Access PicMonkey’s effects from the left tab column. Effects are similar to the photo filters you’ve probably used in your phone’s photo editing program or on Instagram. When applied, effects will change the overall look or hue of your image.
How to apply an effect
Open your photo in PicMonkey.
Click the Effects tab on the left.
Choose an effect to apply.
Adjust the effect’s slider(s) as you wish.
Click Apply to save your changes.
Erase or paint on an effect
Many effects have a paintbrush icon at the top of the panel. Clicking this icon opens the Erase & Brush palette, which gives you the option to erase parts of the effect filter, and also paint the filter back on if you erase too much (notice that only half of the above image contains the Dusk effect).
If you apply an effect and then change your mind about it, you can remove the effect by clicking the Undo arrow in the bottom toolbar.
Effects with a color picker
Some effects, like Vignette, have a color picker that lets you change the hue of the effect.
To apply an effect that has a color picker:
Click the color circle to open the color picker.
Choose any color using the Spectrum tab (rainbow wheel icon), or pick from preset colors on the Colors tab (painter's palette icon).
Adjust the effect sliders until the effect looks how you want it to.
Click Apply to save your changes.
Applying focal area effects
The effects in the Area effect group (Focal B&W, Focal soften, Fancy Focus) focus on a certain focal area of the image and change or soften other parts of the image.
To apply an area effect:
Select an Area affect and use the Focal Size slider to adjust the area focus.
Click the circle and drag it around until it’s over the part of the image that you want to focus on.
Adjust the sliders until the effect looks how you want it to.
Click Apply to save your changes.
Applying Pro effects
As of June 2021, Pro and Business subscribers can apply trendy Pro effects to images.
To apply a Pro effect:
Click an image layer in your design. If your design is a single photo, you may need to click the padlock on the Layers panel to separate the image from its background.
Click Pro effects in the Image Tools menu on the left tab column.
Choose the Pro effect you like and select your desired style to preview the effect.
Click Apply to save your changes.
NOTE: These effects are only available on the updated editor screen. If you are still using Palette mode, you will be unable to access them. To switch to the palette-less mode, look for the message box at the bottom of the left tab column and click Show me to get started.
Other Pro effects notes:
Pro effects can't be adjusted with sliders; however, some can be ungrouped into individual layers, and those layers edited.
In addition to images, some Pro effects will work on a text layer, as long as the layer is flattened first.
The following effects auto-remove your image's background upon application: glitch, neon scribble, glitter shadow, gradient shadow, offset silhouette.
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