Messenger Telegram has long ceased to be just a means for correspondence, turning into a full-fledged platform for self-expression. One of the most popular features of the platform is stickers, which allows you to emotionally color dialogues without resorting to long text explanations. Each user has the opportunity to create their own unique set of stickers using regular photos from the gallery.
Owners of smartphones based on Android have a wide selection of tools to implement this task: from built-in messenger functions to third-party applications with an advanced editor. The process of creating a sticker pack can take only a few minutes if you know the correct sequence of actions and the technical requirements of the platform.
In this article we will look in detail at how to prepare an image, crop it to the desired size, remove the background and upload the result to your personal sticker account. We will consider both manual methods through a bot and automated solutions that simplify routine operations for processing graphics.
Technical requirements for images for stickers
Before you start processing photos, you need to clearly understand what parameters the final image should have so that the bot @Stickers received it without errors. Telegram has strict requirements for resolution and file format, ignoring which will result in a refusal to download.
The basic rule concerns size: the width or height of the image should be exactly 512 pixelsand the other side should not exceed this value. The square format of 512x512 pixels is considered optimal, as it provides the best display quality on the screens of any device without distorting proportions.
- 📐 The resolution of one of the sides must be strictly 512 pixels.
- 💾 The file format must be PNG or WEBP to support transparency.
- 🎨 The file size should not exceed 64 KB for static stickers.
It is extremely important to use a format that supports transparent background. If you upload a regular JPEG photo with a white or colored background, the sticker will look like a square image, which will ruin the aesthetics of the pack. This is why the background removal step is critical in the preparation process.
⚠️ Attention: Telegram automatically compresses images when loading. If your source file is significantly larger than 64 KB, the bot may reject the file or the quality of the sticker will suffer greatly. Always check the weight of the file before sending it to the bot.
For animated stickers, the requirements are different: the format is WEBP or TGS (Lottie), and the file size can be increased to 256 KB. However, to start working with photographs, it is better to focus on static sets, since their creation does not require skills in working with timelines and frame-by-frame animation.
Photo preparation: cropping and removing the background
The most time-consuming step is preparing the original image. Most photos taken with a smartphone camera have extra space around the subject or a complex background that needs to be eliminated. To do this, you can use both built-in gallery editors and specialized applications.
First of all, you need to crop the photo, leaving only the desired object. In the standard Android gallery, use the tool Croppingto bring the subject closer to the edges of the frame. Try to leave minimal margins around the figure, but don't cut off important details such as the tips of animal ears or hair.
Use the Magic Erase or Object Removal apps built into modern Android skins (like Samsung One UI or Google Pixel) to quickly remove minor background defects before the main one processing.
Next comes the most important step - removing the background. There are several effective ways to do this on Android:
- ✂️ Applications like Background Eraser allow you to manually erase the background with an eraser or use automatic selection.
- 🤖 Online services such as remove.bg do this automatically through the browser, but require downloading the result.
- 📱 Specialized editors like PicsArt offer the “Cut” tool, which determines the contours of the object.
After removing the background, be sure to save the image in PNGformat. If you save the file as a JPG, the transparency will be replaced with white or black, and all your previous work will go down the drain. You can check transparency by opening the file in any image viewer: the background should be displayed as a checkerboard.
⚠️ Attention: When manually removing the background, increase the image scale to the maximum. This will allow you to carefully process the edges of the object and avoid “ragged” contours that will be noticeable when viewing the sticker in chat.
Using the @Stickers bot to create a pack
The official method of creating stickers in Telegram involves interacting with a special bot @Stickers. This tool is universal and works equally stably on all versions of the Android operating system. The process is fully automated and accompanied by prompts.
To get started, find the bot in the messenger search and click the button START or “Run”. In the menu that appears, select the command /newpackto create a new set. The bot will ask you to come up with a name for your sticker pack - it will be visible to other users when searching.
☑️ Algorithm for working with the bot
After assigning a name, the bot will ask you to upload the first image. Send him the prepared file in PNG format as file, and not as a photo (to avoid automatic compression by the messenger). If you send an image as a photo, Telegram will compress it and the bot will display an error about the size mismatch.
The next step, the bot will ask you to attach an emoji to the downloaded sticker. Choose an emoticon that best reflects the emotion or meaning of the picture. This is necessary so that users can find your stickers through emoji search. Repeat the upload and linking process for all other photos in the set.
