The short answer
Why use Solarize?
The solarized look is awkward to build with ordinary curves, because you need a curve that rises and then falls back down. Here one slider sets the turning point.
The cutoff is controlled by Amount, from 0 to 100 and set to 50 on load. It works out to (100 minus Amount) × 2.55 on the 0 to 255 scale, so the default flips every channel value above about 128. Raising the Amount lowers the cutoff and flips more of the picture; at 100 the result matches Invert, except that pure black (0) stays black. Transparent pixels keep their transparency throughout.
Because the brightest areas become the darkest, a white sky turns almost black and highlights grow outlines where the flip happens. Bright, high-key photos change the most; a dark night shot barely moves at the default. Raise the Amount for darker pictures, and expect the strongest change in skies, white clothes and lit faces.
Invert flips everything at once. Threshold splits the image into pure black and white. Posterize gives flat bands without flipping anything. For the classic black-and-white solarized portrait, run Grayscale first and Solarize second, so the colors cannot drift. Then a touch of Contrast brings back punch in the flipped areas.
Where Solarize fits
Art prints
Make a solarized black-and-white portrait for a gallery-style print series.
Psychedelic posters
Flip the colors of a festival photo into strange hues for a gig poster.
Photography class
Show students what darkroom solarization looks like without a darkroom.
Start to finish
How to use Solarize
- 01Tap Choose image and pick a photo with plenty of bright areas.
- 02Move Amount from 50; higher values lower the cutoff so more tones flip, and 100 gives a full negative except for pure black.
- 03Tap Apply changes, look at the sky and highlights, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Solarize
| 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 |
Solarize tips
- Run Grayscale first for the classic black-and-white darkroom look.
- Dark night photos barely change at 50; try 70 or more.
- Amount 30 flips only the brightest highlights, the subtlest version.
- Skin can turn green or blue in color photos; that is normal for this effect.
Solarize FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
What does the Amount slider actually change?
Why do the colors change so strangely?
Does Solarize upload my file?
Is Solarize free to use?
Why did Solarize fail or look wrong?
Related tools
More in Filters & Effects.