How the photo distortion effect works
This online image distorter makes a grayscale brightness map from your picture. Each pixel’s brightness determines how far the tool samples upward in the original image: darker areas shift farther, while brighter areas shift less. It uses the sampled pixel’s original color, producing colorful vertical streaks and a melt-like distortion.
The brightness map is blurred to blend nearby values into smoother transitions. Its blur amount scales automatically with the image dimensions, so the effect remains proportional on different image sizes. Processing happens locally in your browser with a Web Worker, keeping the interface responsive while the preview updates.
How to use the image distorter
- Choose an image. Select a photo or illustration from your device, or drag and drop it onto the preview. Common browser-supported image formats work.
- Adjust Distortion Strength. Increase the value for longer vertical streaks, decrease it for a gentler photo distortion, or set it to zero to remove the displacement.
- Download your result. Choose Download PNG to save the current image effect. The result keeps the source width; its top edge is cropped by the maximum shift to remove striping.
Portraits, landscapes, architecture, and high contrast artwork can all create interesting maps. Try a moderate strength first, then adjust it until the image has the amount of stretch you want. Because blur follows the image size automatically, you only need to tune one control.
Image distortion settings
Distortion Strength
Distortion Strength sets the maximum vertical sampling offset relative to the shorter image dimension. A value of 50 shifts pixels by up to about 50 pixels on a 500 pixel image; the effect scales with image size. Larger values create longer streaks. The output crops up to that maximum offset from the top, so its height can be shorter than the source.
Automatic smoothing
Smoothing softens the grayscale displacement map, not the color image itself. Its radius scales with the shorter side of the image. The tool preserves the sampled source colors and the original image width.
Frequently asked questions
Is this image distortion tool free?
Yes. You can create and download a distorted PNG without creating an account.
Are my images uploaded?
No. The image is read and processed in your browser. It is not sent to the site.
What kind of pictures work well with the image distorter?
Pictures with clear light and dark regions tend to create more visible displacement patterns. Try portraits, buildings, landscapes, illustrations, or abstract art.
Does the image lose its color?
No. Brightness in a grayscale copy of the image controls the displacement, while the original color pixels are used to draw the result.
What size is the downloaded PNG?
The PNG keeps the source image’s pixel width. Its height is reduced by the crop at the top, which removes rows where the maximum shift could create edge stripes. The preview scales to fit the page.
How do I reduce the distortion?
Lower Distortion Strength for a subtler stretch. The smoothing adjusts automatically to the image dimensions.