Runs in your browser · Nothing uploaded
Make art that hides on the timeline — hold and tap to reveal
This tool builds a large indexed PNG whose one-pixel transparency mesh is filtered out of X's timeline rendition but remains in the original when opened. Paint what everyone should see; the rest waits for a hold and tap.
Free · Runs entirely in your browser · Your image is never uploaded
A free creator tool by PixAI
Make your hidden image
Upload art, paint what should always be visible, and export. Four steps, about a minute.
Drop an image here, or upload
PNG, JPEG, or WebP
Painted area = always visible. Unpainted area = hidden until tapped.
How it looks on X
Optimized to about a 2400px long edge so X's downsampled timeline rendition filters the hidden mesh.
The X mobile app can convert transparent PNGs to JPEG. Save the original PNG to Files or Downloads, then upload it from x.com in your browser.
Post the original PNG to X
Use the exported file exactly as downloaded—do not resize, edit, or screenshot it. On a phone, save it to Files or Downloads and upload it from x.com in the browser; the X app can convert it to JPEG.
Suggested post text
Hold and tap to see what's hidden in this one 👀 (made with PixAI's free hidden image tool)
Copy the text above, then post it with the original PNG on x.com.
Open X Opens in a new tabMade by PixAI
The free tool you just used is built by PixAI
PixAI is an AI anime art platform used by millions of creators. Describe a scene in your own words and get illustration-quality art in seconds, then keep refining it with the same account you used for this tool.
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Text to anime art in seconds
Type what you want to see. PixAI turns it into polished anime-style illustration, no prompt engineering degree required.
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Thousands of styles and characters
Pick from a huge community library of models and LoRAs, from soft watercolor to crisp cel-shaded, or train your own character.
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Real control over the result
Image-to-image, inpainting, pose and composition control, upscaling. Fix the one thing you don't like instead of rerolling forever.
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Free credits every day
Start generating without paying anything. Daily free credits refresh, and you keep full rights to use what you create.
Free account, no credit card, works in your browser.
How to make a hidden image
The whole flow runs in this page. Nothing to install, nothing uploaded.
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Upload your image
Choose the illustration you want to hide. Loading and editing both happen inside your browser, so your file is never sent to a server.
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Paint what stays visible
Brush over the parts you want everyone to see in the timeline. Painted areas keep their original color on any background; unpainted areas become the hidden layer.
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Check every preview
Compare the timeline approximation with the opened image. The unpainted layer should stay out of the timeline rendition and return after opening; painted fragments remain visible.
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Export and post the original PNG
Export downloads a transparent PNG optimized to about 2400px on the long edge. Upload that exact file to X without resizing, editing, or taking a screenshot.
Why this works
The verified X reference uses an indexed PNG with a transparency table containing only two values: fully transparent and fully opaque. The hidden layer is not stored under invisible pixels. It is distributed across a fine pattern of transparent and opaque samples.
The export is about 2400px on its long edge and carries a one-pixel transparency mesh. X's downsampled timeline rendition averages that mesh away, while opening the original keeps the alternating samples, which blend back into the illustration. Painted mask areas remain fully opaque original color in both states.
At the default 100% color retention, opaque mesh samples keep the full original hue so the opened image stays in color. Lowering Color retention toward 0% makes the timeline hiding cleaner; keeping it high preserves more color but makes the mesh easier to notice if a platform displays the original instead of X's downsampled rendition.
What creators use this for
One image, two states. That gap turns out to be useful in a lot of small ways.
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Spoiler protection
Post fan art of a new episode without spoiling anyone's timeline. Only the people who choose to tap will see it.
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Surprise variants
The thumbnail shows one version of your character; tapping reveals the alternate outfit, the before-and-after, or the punchline.
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A message for followers
Hide a thank-you note or an anniversary line inside the art, as a small reward for the people who look closely.
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Announcements worth tapping
Tease a release date, a new merch drop, or an event by making people open the image to read it.
Open this tool on your phone
Editing on a phone is often easier for touch drawing. Scan the code or copy the link.
https://pixai.art/en/tools/hidden-image-maker
On a phone already? Just start above.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free?
Yes. The tool is completely free, and it's made by PixAI, an AI anime art platform. Creating a free PixAI account lets you export your image and also unlocks AI image generation with free daily credits.
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. Loading, editing, and exporting all happen inside your own browser using canvas APIs. Your image file never leaves your device.
Can I post it from my phone?
Yes, but use x.com in your mobile browser rather than the X app. Save the original PNG to Files or Downloads, then upload that exact file without resizing, editing, or taking a screenshot.
Why is the export resized to about 2400px?
X serves small, medium, large, or original media depending on the client. The export is sized so X's downsampled timeline rendition averages the one-pixel mesh away, while the opened original keeps it. Upload the exact exported file without resizing.
What do dark mode users see?
The one-pixel checker mesh is sized to disappear from X's downsampled timeline renditions in both light and dark themes. If it appears early, confirm that you uploaded the exact exported PNG rather than a screenshot or edited copy.
The hidden part still shows a faint ghost. How do I fix it?
Lower the Color retention slider in Advanced settings and upload the exact export without modifying it. Higher color retention makes the hidden mesh easier to notice when a platform displays the original instead of a downsampled rendition.
Does it work on Instagram, Discord, or other platforms?
It depends on whether the platform preserves PNG transparency and what background it uses. Discord's dark theme, for example, shows the hidden layer immediately. X's light timeline plus dark viewer is the combination this trick is built around.
Can I use the exported image commercially?
The tool adds no restrictions of its own — you keep whatever rights you had to the original art. If you generate the artwork on PixAI, PixAI's terms give you the rights to use your generated images.