The team behind the popular photo-sharing platform Retro has launched Splat, a new mobile application that leverages generative AI to instantly convert personal photos into custom coloring book pages for children.
Solving the Online Coloring Page Problem
While the internet is saturated with printable coloring pages, parents often face significant friction when trying to access them. Many repositories are cluttered with intrusive advertisements or hidden behind paywalls, creating a frustrating experience. Splat was developed to eliminate these hurdles, providing a streamlined, ad-free environment where parents can generate high-quality, printable art without the typical web clutter.
How Splat Uses Generative AI
The application allows users to upload photos from their camera roll or select from a library of educational categories, including space, animals, fairy tales, robots, and vehicles. Once an image is selected, users can choose from various artistic styles, such as manga, anime, 3D movie, or classic cartoon. The AI then processes the image, rendering it into a clean, black-and-white format ready for printing or on-screen coloring.
User Experience and Onboarding
Splat prioritizes simplicity by bypassing tedious registration processes. Upon first launch, the app guides users through a quick setup, allowing them to select preferred app icons and interest categories. Parents can also toggle between “printable mode” and “on-screen mode,” the latter serving as a useful tool for keeping children engaged without the need for traditional gaming or video streaming.
Pricing and Availability
Users can test the technology with a free initial project. Continued access is subscription-based, with options priced at $4.99 per week (covering 25 pages) or $49.99 per year (covering 500 pages). To protect younger users, the app includes a parental gate that requires a birth year entry before any settings or purchase menus can be accessed.
The app is currently available for download on iOS and Android. Splat joins a growing wave of creative AI experiments, such as the sticker-focused Stickerbox, aimed at fostering imagination through accessible technology.