1D Effect

Apply 1D to images and videos online

Stretch a photograph into horizontal bands of color. 1D strips away recognizable detail and turns the source's changing colors into an abstract, scanline-like composition.

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Original image before applying 1D effect Before
Image with 1D effect applied After

Ideas for using the effect

Abstract landscape studies

Reduce a landscape to stacked bands that retain suggestions of sky, horizon, and ground.

Poster backgrounds

Create a broad color field beneath clean typography or a simple graphic mark.

Music artwork

Translate a cover photograph into a related abstract texture for supporting assets.

Moving color strips

Apply the preset to video so changing source colors feed the bands over time.

Made with this effect

More inspiration on Instagram @effect_app

Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
Example created with 1D effect Original before 1D
See more

Use 1D in Photoshop, Figma or on your desktop

One account, the same effect everywhere.

In Photoshop

Apply it to a layer in Photoshop 2022 and later, on macOS or Windows. The plugin renders on your own GPU and hands the result back as pixels on a new layer.

get the Photoshop plugin →

In Figma

Run it on images and frames without leaving the canvas. The Figma plugin is this same editor, pointed at whatever you have selected.

get the Figma plugin →

On desktop

Install the macOS or Windows app when you want a window of its own, with your account and your presets already there.

download the desktop app →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply 1D online?

Open the 1D preset, add your image or video, and adjust the loaded effect layers to suit your source. Preview the result before exporting.

How does the 1D preset work?

The saved stack contains two Transform layers with strongly offset input centers. Repeated sampling toward the image edge produces the extended horizontal bands seen in the preset example.

Why does the source photo become unrecognizable?

The treatment emphasizes a narrow part of the image instead of preserving the entire scene. That loss of spatial information is the basis of the effect; choose it when color and rhythm matter more than subject detail.

How can I change the band colors?

Try another crop or adjust the Transform input centers to sample a different part of the picture. Grading the source before the preset also changes the colors that feed the stretched result.

Is this pixel sorting?

It is built with Transform layers rather than a pixel-sorting process. The resulting stripes may suit similar abstract artwork, but they come from shifted image sampling rather than ordering pixels by brightness or hue.

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