A vignette is a gentle darkening, or lightening, of the edges of a photo. It is one of the oldest tricks in photography: the eye goes to the brightest part of a picture, so soft edges pull attention into the middle. Here is how to add a vignette to a photo online free.
Add a vignette in three steps
- Open the free Vignette tool and upload your photo.
- Choose black or white, then set the three sliders.
- Download the result.
The settings
- Shading Darkness (10 to 100). How strong the edges are. The default of 45 is noticeable but natural.
- Clear Center Radius (20 to 85). How much of the middle stays untouched. Larger keeps more of the photo clean, smaller closes the edges in around the subject.
- Edge Feathering Softness (20 to 90). How gradually the shading fades in. Keep it high for a smooth fade, lower for a defined circle.
- Vignette Shading Color. Black for drama and focus, white for a soft, airy look.
Dark or white vignette?
| Photo | Pick |
|---|---|
| Portrait, close-up, food, product | Black, light to medium |
| Moody, night or vintage shot | Black, stronger |
| Wedding, baby, pastel, flowers | White, light |
| Old-photo or sepia look | Black, medium, with a small clear centre |
When a vignette helps
- The subject is in the middle and the edges are busy or bright.
- The corners are distracting: a bright sky, a wall, people walking by.
- You want a vintage feel, like old lenses that darkened the corners.
When to skip it
- Group photos where people stand near the edges: a vignette darkens their faces.
- Landscapes where the edges are part of the view.
- Photos that will be cropped later, since the effect moves with the crop. Crop first with the free crop tool, then add the vignette.
Tips
- Subtle beats strong. If people notice the vignette before the photo, it is too much.
- Pair a light black vignette with the free sepia filter for an antique print look.
- Your photo is processed in memory and not kept on our servers.
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