Scratch Sprites: The Complete Guide to Making Cool Custom Sprites

Scratch sprites are where coding meets creativity. They're the characters, objects, and creatures that bring every Scratch project to life — from a dancing cat to a flying dragon to a custom superhero. In this complete guide, you'll learn everything about Scratch sprites: what they are, how to use the built-in library, how to make your own custom sprites step by step, and how to control them with code.

What Is a Scratch Sprite?

A Scratch sprite is any character or object that your code controls on the stage. When you open a new Scratch project, you'll see an orange cat — that's a sprite. Every time you add a new character, image, or shape to your project, you're adding another sprite.

Sprites can be anything you imagine:

• Animals — cats, dogs, birds, dragons
• People — characters, avatars, robots
• Objects — balls, cars, stars, food
• Abstract shapes — circles, arrows, custom designs

Each sprite has its own scripts (code blocks), costumes (different looks), and sounds. You can have multiple sprites in one project, and they can all interact with each other.

The Scratch Sprite Library

Scratch comes with a built-in sprite library containing hundreds of free sprites. Here's how to browse and add them:

How to Add a Sprite from the Library

1. Find the sprite button — Look at the bottom-right corner of the Scratch editor. You'll see a round blue button with a cat icon and a plus sign.
2. Click "Choose a Sprite" — This opens the sprite library in a pop-up window.
3. Browse or search — You can scroll through categories like Animals, People, Fantasy, Music, Sports, and more. Use the search bar to find something specific, like "dinosaur" or "astronaut."
4. Click to add — Click on any sprite, and it instantly appears on your stage.

The library is a great starting point, but many Scratch creators want something unique. That's where custom sprites come in.

How to Get More Sprites for Scratch

If the built-in library doesn't have exactly what you need, you have several options:

1. Edit an existing sprite — Go to the "Costumes" tab to modify colors, shapes, and features of a library sprite
2. Draw your own — Use Scratch's built-in paint editor
3. Upload an image — Bring in a photo or drawing from your computer
4. Generate with AI — Use a tool like KidSprite to turn doodles or text descriptions into clean SVG sprites

Let's walk through each method step by step.

How to Make a Custom Sprite in Scratch

Option 1: Draw a Sprite from Scratch

Want to start with a blank canvas? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the sprite menu

Hover over the "Choose a Sprite" button at the bottom-right corner of the editor.

Step 2: Select the paint brush

From the pop-up menu, choose the paint brush icon (third option from the top). This opens Scratch's built-in vector paint editor.

Step 3: Get creative

You'll see a blank canvas where you can:

• Draw shapes — circles, rectangles, lines, and freehand paths
• Pick colors — choose from the full color palette
• Add text — type words or letters as part of your sprite
• Use layers — stack shapes on top of each other

Start simple. A round body with eyes and a smile can become a expressive character. Add ears, a tail, or wings to make it unique.

Option 2: Create a Sprite from Your Own Image

This is perfect for turning a photo, a drawing, or a picture from the internet into a Scratch sprite.

Step 1: Find or create your image

If you're searching online, use websites like Pixabay or Unsplash for free-to-use images. For Google Image Search, click "Tools" → "Usage Rights" → "Creative Commons licenses" to find images you're allowed to use.

You can also draw something on paper and take a photo of it.

Step 2: Remove the background

Your sprite needs a transparent background so it doesn't look like a floating rectangle on stage. You can:

• Use a free background remover tool (like remove.bg)
• Draw your character on white paper and erase the background in an image editor
• Take a photo against a solid green or blue background and use a chroma key tool

Step 3: Upload it to Scratch

1. Hover over the "Choose a Sprite" button
2. Select the "Upload Sprite" option (first icon in the pop-up)
3. Choose the image file from your computer
4. Your image appears on the stage as a new sprite

Option 3: Generate Sprites with AI

AI sprite generators like KidSprite let you create custom Scratch sprites without any drawing skills. Here's how:

Step 1: Draw or describe your character

You have two choices:

• Upload a doodle — Draw your character on paper or a tablet, snap a photo, and upload it. The AI enhances your drawing while keeping your original style.
• Type a description — Describe what you want, like "a friendly green dragon with tiny wings and a big smile."

Step 2: Let AI generate the sprite

The AI creates a clean SVG vector file with:

• Smooth, scalable outlines (no pixelation at any size)
• A transparent background (ready for Scratch)
• Bold colors that stand out on any backdrop

Step 3: Download and import

1. Download the generated SVG file
2. In Scratch, click "Choose a Sprite" → "Upload Sprite"
3. Select your SVG file — it appears on stage instantly

AI-generated sprites work perfectly in both Scratch and TurboWarp, and since they're in SVG format, they stay crisp and sharp no matter how much you resize them.

How to Control Sprites in Scratch

Once you have a sprite on stage, here's how to bring it to life with code blocks:

1. Animate the sprite

Many sprites come with multiple costumes — different looks for the same character. Go to the "Costumes" tab to see them. Use the next costume block (from the Looks category) inside a forever loop to create smooth animation.

