Softonic

Image Vignette Adder

Step 1 / 4

A vignette is a subtle darkening toward the image edges that pulls the viewer’s eye to the centre. Old lenses produced it mechanically; modern photographers and designers add it for the same effect. This tool lets you pick the radius, softness and colour (black for classic, white for a high-key look) and apply it to any image without cropping.

How to add a vignette

  1. 1

    Upload an image

    Any JPG, PNG or WebP.

  2. 2

    Set radius

    How far from the centre the vignette starts. Smaller values produce tight centre-spotlight effects.

  3. 3

    Set softness

    Sharp (hard edge) to soft (smooth gradient).

  4. 4

    Pick vignette colour

    Black for classic, white for high-key, coloured for stylised.

  5. 5

    Export

    JPG or PNG at the same resolution as the input.

When a vignette works and when it does not

Works well

  • Portraits where the subject is near the centre.
  • Product shots on an even background.
  • Moody landscapes (dark vignette adds drama).
  • Black and white conversions.

Works poorly

  • Group photos where people stand at the edges.
  • Flat illustrations and vector graphics (the effect reads as dirt).
  • Very bright, high-key images where a light vignette is needed instead of dark.
  • Photos already shot with heavy vignetting from the lens.

Parameter guide

Setting Mild Medium Heavy
Radius 80% of short edge 60% of short edge 40% of short edge
Softness 50% feather 30% feather 15% feather
Opacity 20% 45% 70%
Colour Black Black Black

Vignette colours beyond black

  • White: bright, airy, end of a wedding album.
  • Deep blue: cinematic, film-noir feel.
  • Warm orange/red: sunset glow.
  • Green: retro, surveillance-camera vibe.

Avoiding “fake vignette” look

  • Keep the centre of the vignette actually centred on the subject, not the geometric middle.
  • Use soft falloff; a hard-edged dark circle reads as a poor crop.
  • Combine with a small contrast boost in the centre so the effect reads as natural light rather than a mask.

Frequently Asked Questions

Drag the preview to move the centre of the vignette. Useful when the subject is composed on a thirds gridline rather than the geometric centre.

Darkened edges compress more efficiently in JPG, so file size typically drops slightly. The pixel data is intact, only the brightness is modified near the edges.

The vignette is a circular falloff around a chosen centre, so it naturally affects the whole frame. For a more localised darkening, use a layer mask in a real image editor.

Landscape photos are wider than tall, so a vignette that tightens the sides may leave the top and bottom unchanged. Switch to elliptical vignette which adapts to the aspect ratio, or apply the vignette to a square crop.

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