OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Glitch Effect
VHS Scanlines, Torn Slices and RGB Split Added to Any Photo
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How the Glitch Effect works
This glitch effect breaks a photo the way a failing video tape or corrupted file would: the red and blue channels drift apart, horizontal slices tear sideways, scanlines darken every few rows and grain crawls across the frame.
How to use the glitch effect
Drop in a photo and the glitched version appears. RGB split pushes the red channel one way and the blue channel the other, creating coloured fringes on every edge. Torn slices sets how many horizontal strips are shifted sideways. Noise adds grain, and VHS scanlines darkens thin lines across the image like an old CRT screen. Change Variation to get a different random pattern of slices while keeping every other setting.
Why the pattern stays put
The slices come from a seeded random sequence, so moving a slider does not reshuffle them. You can fine-tune the colour split and noise without losing a tear you like. A new Variation number reshuffles the pattern on purpose.
Getting a good glitch
Strong edges and high contrast show the colour split best, so portraits against plain backgrounds, neon signs and night city shots all work well. Keep the split small, around 5 to 10, for a subtle chromatic aberration look, or push it past 20 for an aggressive datamosh style.
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FAQ
What is a glitch effect?
A glitch effect imitates digital or analogue errors such as colour channels slipping out of line, rows of pixels shifting sideways and tape noise. It is popular for album art, posters, thumbnails and social media posts with a retro or cyberpunk feel.
How do I make a photo look like an old VHS tape?
Keep the RGB split low, add a few torn slices, raise the noise a little and leave VHS scanlines switched on. The combination of fringed colours, grain and dark lines reads instantly as a worn videotape frame.
How do I get a different glitch pattern?
Change the Variation number. Each number produces a different arrangement of torn slices and noise, and the same number always gives the same pattern, so you can come back to a result you liked.
Is chromatic aberration the same as RGB split?
They look alike. Chromatic aberration is a lens fault that fringes edges with colour, and the RGB split slider recreates it by offsetting the red and blue channels sideways from the green one.
See also: all Images tools, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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