The short answer
Why use Film Grain?
Digital photos and generated images can look too clean. A layer of grain breaks up smooth skin, sky and gradients so the picture feels shot on film, and it also hides the banding that heavy editing leaves in skies.
Grain strength is one Amount slider from 0 to 100, set to 50 at the start. Each pixel moves lighter or darker by one random value applied to red, green and blue alike, which keeps the grain neutral. The shift is largest in the midtones, up to 60 levels out of 255 at the default, and drops to about a third of that near pure black and white. Each speck is exactly one pixel.
Because the grain is one pixel in size, it looks strong on a small photo and faint on a large one viewed zoomed out. The preview is drawn at screen size, so its grain looks coarser than the full-size download. Saving as JPEG later smears fine grain away, so keep the PNG.
Add Noise gives every color channel its own random value, so its specks are colored and equally strong in all tones, closer to digital sensor noise. Dithering builds a structured dot pattern from a reduced palette instead of random specks, which suits retro graphics more than photos. For a full old-photo look, pair Film Grain with Sepia Tone and Vignette, adding the grain last so it sits on top of the darker corners.
Where Film Grain fits
AI image cleanup
Break up the waxy smoothness of a generated portrait so it looks photographed.
Gradient banding
Hide visible steps in a smooth sky or a gradient background before printing.
Music artwork
Give single cover art a gritty analog texture that matches a lo-fi sound.
Start to finish
How to use Film Grain
- 01Tap Choose image and pick a clean digital photo.
- 02Set Amount; at 50 midtones shift by up to 60 levels, while 15 to 25 gives a fine, subtle texture.
- 03Tap Apply changes, zoom in to judge the grain at full size, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Film Grain
| 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 |
Film Grain tips
- Apply grain as the last step, after color and crop changes.
- Keep the PNG; a JPEG save smears single-pixel grain into mush.
- Big photos need a higher Amount, since one-pixel grain fades when scaled down.
- Two exports differ slightly because the grain is random each time.
Film Grain FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
Is the grain colored?
Why is the grain weaker in the shadows?
Why is the grain different every time?
Does Film Grain upload my file?
Is Film Grain free to use?
Why did Film Grain fail or look wrong?
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