Run your photo or video through a retro effect like halftone, dithering or VHS, add grain and scanlines. Colour-grade it if you like, then download. Everything happens in your browser.
Retro photo effects: halftone, dithering, VHS and grain
Retro Effect is a free online tool that turns your photo into old print, pixel and tape looks. Pick an effect, tune it with the sliders, add grain and scanlines, colour-grade it like in Color Grade if you want, and download. Your photo never leaves your device.
Which effects are there?
- Halftone — a newspaper-print dot pattern; spacing, dot size and angle are adjustable.
- Dithering — an old-computer look reduced with a Bayer matrix; levels and pixel size are adjustable.
- VHS — a video-tape look with distortion, colour bleed and noise.
- ASCII — turns the photo into text characters; cell size, character set and contrast are adjustable.
- Edges — turns edges into lines with a Sobel filter; threshold and line width are adjustable.
- Crosshatch — shades like a pencil sketch with crossed lines; spacing, layers and angle are adjustable.
- Mosaic — splits the photo into coloured blocks; block size and gap are adjustable.
- Wave lines — draws it with horizontal lines that bend with brightness; spacing, amplitude and thickness are adjustable.
- Posterize — flattens colours into a few solid tones with a comic-style outline.
- Voronoi cells — breaks the photo into irregular stained-glass cells.
- Glitch — horizontal slice shifts and RGB splitting.
- Grain, scanlines, vignette — can be added on top of any effect.
How to use it
- Add your photo (JPG, PNG, WEBP or iPhone HEIC).
- Pick an effect and tune it with the sliders.
- Add grain, scanlines or a vignette if you like.
- Colour-grade it and download.
Frequently asked questions
How do I give a photo a retro effect?
Add the photo, pick an effect (Halftone, Dithering, VHS) and tune it with the sliders. Add grain and scanlines if you like, then download.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The effects run in your browser on your device; the photo is never sent anywhere.
Does the effect appear in the downloaded file?
Yes. What you see in the preview is applied with the same proportions to the file you download.
Developed by: otto.