Alternative apps for creating stickers
Although the official bot is reliable, the process of manually preparing each file can be tedious. In the store Google Play there are many third-party applications that take care of all the technical part: automatic cropping, background removal and batch uploading to Telegram.
One of the most popular solutions is the application Sticker Maker for Telegram. It lets you import multiple photos from your gallery at once, automatically resizes them to 512 pixels, and offers built-in tools for cutting out objects. The interface of such apps is intuitive and does not require deep knowledge of graphics.
| Application | Automatic background | Batch download | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker Maker | Yes (AI) | Yes | Basic |
| Personal Stickers | Manual | Yes | Advanced |
| Sticker.ly | Yes | Yes | Powerful |
| Telegram (officially) | No | No | No |
Using third-party applications significantly speeds up the process, especially if you want to create a large pack of 20-30 photos. Many of them have a automatic contour recognitionfunction that eliminates the need to manually trace an object with your finger. After generating the set, the application itself will create a link to the pack and offer to add it to Telegram.
Why is it worth using third-party applications?
They save time on routine operations: you do not need to search for a bot every time, enter commands and check the size of each file manually. The application makes all the packages in one click, but requires access to your gallery and Telegram account.
Customizing and publishing the finished set
When all the images are uploaded and linked to emoji, the final stage begins. In a dialogue with the bot @Stickers you need to send a command /publish. This action signals the system that the formation of the set is complete and it is ready for publication.
If you did not set an icon for the set of stickers when creating it, the bot will prompt you to do this now. The icon must be square and 100x100 pixels in size. It will appear in the sticker selection menu. You can upload a separate image or ask the bot to use one of the already uploaded images in a reduced form.
The last step is to create a short link to your pack. The bot will ask you to enter a unique name in Latin, which will be added to the address t.me/addstickers/. This name must be free and contain only letters and numbers. After entering the link, the bot will confirm and the set will appear in your list of stickers.
The link to the sticker pack is your main asset. Make it short and memorable so that you can easily share your creativity with friends through a regular message, rather than sending the stickers themselves.
⚠️ Attention: The link name (shortname) cannot be changed after creating a set. If you make a spelling mistake, you will have to delete the entire package and create it again with a new name. Be extremely careful when entering.
Managing a sticker pack and solving problems
After publication, you still have the ability to edit the created set. Using the bot @Stickers you can add new images, delete unsuccessful options, or change the order of stickers. To do this, use the commands /addsticker, /delsticker and /editsticker.
A common problem is the “Invalid images provided” error. This usually means the file does not meet size or weight requirements. In this case, check the image in the editor: make sure that one of the sides is exactly 512 pixels, and the file weight is less than 64 KB.
If the stickers are displayed with a white background, even though you saved them as PNG, the problem may lie in the sending method. Make sure you submit the file as Document (File) and not as Image. In the Telegram attachment menu, select “File” -> “Gallery” to disable compression.
It’s also worth remembering that you can add up to 120 stickers to one set. If you plan to create a huge collection, it is better to split it into several thematic packs. This will simplify navigation for you and your interlocutors, and will also allow you to quickly find the desired emotion at the time of correspondence.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to make a sticker from a photo without removing the background?
Technically, the bot will accept the image with a background, but it will look unaesthetic. Stickers with a background will look like square pictures, which will cover the text in the chat and will look alien. It is recommended to always remove the background to create high-quality content.
Why doesn’t the bot accept my 512x512 photo?
Most often the problem is the weight of the file. Even at the correct resolution, the image can be over 64 KB due to the high color quality. Try compressing the photo in any editor or saving it with lower quality, keeping the PNG format.
Can other users see my personal stickers?
By default, the created pack is public if you have generated a link to it. Anyone with a link t.me/addstickers/your_namecan add your set. You cannot make the pack completely private (visible only to you) through a standard bot, but you can simply not distribute the link.
How to add animation to a sticker from a photo on Android?
A static photo cannot be turned into an animated sticker without special processing. You will need to create a GIF animation or use the Lottie format (TGS) where the object will move. This requires advanced editors that support export to WEBP format with animation.
What should I do if I deleted the dialogue with the @Stickers bot?
Nothing bad happened. Just find the bot again through the search and click “Launch”. All your previously created sets will be saved on the Telegram servers and will remain available in the sticker menu, even if the history of correspondence with the bot is deleted.