Image Editor
Free app for editing images and photos
Free app for editing images and photos
Last updated: 2026-11-02
Photo filters change the appearance of an image with a single selection. Some strengthen color, some soften the light, and others turn a color photo into black and white. Image Editor provides 23 filters, along with Original to remove the selected filter.
This guide uses public-domain nature photographs to show the differences. Each before-and-after pair uses the same framing. Select a photo to view it at full size, or use the source link in its caption to download the original and follow along.
Intensity runs from 0 to 100. Selecting a filter sets it to 100; choosing another filter replaces the previous one and returns Intensity to 100. At 0, the selected filter has no visible effect.
Most examples below use Intensity 80 to make the effect easy to see. The black-and-white examples use 100, as do Sepia and Blues. Each example starts with the adjustment sliders at 0. Try a lower intensity if a filter changes your photo too much.
For a photo that looks dim or flat, Enhanced adjusts the balance of light and dark based on the tones in the image. The result depends on the photograph, so the change may be stronger in one image than another.
Enhanced is separate from Auto Adjust in the Adjust panel. Enhanced is a filter controlled by Intensity. Auto Adjust sets the individual adjustment sliders, which you can then change yourself. For examples of those controls, see the photo adjustments guide.
Vivid increases color and contrast to help colorful subjects such as flowers, foliage, and birds stand out.
Vivid warm adds a warmer balance to the stronger color and contrast. Vivid cool shifts the balance toward blue. Chrome offers another combination of stronger color and contrast with a slightly cooler tone.
Warm shifts the photo toward yellows and reds, adding warmth to autumn leaves, dry grasses, or a landscape in late-afternoon light. White clouds and other pale areas take on the warmer tone as well.
Snow, water, and shaded landscapes take on a cooler color balance with Cold, which shifts the photo toward blue. The same cloud scene is used below so you can compare the warmer and cooler results.
Dramatic increases the separation between light and dark while reducing color slightly. Rock formations, textured clouds, and landscapes with clear areas of sun and shade show this effect well. The stronger contrast can make detail in the darkest areas harder to see.
Dramatic warm adds a warmer color balance to this effect. Dramatic cool adds a cooler balance. Use the neutral Dramatic filter first, then compare the warm and cool versions if the scene would benefit from a change in color.
Mono converts the photo to black and white with a modest increase in contrast. It is a useful starting point when you want to emphasize the shape of a tree, the pattern of leaves, or the light across a landscape.
Noir converts the photo to black and white with much stronger contrast and deeper dark tones than Mono. This can emphasize a clear outline or a strong patch of light.
For a different balance, Silvertone combines black and white with lifted shadows and more contrast than Mono. Classic mono also lifts shadows slightly. Classic noir produces stronger contrast with darker shadows. Stark makes the separation between dark and light especially strong, while Wash lowers contrast and lifts the darkest tones for a paler result.
Use Intensity 100 for a fully black-and-white result. Below 100, some of the photo's color returns. This can be useful when you want subdued color instead of removing it completely.
For a gentler appearance in a scene with strong shadows, Fade softens contrast, lifts the darkest tones, and reduces color, with a slight warm tint.
Pastel reduces color and contrast while brightening the photo and its shaded areas. Flowers and foliage become paler, with less separation between light and dark.
Sepia replaces the photo's colors with warm brown tones. It can bring attention to texture and shape while giving the image a warmer appearance than black and white.
Color sepia adds a brown or golden warmth while keeping more of the original color. Differences between the photo's colors remain visible.
Rust combines strong warmth with higher contrast and darker shadows. Use it to emphasize reddish rocks, autumn leaves, or dry grasses. Pale areas also take on more color.
Blues replaces the photo's colors with blue tones. Like Sepia, it emphasizes light and shape, but with a cooler appearance. At lower intensity, some of the original colors mix back in.
Choose Transform, then select Compare above the image to switch between the original and your edits. You can also press and hold it for a quick look. On a phone or in a narrow window, Compare is the icon beside the aspect-ratio controls. Choose Filters to continue editing.
Select Original to remove the filter, or use the reset icon beside the Filters heading (Reset filters). Changes made in Adjust, such as Exposure or Shadows, remain in place. The reset arrow beside Intensity restores the filter to full strength; it does not remove the filter.
You can use a filter together with the controls in Adjust. For example, increase Shadows to bring out a shaded subject, then return to Filters and lower Intensity if the result is too strong. See the photo adjustments guide for more about each control. To follow an edit from start to finish, see how to enhance a photo.
When you are satisfied, select Download to save an edited copy to your computer. For other ways to save, see Save and export.
All example photos are public domain. The source links in the captions identify the photographers or contributing agencies and provide the original files. Some photos were cropped to a portrait shape, as noted in their captions. Examples were edited in Image Editor and reduced in size for this page.