FreeHistogram Viewer
View an image histogram
RGB and luminance histogram, plus how much is clipped at each end.
Drop an image here, or .
Free, no sign-up. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Histogram Viewer: how to use it
- Drop in an image. Nothing is changed or uploaded.
- Read the RGB and luminance histograms: dark tones on the left, bright on the right.
- Check the numbers for mean and median brightness and how much of the image is clipped to pure black or pure white.
Tips
- A lot of clipping on the right means blown highlights: detail there is gone and cannot be recovered.
- A histogram bunched in the middle with gaps at both ends means a flat photo. Fix it with Levels and Curves.
Histogram Viewer: what it does and when to use it
A histogram is a graph of how many pixels in an image have each brightness, from pure black on the left to pure white on the right. This viewer shows it for luminance and for the red, green and blue channels separately, with the mean and median brightness and the share of pixels clipped to pure black or pure white.
Photographers read histograms because screens lie: a photo can look fine on a bright phone and dark on a laptop. A histogram piled against the right edge means highlights are blown out, with no detail left in the sky or a white dress; piled against the left means shadows are crushed. A gap at both ends means a flat, low-contrast image that Levels & Curves can stretch.
There is no single correct histogram: a snowy scene should sit to the right and a night street to the left. What matters is whether important detail is clipped. The image is only read, never changed or uploaded, so it is safe to check private photos.
Histogram Viewer: frequently asked questions
Is the Histogram Viewer free, and do I need to sign up?
Yes, the Histogram Viewer is 100% free with no sign-up, no login and no account. The Histogram Viewer 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 read a photo histogram?
Left is black, right is white, and the height shows how many pixels have each brightness. A graph pressed against the right edge means blown highlights; against the left, crushed shadows. A graph that ends before either edge means the photo is flat and could use Levels and Curves.
What is a good histogram?
There is no single correct shape: a snow scene should sit to the right and a night scene to the left. What matters is that important detail is not cut off at either edge. Related guide: JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF: which should you use?.
What does clipping mean in a photo?
Pixels that are pure white or pure black with no detail left. Clipped highlights in a sky or on a face cannot be recovered by editing. Related tool: Image Adjustments.