Image to Byte Array for Arduino OLED (image2cpp Alternative)

By Ashish · May 19, 2026 · 6 min read · Tools

Converting an image to a byte array for Arduino OLED is the first step for any custom graphic. Tools like image2cpp excel at single static bitmaps. But makers building OLED animations need multiple frames, timing, and a playback loop — not just one drawBitmap() call.

What is image to byte array?

A monochrome OLED stores pixels as bits packed into bytes. For 128×64, that is 1024 bytes per frame in PROGMEM. Arduino sketches reference these arrays and pass them to display.drawBitmap(x, y, array, w, h, color).

image2cpp: great for one image

image2cpp (by javl, widely used on GitHub) is the classic convert image to c++ arduino oled workflow:

1. Upload PNG
2. Set threshold and size
3. Copy generated Arduino array

For a logo or static icon, it is perfect. For animation, you repeat the process per frame and write loop code yourself.

When you need an image2cpp alternative

• Multi-frame oled animations from GIF or PNG sequence
• Timeline with adjustable FPS
• Export for U8g2, Adafruit SSD1306, or MicroPython framebuf
• SH1106 offset handled automatically
• ZIP download with full project, not one array

Using OLED Animation Maker as alternative

On oledanimationmaker.com:

1. Import — PNG or GIF → automatic byte arrays per frame
2. Draw — built-in oled pixel editor if you design from scratch
3. Animate — timeline, FPS, preview
4. Get the Code — full sketch with arrays + loop

Same core output as image2cpp, plus animation workflow and library choice.

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Related

• GIF to OLED Arduino
• SSD1306 animation guide
• Arduino OLED display tutorial