diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 77b506688..ad2568b11 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ Once the callback has fired, the following methods can be called on the image:
     image.contrast( val ); // adjust the contrast by a value -1 to +1
     image.posterize( n ); // apply a posterization effect with n level
     image.mask( src, x, y ); // masks the image with another Jimp image at x, y using average pixel value
-    image.dither64(); // ordered dithering of the image and reduce color space to 64-bits (RGB565)
+    image.dither565(); // ordered dithering of the image and reduce color space to 16-bits (RGB565)
 
 (Contributions of more methods are welcome!)
 
diff --git a/jimp.js b/jimp.js
index bd64a8712..804eed2fb 100644
--- a/jimp.js
+++ b/jimp.js
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ Jimp.prototype.getBuffer = function (mime, cb) {
  * @param (optional) cb A callback for when complete
  * @returns this for chaining of methods
  */
-Jimp.prototype.dither64 = function (cb) {
+Jimp.prototype.dither565 = function (cb) {
     var rgb565_matrix = [
       0, 4, 1, 5, 0, 4, 1, 5,
       6, 2, 7, 3, 6, 2, 7, 3,
@@ -984,6 +984,9 @@ Jimp.prototype.dither64 = function (cb) {
     else return this;
 }
 
+// alternative reference
+Jimp.prototype.dither16 = Jimp.prototype.dither565;
+
 /**
  * Writes the image to a file
  * @param path a path to the destination file (either PNG or JPEG)
diff --git a/test/callbacks.js b/test/callbacks.js
index c39e7fc3b..dca96ebed 100644
--- a/test/callbacks.js
+++ b/test/callbacks.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ var operations = {
     "brightness": [0.75],
     "contrast": [0.75],
     "posterize": [5],
-    "dither64": []
+    "dither565": []
 };
 
 for (var op in operations) process(op);
diff --git a/test/chained.js b/test/chained.js
index 2c9e9437d..6c7d635be 100644
--- a/test/chained.js
+++ b/test/chained.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ var lenna = new Jimp("lenna.png", function (err) {
         lenna.clone().mask(mask, 0, 0).write("./output/lenna-mask.png");
     });
     
-    this.clone().dither64().write("./output/lenna-64-bit.png");
+    this.clone().dither565().write("./output/lenna-565-bit.png");
     
 
 });