Emote Preview Tool
Upload your emote and see how it looks in realistic Twitch and Discord chat. Test dark mode, light mode, and multiple display sizes — all free in your browser.
Drop your emote here
or click to browse
Upload an emote image to see it in the chat preview above
Why Preview Emotes Before Uploading
Creating the perfect emote is only half the battle — seeing how it actually looks in a real chat environment is equally important. Many emote artists design at large canvas sizes (500px or even 1000px), but Twitch displays emotes at just 28 pixels wide in the chat window. Details that look great on your canvas can become unreadable blobs at chat scale.
The emote preview tool solves this by placing your design into a simulated chat window with real usernames, timestamps, and other messages. This lets you immediately spot issues like thin outlines that disappear, colors that blend into the background, or text that becomes illegible at small sizes — before you upload and discover the problem in front of your viewers.
How Emotes Appear in Twitch Chat
Twitch displays emotes at three different sizes depending on the context. In the chat window, emotes appear at 28x28 pixels — this is the most common view and the one that matters most for readability. When a viewer hovers over an emote, it shows at 56x56 pixels in a tooltip. The emote picker menu displays emotes at their full 112x112 resolution.
Because the 28px chat size is so small, successful emotes use bold outlines, high contrast colors, and simple shapes. Our Twitch chat mockup shows your emote at the actual 28px size used in chat, surrounded by realistic messages, so you can judge readability before uploading to your channel.
Emote Display in Discord Chat
Discord handles emotes differently from Twitch. When an emote appears inline with text, it displays at about 22 pixels. Small reactions show at 32 pixels. But when a message contains only emotes (no text), Discord displays them at 48 pixels in "jumbo" mode. This size variation means your emote needs to look good across a wider range.
Our Discord chat mockup simulates all these scenarios — emotes mixed with text, standalone emotes in jumbo mode, and multiple emotes in a row. This helps you verify that your design works in every context a Discord user might encounter it.
Testing Dark Mode vs Light Mode
Most Twitch viewers use dark mode, but a significant portion use light mode. An emote designed with dark outlines on a transparent background will pop beautifully on dark backgrounds but may look muddy or lost on white. Conversely, emotes with bright colors or white outlines can become invisible against light theme backgrounds.
Testing in both themes before uploading is crucial. Our preview tool lets you toggle between dark and light modes with one click, so you can verify your emote is readable for all viewers regardless of their theme preference. Look especially at the edges of your emote — if the outline or border disappears in either mode, consider adding a subtle contrasting stroke.
Why Size and Clarity Matter for Emotes
The difference between a good emote and a great emote often comes down to clarity at small sizes. At 28 pixels, you have very limited real estate — roughly 784 total pixels to convey an emotion, character, or reaction. Every pixel counts. Thin lines, subtle gradients, and intricate details that look amazing at 112px will likely turn into visual noise at chat scale.
The best emote designs use strong silhouettes, 2-3 primary colors with high contrast, and bold outlines (at least 2px at 112px scale). Test your emote at the smallest size first — if you can instantly recognize what it is and what emotion it conveys at 28px, you have a winner.
Common Emote Design Mistakes to Avoid
The most frequent mistake is designing with too much detail. Fine hair strands, small text, subtle expressions, and complex backgrounds all become unreadable at chat size. Another common issue is using colors that are too similar — what appears as distinct shades on a large canvas blends together at 28px.
Transparency problems are also widespread. Forgetting to remove the background, having semi-transparent edges that create ugly halos, or using transparency effects that look different on dark vs light backgrounds can all ruin an otherwise great emote. Always preview your emote on both dark and light backgrounds to catch these issues early.
Professional Tips for Emote Artists
Professional emote artists always work at high resolution (at least 512x512) but constantly check their work at the target display size. Many artists keep a small preview window open while drawing to spot issues immediately. Use bold, clean outlines (2-3px at 112px scale) and limit your color palette to 4-6 colors maximum.
Consider the emotional impact at a glance — viewers will see your emote for only a fraction of a second as chat scrolls by. The expression or action should be instantly recognizable. Test your emotes with friends or in a small community before going live. And always preview in both Twitch and Discord if your emotes will be used on both platforms, since the display sizes and rendering differ.
How to Use the Emote Preview Tool
Using our emote preview tool is simple: upload your emote image (PNG, JPG, GIF, or WebP), choose between Twitch and Discord chat mockups, toggle dark or light mode, and select the display size. Your emote immediately appears in a realistic chat simulation with multiple messages.
For the most accurate preview, upload your emote at its final intended resolution (112x112 for Twitch, 128x128 for Discord). The tool will display it at the correct chat sizes. No account needed, no watermarks, and your image never leaves your browser — everything is processed locally on your device.
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