2. Move the sprite

In the Motion category, you'll find blocks that control movement:

• move [10] steps — moves the sprite forward
• turn [15] degrees — rotates the sprite
• glide [1] secs to x: [0] y: [0] — smoothly slides to a position

3. Change the sprite's color

Use the change [color] effect by [25] block from the Looks category. Put it inside a loop, and your sprite will cycle through a rainbow of colors.

4. Make the sprite talk

Use the say [Hello!] for [2] seconds block to give your character speech bubbles. You can also use the think block for thought bubbles.

5. Add sound

Go to the Sounds tab to browse the built-in sound library or record your own. Then use the play sound [meow] until done block in your code.

6. Make sprites interact

Use sensing blocks like touching [sprite name]? to detect when two sprites collide. This is how you build games — for example, when a player sprite touches a coin sprite, increase the score.

Scratch Sprites and Backdrops

While sprites are the characters in your project, backdrops are the settings. A backdrop is the background image that appears behind your sprites on the stage.

How to add a backdrop

1. Look for the "Choose a Backdrop" button at the bottom-right corner (next to the sprite button, with a landscape icon)
2. Browse the backdrop library, or upload your own image
3. Click to add it to your project

Switching backdrops with code

Use the switch backdrop to [backdrop name] block to change scenes. For example:

• Start with a "Bedroom" backdrop
• When the player clicks a door, switch to "Hallway"
• Use the next backdrop block to cycle through scenes

Backdrops and sprites work together to create the full visual experience of your Scratch project.

Cool Scratch Sprite Ideas for Inspiration

Stuck on what to create? Here are some popular sprite ideas to spark your imagination:

Animals

• Pets — cats, dogs, hamsters with wagging tails
• Wildlife — lions, elephants, penguins waddling across the screen
• Fantasy creatures — dragons that breathe fire, unicorns with flowing manes
• Sea life — fish that swim, octopuses with waving tentacles

Characters

• Superheroes — with capes that flap in the wind (use costumes for animation)
• Astronauts — floating in space with stars twinkling behind them
• Knights and wizards — for adventure and RPG-style games
• Sports players — kicking, jumping, running

Objects

• Food — bouncing burgers, spinning pizza slices
• Vehicles — cars racing across the screen, rockets blasting off
• Weather — raindrops falling, lightning bolts flashing
• Music instruments — drums that pulse to the beat

Tips for Designing Great Sprites

• Keep it bold — bright, contrasting colors pop on any backdrop
• Think about size — sprites should be clearly visible at the default 100% zoom
• Plan for animation — design your sprite with movable parts in mind
• Make it recognizable — a simple, clear shape works better than tiny details

Scratch Sprite File Formats

Scratch supports several image formats for sprites. Here's a quick comparison:

SVG is the best format for Scratch sprites because:

• It scales perfectly — looks sharp at any size, no pixelation
• File sizes are small — loads fast even on slower computers
• It's editable — you can tweak shapes and colors later in Scratch's paint editor
• It supports smooth curves — great for organic shapes like animals and characters

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sprites can I have in one Scratch project?

There's no hard limit, but for performance, try to keep it under 20-30 sprites. Too many sprites can slow down your project, especially if they all have complex scripts.

How do I delete a sprite in Scratch?

Right-click (or long-press on mobile) on the sprite in the sprite panel, then select "delete". You can also select the sprite and press the Delete key.

Can I share my sprites with other Scratch users?

Yes! You can share sprites by publishing a project and allowing others to remix it. Other users can then copy your sprites into their own projects through the remix.

What's the difference between a sprite and a costume?

A sprite is a character or object on the stage. A costume is a specific appearance of that sprite. One sprite can have many costumes — for example, a cat sprite might have costumes for "standing," "walking," and "sitting."

Do custom sprites work in TurboWarp?

Yes. TurboWarp is fully compatible with Scratch sprites. Any SVG, PNG, or JPG sprite you create for Scratch will work identically in TurboWarp.

Start Making Your Own Scratch Sprites

Custom sprites are what make Scratch projects truly yours. Whether you draw them by hand, upload a photo, or generate them with AI, the process of creating your own characters is where the real fun begins.

Here's a quick recap of your options:

1. Browse the library — hundreds of free sprites ready to use
2. Draw in Scratch — use the built-in paint editor for simple shapes
3. Upload an image — turn any photo or drawing into a sprite
4. Generate with AI — use KidSprite to create clean SVG sprites from doodles or text descriptions in seconds

The best Scratch projects aren't the ones with the most code — they're the ones with the most personality. So grab your pencil, open Scratch, and start creating sprites that are uniquely yours.

Keep Exploring

• Browse 2000+ free Scratch sprites — layered SVG sprites by category, free to download
• Custom Scratch Sprite Maker — make your own sprite with AI or the built-in editor
• Scratch Sprite Creator: 5 Methods Compared — from hand drawing to AI generation
• AI SVG Generator for Kids — turn doodles into clean, code-ready SVG sprites