Upload your 512x512 PNG; Discord accepts PNG/JPG/GIF up to 8MB, but 512x512 keeps it fast and sharp. Check the circular preview, then save changes. TikTok: tap Profile > Edit Profile > Change Photo. Upload a 1080x1080 PNG or JPG; TikTok needs at least 200x200, but square 1080x1080 avoids blur. Keep the face centered because TikTok crops to a circle; if the avatar looks too small, increase head size by 10-15% and re-export. On both platforms, use the same avatar for 7-14 days so followers recognize you. Then update your bio or username color to match your new PFP palette.
GitHub: go to Settings > Public profile > Profile picture > Upload a photo. It accepts PNG/JPG/GIF up to 1MB, so use your 512x512 PNG or a compressed 1024x1024 version. Crop so the top of the hair and chin stay inside the circle. Final checks: view each PFP at 48x48, 128x128, and 512x512; confirm the eyes remain visible in dark mode; test circular and square crops; keep transparent PNG for Discord and GitHub, solid background for TikTok; and save source files in 32x32 or 64x64 so you can edit later. Update all three platforms within 10 minutes to keep branding consistent. Re-check after 24 hours to ensure compression has not softened the pixels.