CharPad and SpritePad just received a major update. Version 3.79 brings big improvements for C64 graphics developers using these popular tools. CharPad and SpritePad simulate the Commodore 64’s video hardware, allowing users to design character sets, tilemaps, sprites, and fonts with precision.
With this release, both applications fix long-standing issues and introduce practical new features for daily use. If you’re creating assets for a demo, a game, or just tinkering with C64 graphics, version 3.79 makes that experience far smoother.
The update expands both tools with changes that directly support workflows like image importing, animation handling, palette tweaking, and project file management. It’s clear that CharPad and SpritePad continue to grow alongside the active retro dev scene.
New Additions and Fixes
One of the standout changes is improved handling of animated GIFs during import and export. Problematic frames and color issues that affected earlier versions have been resolved. Users can now adjust color matching using new weighted filters that align more closely with human vision—helpful when importing images into limited C64 palettes.
The interface has been tuned as well. Users can now customize zoom levels, save window layouts, and toggle overlay rendering with a single checkbox. Sprite and tile editing is also more fluid, thanks to better support for copy/paste between program instances. Holding SHIFT now restricts that function to tile data only.
The Image Importer gets a solid upgrade too. New filters, balance controls, a saturation slider, and a reset button have all been added. It also runs more smoothly—processing now takes place on a separate thread to avoid freezing large projects.
Project Management and Export Options
The update makes it easier to manage larger projects. For example, sprite and tile animations now issue a warning if data exceeds 256 items. There’s also better file compatibility, with updated text export formats and fixes for tile-saving errors that previously corrupted larger sets.
Map editors and snapshot rippers have gained fixes for view alignment and display mode handling. CharPad’s text-entry scrolling is finally working both vertically and horizontally—no more off-screen guessing while typing.
Pro features in both applications include expanded VIC-II support, flipping, rotating, auto-color conversion, and seamless ripping from VICE emulator snapshots. And now, all palettes, layouts, and zoom settings persist between sessions—small tweaks that eliminate friction during creative work.
Ongoing Support
Each version includes 32-bit, 64-bit, and .NET builds and runs under WINE for Mac/Linux users. Buyers automatically receive future updates, so tools like CharPad and SpritePad remain useful long after purchase.
