Chromatic aberration is a lens defect: glass bends each wavelength differently, so red, green and blue focus at slightly different positions, leaving colored fringes along edges. Lens designers spend fortunes eliminating it — while filmmakers, game artists and photographers add it back on purpose, because a controlled dose reads as cinematic, analog and alive.
Amount sets how far the channels separate. The Radial toggle chooses the geometry: ON mimics a real lens (sharp center, fringing growing toward corners); OFF shifts channels uniformly for a stylized, glitch-adjacent look. Subtle settings add filmic texture; extreme ones go fully psychedelic. Free and processed entirely in your browser.
How to add the chromatic aberration effect to a photo
Tips for the best chromatic aberration look
- For realism keep Amount under 30 with Radial ON — real lenses fringe at edges, not in the center.
- High-contrast edges (backlit hair, window frames, branches on sky) show the fringes most.
- Stack with VHS or Glitch for a full analog-horror aesthetic.
Chromatic Aberration effect — FAQ
What causes chromatic aberration in real lenses?
Dispersion: glass refracts short (blue) wavelengths more than long (red) ones, so colors focus at slightly different points. Cheap or extreme lenses show it most — which is why the artifact reads as “raw, real footage” when added deliberately.
What is the difference between radial and linear mode?
Radial scales the channel offset with distance from the image center — how physical lenses actually behave. Linear shifts the channels the same amount everywhere, a flatter, more graphic look common in glitch and cyberpunk styles.
Why would I add a lens flaw to my photo?
Perfection can feel sterile. A hint of fringing suggests the image passed through real glass, adding cinematic texture. It is the same logic as adding film grain — imperfection as authenticity.