The cyberpunk look is a color grade before anything else: shadows pushed hard into teal and blue, highlights glowing magenta and pink, and contrast tuned so every light source feels like a neon sign. It is the palette of Blade Runner, Cyberpunk 2077 and every rainy neon cityscape on your feed.
Grade intensity drives the teal-magenta split toning, Neon fringe adds a touch of chromatic aberration so bright edges shimmer like cheap neon, and Contrast gives the grade its bite. Night photos, cities and portraits with artificial light convert spectacularly; even daylight shots take on a strange synthetic beauty. Free, private, no signup.
How to add the cyberpunk effect to a photo
Tips for the best cyberpunk look
- Night shots with existing light sources (signs, windows, headlights) become instantly cinematic.
- For portraits, keep Grade intensity near 45–60 so skin keeps some warmth against the teal shadows.
- Stack the VHS or Glitch effect afterward for a full retro-futuristic treatment.
Cyberpunk effect — FAQ
What colors define the cyberpunk aesthetic?
Teal-to-blue shadows against magenta-to-pink highlights, with cyan and purple accents. It is a deliberately synthetic palette — the opposite of natural light — which is exactly what makes photos feel like a neon-lit future.
Does this work on daytime photos?
Yes — the grade re-tints shadows and highlights regardless of when the photo was taken. Daylight shots come out looking like stills from a stylized film rather than literal night scenes.
What is the “Neon fringe” slider?
A controlled dose of chromatic aberration: the red and blue channels are offset slightly at edges, creating the color fringing you see around real neon tubes and cheap wide-angle lenses in night photography.