Tint Effect

What this tool does

Tint / Color Grade applies a single, solid color overlay to your photo and blends it using professional blend modes (Multiply, Screen, Overlay, Soft Light, etc.). This is one of the fastest ways to give an image a cinematic palette, unify a series of photos, or create a strong “brand color” mood.

Unlike basic “colorize” filters, this tool gives you:

• Custom tint color (choose any hex color)
• Blend mode control (how the tint interacts with the photo)
• Tint strength (how strong the grade feels)
• Input adjustments (Saturation, Contrast, Invert) to shape the base image before the tint is applied
• Surprise Me random looks you can refine

Everything is processed locally on your device.

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Workflow

1. Upload one image
   Drag & drop, click to select, or paste from clipboard (Ctrl/⌘+V). EXIF orientation is respected.

2. Pick a tint color
   Use the color picker or type a hex code (example: #ffcc88).

3. Choose a blend mode
   Start with Multiply (moody), Screen (bright), or Soft Light (film-like).

4. Dial in Strength
   Strength controls how much of the tint layer is blended into the photo.

5. Tune the base image (optional but powerful)
   Adjust Saturation and Contrast, or enable Invert for negative/abstract effects.

6. Download
   Export in the same format you uploaded (JPEG stays JPEG, etc.).

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What is “tinting” in photo editing?

A tint is a controlled color cast applied across an image to shift its mood. In real-world photography, tints come from:

• Lighting temperature (warm tungsten vs cool shade)
• Film stock characteristics (greens, magentas, deep blues)
• Chemical processes (cyanotypes, sepia toning)
• Printing & scanning workflows (paper, ink, and scanner profiles)

Digital tinting recreates these looks by blending a color layer with the underlying pixels.

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Blend modes explained (in plain English)

Blend modes decide how the tint interacts with brightness.

Multiply (Darken)

• Think: ink on paper
• Makes shadows richer and pushes mood darker
• Great for: cinematic, street photography, gritty edits

Screen (Lighten)

• Think: projector light
• Lifts shadows and brightens the image overall
• Great for: dreamy highlights, pastel looks, “washed” film vibes

Overlay (Contrast)

• Increases contrast while tinting
• Strong, punchy grades
• Great for: posters, bold social content

Soft Light (Subtle)

• Like Overlay but gentler and more “photographic”
• Great for: portraits, lifestyle, subtle film looks

Hard Light (Harsh)

• High-impact, dramatic contrast
• Great for: graphic looks, intense stylization

Color (Hue + Saturation)

• Applies the tint’s color but keeps the photo’s brightness
• Great for: clean recoloring, unified brand palette without crushing contrast

Luminosity

• Applies brightness from the tint layer (special-case looks)
• Can create surprising “B&W + grade” behaviors depending on settings

Difference

• Produces inverted/psychedelic color interactions
• Great for: abstract art, album covers, experimental graphics

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Controls (what each one really does)

Tint Color

Pick the grading color. If you want classic looks:

• Warm film: oranges/amber (#ffcc88, #f2b279)
• Cool cinematic: teal/blue (#2bb3b1, #2d6cdf)
• Vintage green: olive (#7a8f5a)
• Magenta cast: (#c04aa5)

Strength (0–100%)

Controls opacity of the tint layer.

• 10–30%: subtle color temperature shift
• 40–70%: obvious grading
• 80–100%: bold stylization / poster-like

Saturation (0–200%)

Adjusts the image before tinting.

• 0%: removes color → lets tint act like a classic chemical tone
• 80–120%: normal grading range
• 140–200%: vibrant, pop-art looks

Contrast (50–150%)

Also applied before tinting.

• Lower contrast: softer, hazier grade
• Higher contrast: punchier, more “printed” look

Invert Input

Inverts the base image before tinting.

• Great for experimental aesthetics
• Combine with Difference for wild results

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Best-use cases

• Cinematic color grading for thumbnails, YouTube stills, and social posts
• Brand consistency (make different photos feel like one set)
• Album cover looks (Difference/Hard Light with strong colors)
• Cyanotype / monotone vibes (Saturation 0% + blue tint)
• Mood boards (quickly explore palettes on the same photo)
• UI/hero backgrounds (create subtle tinted backdrops)

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Presets you can recreate (quick recipes)

1. Teal & Orange (cinematic)

• Blend: Soft Light or Overlay
• Tint: teal (#2bb3b1)
• Strength: 25–45%
• Saturation: 95–115%
• Contrast: 105–125%

2. Warm film wash

• Blend: Screen
• Tint: warm amber (#ffcc88)
• Strength: 20–40%
• Contrast: 90–105%

3. Sepia‑ish toning (without full sepia)

• Blend: Multiply
• Tint: brown/orange (#b07a3a)
• Strength: 30–60%
• Saturation: 70–100%

4. Cyanotype / blueprint

• Saturation: 0%
• Blend: Color or Multiply
• Tint: deep blue (#1e4ed8)
• Strength: 35–70%

5. Poster pop

• Blend: Hard Light
• Tint: bright color (try Surprise Me)
• Strength: 60–100%
• Saturation: 120–180%
• Contrast: 120–150%

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Tips for natural-looking grades

• Start low, then build. Many “pro” grades sit around 15–45% strength.
• Use Soft Light when unsure. It’s the most forgiving blend mode for photos.
• Control saturation first. Over‑saturated bases can make tinting look cheap.
• Add contrast carefully. Too much contrast + Multiply can crush shadows.
• Pick colors with intent. Warm colors feel nostalgic; cool colors feel modern and dramatic.

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Troubleshooting

“My image looks muddy / too dark.”

• Lower Strength
• Switch from Multiply → Soft Light
• Reduce Contrast or increase Saturation slightly

“The tint looks neon / unrealistic.”

• Reduce Saturation to 80–100%
• Use Soft Light instead of Overlay/Hard Light

“I want the tint to affect shadows more than highlights.”

• Use Multiply (naturally targets darker regions)

“I want highlights to glow.”

• Use Screen and keep Strength modest (15–35%)

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How it works (technical but readable)

This tool uses the browser’s Canvas pipeline:

1. Your image is decoded locally via createImageBitmap() with EXIF orientation applied.
2. Optional pre-filters are applied (Invert, Saturation, Contrast).
3. The tool draws a full-canvas rectangle in your chosen tint color, blended using globalCompositeOperation (Multiply/Screen/Overlay/etc.) and your Strength as globalAlpha.
4. Export is generated client-side in your original file type.

No uploads. No server processing.

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Privacy & offline

• Privacy-first: Your image never leaves your device.
• Offline-ready: After the tool page loads once, it can run offline (especially when installed as a PWA).
• Fast previews: Rendering is capped internally for responsiveness, while export is full resolution.