VHS Effect: what it does
Recreate the look of a paused home video. The VHS effect smears the colour sideways (tape stored colour at a much lower resolution than brightness), softens the picture, adds scanlines, noise and a band of tracking distortion near the bottom, and stamps PLAY and today’s date in the corners like an old camcorder. Each part has its own slider, the date stamp can be turned off, and “Shuffle the pattern” moves the noise and tracking. Your photo is processed in your browser and never uploaded.
How to use it
- Drop a photo into the box, paste it with Ctrl+V, or tap to choose one from your phone.
- See the effect straight away. The thumbnails show every other effect on your photo too.
- Adjust the settings, and hold “Hold to compare” to see the original.
- Download at full resolution as JPG, PNG or WebP.
Tips
- Colour bleed is what makes it look like tape. Keep it high and the noise moderate.
- Turn the date stamp off for a cleaner look on posters, or keep it for nostalgic family photos.
- Night and indoor photos with lamps and neon look especially authentic.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a photo look like VHS?
Add the photo, adjust Colour bleed, Noise, Scanlines and Tracking lines, choose whether to show the PLAY date stamp, and download.
Can I change the date in the stamp?
The stamp shows today’s date and time from your device. To show a different date, change it later in the post maker or an editor, or turn the stamp off.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The effect is made in your browser on your own device.