libresprite.dev
v1.3

Documentation

LibreSprite documentation

An unofficial but complete manual for LibreSprite 1.3, written from the app itself: every menu, tool, shortcut and option was checked in 1.3 on Linux, Windows and macOS. The project’s own wiki has five pages, last edited in September 2021, and LibreSprite’s Help menu points there.

Checked with LibreSprite 1.3Updated
On this page 6 sections
  1. Start here
  2. Drawing and editing
  3. Files and output
  4. Customise and extend
  5. What changed in 1.3
  6. Coming from Aseprite?

Start here

15 minutesGetting startedNew sprite, palette, drawing, layers, frames, onion skin, saving and exporting. TourThe interfaceThe colour bar, tool bar, timeline, status bar and Preview window, labelled. ReferenceKeyboard shortcutsAll 206 bindings on a live keyboard, searchable and printable.

Drawing and editing

ToolsThe 23 tools, their options and keys. LayersAdd, reorder, hide, merge; background vs transparent layers. Palettes & colourBuilt-in palettes, import, replace colour, colour modes, dithering. Canvas & selectionSprite size vs canvas size, crop, rotate, flip, selections. AnimationFrames, timeline, onion skin, frame duration and tags. Menu referenceEvery command in every menu, with its shortcut.

Files and output

Export & importPNG, GIF, sprite sheets with JSON, importing images and sheets. File formatsWhat opens and saves, tested format by format. Command lineBatch export and automation without opening the window.

Customise and extend

PreferencesEvery setting, UI scale, language, settings file. ThemesInstall a dark, light or community theme. ScriptingJavaScript scripts, the console and the API. MCP server (AI)Driving LibreSprite from AI assistants (development version). Drawing tabletsPen pressure and tablet setup. GuidesStep-by-step tasks: outlines, tilesets, sprite sheets for Godot and Unity.

What changed in 1.3

  • Security fixes: zip-slip, shell injection, image codec memory safety and script sandbox escapes.
  • Mac builds for Apple Silicon and, new, Intel; a signing step for the Apple Silicon DMG.
  • Expanded symmetry options; a Tiled Mode shortcut; brush size limit raised to 256 px.
  • First-run UI scale and Windows high-DPI fixes; an option to invert scrolling.
  • Type or paste a path in the file selector; layers inside groups become top-level layers when an .aseprite file is opened.

Full list on Releases.

Coming from Aseprite?

LibreSprite’s interface is Aseprite’s as of 2016, so menus and most keys will feel familiar: Pencil is B, Eraser E, Paint Bucket G, onion skin F3, the timeline Tab, Export Sprite Sheet Ctrl+Alt+E. What you will miss: layer groups, tilemap layers, slices, the gradient tool and Lua scripting. The full comparison.

Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us: hello@libresprite.dev. We fix mistakes within a day.