FreeGrain & Vignette
Add grain or a vignette
Film grain and corner darkening, the two things that stop a photo looking sterile.
Drop an image here, or .
Free, no sign-up. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Grain & Vignette: how to use it
- Drop in a photo.
- Set the Grain amount and Grain size. Tick Monochrome grain for a black and white film look.
- Add a Vignette to darken the corners, set its size, or tick White vignette for a faded, lighter edge. Then download.
Tips
- A small amount of grain can hide banding in skies and make heavily edited photos look more natural.
- Add grain last, after resizing, or it gets smoothed away.
Grain & Vignette: what it does and when to use it
Grain & Vignette adds the two qualities that make a photo feel like film rather than a phone screen. Grain is a fine, random texture laid over the whole image; vignetting is the darkening towards the corners that old lenses produced, which draws the eye towards the centre.
Grain size matters as much as amount: fine grain feels like a slow, sharp film, while larger grain suggests a fast film pushed in low light. Monochrome grain suits black and white photos; coloured grain looks more like colour negative film. A white vignette lightens the edges instead, for a faded, dreamy look.
Grain makes files larger when saved as JPEG, because random texture is hard to compress, so expect a heavier download. Add grain last, after resizing, or the texture will be scaled with the picture and lose its character. For colour looks to go with it, see Aesthetic Filters or Light Leak & Overlays.
Grain & Vignette: frequently asked questions
Is the Grain & Vignette free, and do I need to sign up?
Yes, the Grain & Vignette is 100% free with no sign-up, no login and no account. The Grain & Vignette runs in your browser, so it has no daily limit and no upload, and saves at full size with no watermark. See why it is free.
How do I add film grain to a photo?
Set the grain amount and size: fine grain looks like slow film, coarse grain like fast film. Around 10 to 20 percent is subtle enough to look like film rather than noise.
How do I add a vignette?
Raise the vignette to darken the corners and draw the eye to the centre. Combine it with an aesthetic filter or a light leak for a vintage look.
Why add grain to a digital photo?
Digital photos can look too clean. A little grain hides banding in skies and gradients, and gives edited or heavily smoothed photos a more natural texture.