How to Turn a Photo into Anime or Cartoon Art

What photo-to-anime AI actually does

Style transfer does not trace your photo. It reads the main shapes, such as the face, hair, clothes, pose and background, and draws a new image that keeps them in a different visual language: clean outlines and flat colour for anime, rounded volumes for a 3D cartoon, chunky squares for pixel art, loose brushstrokes for an impressionist painting.

Because the image is drawn again, it is a creative interpretation. The main features of your photo stay recognisable, but faces, poses, backgrounds and details change with the style, and two photos of the same person can come out quite differently.

Choose a photo that converts well

• One clear main subject: a single person, a pet, a couple or a landmark. Crowds and tiny faces lose their features.
• A face you can see: eyes visible, no heavy shadow across it, not hidden behind sunglasses or a hand.
• Good, even light. A backlit silhouette or a dark bar photo gives the AI little to work with; our guide on fixing flat or dull lighting can help.
• A sharp photo, at least 128 px a side. JPG, PNG or WebP; larger photos are scaled to at most 1600 px before upload.
• A simple background usually gives a cleaner drawing. A busy street turns into many small, busy shapes.
• Your own photo, or one you have the rights to. Use photos of other people only with their consent.

Step by step: turn your photo into anime

1. Upload your photo

   Open Photo to anime and add the photo. Crop it first if the subject is small in the frame.

2. Pick a style

   Anime is the default; eight more styles are listed below. After signing in you see the exact credit price before the run.

3. Apply the style

   It usually takes 20 to 60 seconds. Failed generations aren't charged — held credits come back automatically. Your result is kept for 24 hours to download.

4. Compare and save

   Compare the artwork with your photo. If you like it, download it; if not, try a different style on the same photo, since each style treats faces differently.

The nine styles and what they suit

All of these are generic style names. We do not offer styles named after any studio, artist, brand or character, and the results are AI-generated. If you want a softer, simpler cartoon, Cartoon photo is another option.

• Anime: clean lines, large expressive eyes and soft cel shading; the classic choice for avatars.
• Anime character: a stronger character look that puts the person at the centre, good for profile pictures.
• Hand-drawn animation: softer, painterly backgrounds and a warm, traditional animation feel.
• Cartoon: simple shapes and bold outlines for playful posts and stickers.
• 3D cartoon: rounded, toy-like volumes, popular for family and pet photos.
• Comic book: ink lines, strong shadows and punchy colour.
• Claymation: a handmade, modelling-clay look.
• Pixel art: a retro game look built from visible squares.
• Impressionist painting: loose brushstrokes and soft light, for landscapes and travel photos.

Limitations and fair use

• Likeness varies. The artwork keeps the main features of your photo, but faces, poses, backgrounds and details change with the style, and results vary from photo to photo.
• Hands, glasses, jewellery, text on clothing and small background details are the most likely to be altered or simplified.
• Group photos with several small faces often come out less recognisable than a single close portrait.
• The result is up to 2048 px on the long side, in the standard shape closest to your photo (square, 3:4, 4:3, 9:16 or 16:9), so the edges may be slightly trimmed or extended.
• Do not use the artwork to impersonate someone or to suggest that a real person said or did something.

Frequently asked questions