The short answer
Why use Cartoon?
Making a cartoon look in an editor takes a posterize step, an edge layer and a blend mode. Here they run together in one pass, which is handy for a profile picture, a sticker or a party invite.
The cartoon look has one Amount slider from 0 to 100, at 50 by default. First saturation goes up by 60% and contrast by 35%. Then each color channel is cut to a few levels: about 11 at 0, 8 at the default, and 4 at 100. Finally, any pixel that differs sharply from its right or lower neighbor is darkened to about a quarter of its brightness, which draws the outlines.
Higher amounts remove levels and lower the edge cutoff at the same time, so the picture gets flatter while the lines get busier. Faces with smooth skin take it well; leafy backgrounds turn into dark noise. Cropping to the subject first keeps the outlines where you want them.
Posterize gives the flat bands without outlines or the color boost, so it suits graphic posters better than faces. Pencil Sketch draws gray lines on white and drops the color. Oil Painting smooths texture into brush-like patches, and running it before Cartoon gives cleaner, larger shapes with fewer stray lines.
Where Cartoon fits
Pet portraits
Turn a photo of your dog into a bold comic-style picture for a mug or T-shirt print.
Party invitations
Give the birthday child's photo a cartoon look for the front of an invite.
Streaming overlays
Make a stylized version of your photo for a stream overlay or channel banner.
Start to finish
How to use Cartoon
- 01Tap Choose image and pick a well-lit photo with a clear subject.
- 02Set Amount; 50 gives about 8 color levels per channel, and higher values add more outlines and fewer colors.
- 03Tap Apply changes, check the background for speckles, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Cartoon
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Amount slider, plus a color picker for effects that need one |
| Output | A PNG image with the effect applied |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
Cartoon tips
- Crop away grass, gravel or leaves first; busy textures fill with dark specks.
- Amount 30 keeps more natural color; 80 looks closer to a comic panel.
- Run Oil Painting first for smoother, larger color areas.
- Faces lit evenly from the front cartoon better than backlit ones.
Cartoon FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
Is this an AI cartoon filter?
Why are there dark speckles on the background?
Does Cartoon upload my file?
Is Cartoon free to use?
Why did Cartoon fail or look wrong?
Related tools
More in Filters & Effects.