Why can colors look different in ARK than in the original image?

ARK uses a limited palette with 127 dye colors. Images with millions of shades cannot be reproduced 1:1, so ColorForge maps pixels to the nearest ARK dye color.

Is my image sent to a server?

No. Processing runs in your browser and stays local on your device.

Which file formats are supported?

Supported formats are JPG, PNG, WebP and GIF up to around 15 MB.

Where should I place the exported .pnt file for ARK?

For ARK: Survival Ascended, use SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/ARK Survival Ascended/ShooterGame/Saved/MyPaintings. Note: If the 'MyPaintings' folder can't be found, you can manually create one yourself.

Which ARK target types are supported?

Painting Canvas, Painting Canvas (Dynamic) with a custom size (15–1000 px per side, can also be taken from an existing .pnt), Multi-Panel Flag, Single-Panel Flag, Metal Billboard, Wooden Billboard, Metal Sign, Wooden Sign, Metal Wall Sign, Wooden Wall Sign, Wooden Hanging Sign (both sides painted), the ASA War Map (Sign_WarMap_C), Shag Rug, Raft sail, Spotlight, Bounty Board, War Drums, Easter Egg, Tribe Tower, Drawing Sheet (adjustable size) and body painting for Survivor (Male) and Survivor (Female). Plus the Frontier, Pirate and Lost Colony skins for large, small and wall signs — they use the same .pnt as the base sign.

Can I paint my survivor?

Yes. Pick “Survivor” and choose male or female at the top right: you work directly on a rotatable 3D figure. Place images as stickers on the body and move, stretch, rotate and mirror them; paint with brush and eraser like in-game, one dye per stroke, in layers on top of each other. The right side shows the result in game colours. Important: white does not cover on skin — the skin shows through, so white areas look skin-coloured. Keep all used dyes in your inventory, otherwise those spots stay unpainted. Armour and clothing cover the paint.

Which target items usually give the best quality?

I recommend full custom images mainly for Canvas and Flags. Signs and other smaller surfaces are usually better for colors, patterns, or simple motifs with fewer colors and less detail.

Which dithering mode is better: BAL or HQ?

BAL often looks cleaner and more balanced overall. HQ can appear a bit sharper, but may introduce slight color shifts depending on the image and target item. The best approach is to test both and compare the in-game result.

ARK Survival Ascended PNT converter – in your browser

ColorForge is a free ARK painting converter: turn images into .pnt files for paintings, flags, and signs in ARK: Survival Ascended – no download, no upload, no installation. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Supported ARK items

Painting Canvas, Painting Canvas (Dynamic, 15–1000 px), Multi-Panel Flag, Single-Panel Flag, Metal Billboard, Wooden Billboard, Metal Sign, Wooden Sign, Metal Wall Sign, Wooden Wall Sign, Wooden Hanging Sign, ASA War Map, Shag Rug, Raft sail, Spotlight, Bounty Board, War Drums, Easter Egg, Tribe Tower, Drawing Sheet, Survivor (Male) and Survivor (Female) body painting – plus Frontier, Pirate and Lost Colony sign skins. With ARK dye colors, dithering and a rotatable 3D in-game preview next to the 2D preview; the .pnt already has the matching in-game file name.

How it works

Upload an image: JPG, PNG, WebP, or GIF (up to about 15 MB)
Choose an ARK target type
Position and scale the image
Export the .pnt file
Place the file in the MyPaintings folder: ARK Survival Ascended/ShooterGame/Saved/MyPaintings
Load in-game — done

Full guide & FAQ →