Image Display
Imagine placing your server logo, a rank icon, or even a tiny piece of pixel art directly into Minecraft chat, a hologram, or a scoreboard—all without forcing players to download a resource pack. The Image Display add-on makes this a reality by converting any PNG, JPG, or WEBP image into a grid of player-head textures that the game can render natively. Whether you want to brand your lobby, decorate a hologram, or add visual flair to prefixes and suffixes, this plugin opens up a world of creative possibilities.
What Is Image Display?
Image Display is a lightweight Paper/Purpur plugin that transforms static images into in-game visuals using MineSkin’s head-texture service. Instead of wrestling with resource bundles, custom fonts, or client-side mods, you simply upload an image, generate its head-data cache, and use a placeholder like %imagedisplay_logo% anywhere that supports PlaceholderAPI. The result is a crisp, recognizable image built entirely from player-head components—visible to anyone on a modern Minecraft client.
Key Features
- No resource pack required – images appear as a grid of head textures, fully compatible with vanilla clients.
- Auto-convert PNG, JPG, JPEG, and WEBP – the plugin handles cropping and splitting automatically; just make sure your image dimensions are multiples of 8 pixels.
- Simple placeholder usage – once generated, use
%imagedisplay_<name>%in chat, TAB header/footer, prefixes, suffixes, nametags, holograms, titles, and scoreboards. - Local JSON cache – after the initial generation, images are stored locally, so the server never needs to re-process the original file.
- Permission control – each image gets its own permission node (e.g.,
imagedisplay_logo), letting you restrict who can use specific images in chat. - Fallback text – for players on older clients (before 1.21.9) that can’t display the head textures, you can define a fallback message in the config.
How It Works
Image Display splits your uploaded picture into 8×8 pixel tiles, sends each tile to MineSkin to receive a signed player-head texture, and then stores the resulting head components in a local JSON cache. When a placeholder is used, the plugin renders the cached heads in a grid, recreating the original image. The server only processes the image once during generation, so runtime performance remains smooth. Because the output is just a collection of player heads, it works seamlessly with any chat or display plugin that supports PlaceholderAPI—no special formatting or resource packs needed.
How to Install Image Display
Getting started with Image Display for Minecraft is straightforward. Follow these steps to download and set up the plugin on your Paper or Purpur server.
1. Download Image Display and Dependencies
First, make sure your server runs Paper or Purpur (1.21+ recommended). You’ll need to download Image Display along with two required plugins: PlaceholderAPI and ProtocolLib. Place all three JAR files into your server’s plugins folder and restart the server to generate the default configuration files.
2. Configure Your MineSkin API Key
Image Display relies on MineSkin to convert image tiles into head textures. Visit the MineSkin website to obtain a free API key, then open the plugin’s config.yml and paste it into the mineskin-api-key field. Save the file and reload the plugin with /imagedisplay reload.
3. Upload and Generate Your Image
Place your image file (PNG, JPG, or WEBP) inside the plugins/ImageDisplay/pictures/ folder. Make sure the image dimensions are multiples of 8 pixels—for example, 64×64, 128×64, or 256×128. Then run the command /imagedisplay generate your_image.png. Wait for the confirmation message in chat or console; once generation is complete, the placeholder %imagedisplay_your_image% becomes available.
If you use the foxygame.net launcher, adding Image Display to your server is even simpler. The launcher’s built-in add-on catalog lets you install Image Display with a single click, automatically handling version compatibility and keeping the plugin up to date so you can focus on creating stunning visuals instead of managing files.
Using Image Display in Your Server
Once generated, you can use the placeholder anywhere PlaceholderAPI is supported. Here are a few practical examples:
- Chat messages – players with the correct permission can type
%imagedisplay_logo%in chat to show your server logo. - TAB header/footer – display a banner or rank icon in the player list.
- Prefixes and suffixes – add small icons to player names via LuckPerms or other permission plugins.
- Holograms – use with DecentHolograms or FancyHolograms to create floating image displays.
- Scoreboards and titles – embed images in dynamic scoreboard lines or action bar titles.
Permissions and Fallback Text
Each generated image automatically creates a permission node in the format imagedisplay.<id>. This allows you to control which players can use the placeholder in chat. For clients older than 1.21.9 that cannot render the head textures, you can define a fallback text string in the config—ensuring those players still see something meaningful instead of a blank space.
Compatibility and Requirements
Image Display is built exclusively for Paper and Purpur servers. It requires PlaceholderAPI for placeholder parsing and ProtocolLib for component replacement and client version detection. Optionally, ViaVersion helps improve client version detection. The plugin has been tested and confirmed to work with a wide range of popular plugins, including TAB, Chatty, ChatEx, Citizens, FancyNPCs, DeluxeHub, LuckPerms, EssentialsX, FancyHolograms, LPC-Minimessage, and DecentHolograms.
One important note for TAB users: if you have MiniMessage support enabled in TAB’s components section, image rendering may not work in prefixes and suffixes. To fix this, open the TAB config, set components: minimessage-support: false, and run /tab reload.
Why Choose Image Display?
Traditional methods of adding custom visuals to Minecraft often require resource packs, which players must manually download and enable. Image Display sidesteps that entirely by leveraging the game’s built-in ability to render player heads. The result is a seamless experience for your community—no extra steps, no broken textures, and no compatibility headaches. Whether you’re running a minigame network, a roleplay server, or a small community hub, this plugin gives you the tools to elevate your server’s presentation with minimal effort.
Ready to transform your server’s visuals? Download Image Display today and start turning your images into in-game art. With its straightforward setup, broad plugin compatibility, and lightweight design, it’s the perfect addition to any modern Minecraft server.