Vignette photo effect
Darken or lighten the edges of a photo to draw the eye to the subject in the middle.
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Darken or lighten the edges to frame your subject
A vignette is a gradual change of brightness toward the edges of a photo. Old lenses produced it by accident; today it is added on purpose because it guides the eye. Dark edges pull attention to the center and give portraits and food photos a warm, intimate feel. White edges make a light, dreamy, vintage picture.
The vignette tool opens the editor with the Vignette controls selected and a medium vignette (amount 45) already applied. You choose how strong it is, how far it reaches into the picture, how round it is, and whether it is dark or light.
How to add a vignette
Open the photo
Drop, choose or paste it.
Set the amount
Raise it until the corners are noticeably darker, then back off a little.
Shape it
Size decides how far the effect reaches toward the middle; Roundness goes from an oval that follows the shape of the photo to a true circle.
Pick the color and save
Choose Dark for depth or Light for a faded look, then export.
Vignette settings by subject
| Subject | Color | Strength | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait, selfie | Dark | light | large (edges only) |
| Food from above | Dark | medium | medium |
| Wedding, baby, soft vintage | Light | light | large |
| Moody landscape | Dark | medium to strong | medium |
| Product on white | none or a very light Light | light | large |
Vignettes and Instagram crops
In this editor the vignette always follows your crop, so you can change the crop at any time. The risk is a crop that happens later: if Instagram trims a photo that does not fit its shapes, one side of the vignette gets cut off and the darkening looks lopsided. Crop to an Instagram shape with the crop tool, or use the Instagram resizer, before you post.
Be careful in the profile grid: the grid shows a cropped preview of each post, so a vignette that hugs the corners may barely show there, while a strong one can make the grid look patchy. A light vignette is usually the safest choice for a whole feed.
For a similar focusing effect by sharpness rather than light, try tilt-shift.
Vignette questions
Why are my corners already dark before adding anything?
Many lenses, especially wide phone lenses, darken the corners on their own. If that bothers you, raise Shadows a little or use a weak Light vignette to even it out.
Should I use a vignette on every photo?
No. On busy scenes, flat-lay grids or graphics it can look heavy. Use it when there is one clear subject in the middle.
Can I move the center of the vignette?
The vignette is centered on the photo. If your subject is off-center, crop the picture so the subject sits closer to the middle first.
What is the difference between a vignette and a frame?
A vignette is a soft change of light that fades into the photo. A frame is a visible border with a hard edge; see photo frames.
Other finishing touches
Vignettes pair well with the other finishing touches on the photo editor tools page, such as grain and frames.