Guide
Adding a vignette and film grain to photos
A vignette darkens the edges of a photo so the eye drifts toward the center. Old lenses produced it naturally, and photographers have kept using it on purpose ever since, from portraits to street photography. This tool adds a vignette with full control over its shape, plus optional film grain for a classic analog finish.
Why vignettes work
Our eyes are drawn to the brightest part of an image. Darkening the corners slightly keeps attention on the subject and frames the picture, much like a passe-partout frames a print. A vignette also hides distracting details near the edges and gives flat lighting a bit more depth.
Amount
Positive values darken the edges, the usual vignette. Negative values lighten them instead, which suits airy, high-key photos such as weddings, babies and bright product shots, and can balance the dark corners some lenses produce. The default of 40 is a gentle, noticeable effect.
Midpoint
Midpoint sets where the darkening begins. Low values start the effect close to the center, so more of the picture is affected; high values confine it to the corners. Around 40 to 55 works for most compositions. For an off-center subject, crop first so the subject sits nearer the middle, or keep the vignette mild.
Feather
Feather controls how gradually the vignette fades in. High feather gives a soft, natural transition that viewers hardly notice; low feather creates a visible edge, closer to the look of a toy camera or a peephole. The default of 60 is soft.
Roundness
Roundness shapes the vignette. Low values follow the rectangle of the photo, keeping the corners dark and the sides lighter. High values make a circle or oval, which looks more like an old lens. Wide panoramas usually look better with lower roundness.
Film grain
Grain adds the fine texture of film. It is applied most strongly in the midtones and less in deep shadows and bright highlights, as silver grain behaves on real film. Grain size makes the texture finer or coarser, and monochrome grain varies only brightness rather than adding colored speckles. Grain is scaled with the image, so the full-resolution download looks like the preview rather than much finer or coarser.
When to skip the vignette
Product photos for shops, documentation, real-estate interiors and any image where the edges carry information are better without one. Images that will be cropped later should get the vignette after cropping, or the effect ends up off-center.
Preview and download
Adjustments appear immediately on a reduced preview; the compare switch shows the original. The download applies the same settings at full resolution. Choose JPG for photos, or PNG and WebP when needed.
A classic finishing recipe
Convert to black and white with Grayscale Image using an orange or red filter, add contrast, then return here for a vignette of about 30 and grain around 25. The result recalls classic black-and-white prints.
Matching a series
When the vignette is part of a look for a set of photos, use the same values on every image so the series feels consistent. Write the numbers down, or keep the page open and swap the photo.
Related tools
For warm vintage tones, combine the vignette with the Sepia Photo Filter or Split Tone Image. For a blur-based focus effect instead, use Blur Image.
Checked against the current version of the Photo Vignette & Grain on .