How To Create A Vignette In Photoshop - Digital Photography School

With your file open in Photoshop, the first thing to check is that the foreground color swatch is set to black.

To revert to the Photoshop default of a black foreground and a white background, press the D key.

Step 2: Add a Gradient fill layer

Next, choose Layer in the main menu, then select New Fill Layer>Gradient. Click OK on the first pop-up window that appears.

A second pop-up will appear: the Gradient Fill settings window. Make sure to tick the Reverse box (otherwise, your vignette will be inside-out, with the center of the image dark, and the edges of the image untouched by the effect).

By default, the Gradient Fill Style will be set to Linear. Change this to Radial – that way, Photoshop knows to create the gradient in a circle, rather than a line.

At this point, you should see a vignette applied to your image, but it’ll be extremely intense. You can boost the Scale percentage to alter the strength of the vignette (smaller numbers correspond to a more intense gradient). I usually enter a value around 300% to 350%.

Click OK.

Step 3: Experiment with opacity and blending modes

Once you’ve applied the Gradient fill layer, your image may look a little dark and flat. To blend the gradient effect more carefully, make sure the Gradient fill layer is selected, then reduce the opacity of the layer via the Opacity slider.

Each image will be different, but I usually reduce the opacity of the Gradient Fill layer to around the 50% mark. Here’s my example image with reduced opacity:

To further blend the Gradient fill layer with the underlying image, you can also work with Photoshop blending modes. Just click on the blend mode dropdown menu and see what works best for your image.

Finally, if your image is still feeling a little flat, make some adjustments with a Curves adjustment layer to boost the contrast.

Method 3: Using the Shape tool

Photoshop’s Shape tool has endless uses – including adding a vignette to a photograph.

Specifically, by working with an ellipse shape, you can easily create a versatile vignette. Here’s how:

Step 1: Create an ellipse

First, make sure your foreground color is set to black.

Then, with your image open in Photoshop, select an ellipse from the Shape Tool menu on the far left Photoshop toolbar. Check to make sure that the Fill swatch located toward the top of the screen in the Shape menu is set to solid black (if it’s not, then double-click and adjust the Fill color).

Once the color is set, drag the ellipse outline over your image to form an oval shape. When you release the mouse button, the shape will automatically fill with black.

Step 2: Invert the ellipse

With your Ellipse layer selected, click on the Properties window and select the Subtract front shape icon located under the Pathfinder heading (see below). The shape will reverse, creating a black border around a now-transparent ellipse.

Step 3: Adjust the vignette with masks

Make sure the Ellipse layer is selected, then refer back to the Properties menu.

This time, click the Masks icon; it looks like a gray circle on a dark background (see below). The Masks menu allows you to adjust the Density and Feather of the Ellipse layer. I usually leave the Density at 100%, but I push the Feather adjustment to its upper limits (which softens the vignette effect).

Step 4: Add finishing touches to your vignette

To increase the subtlety of the vignette, you can adjust the opacity of the Ellipse layer. Experimenting with different blending modes is another effective way to adjust the impact of the artificial vignette.

And feel free to alter the dimensions of the vignette with the Transform options or tweak the contrast and saturation with adjustment layers.

Once you’re done, you should have a vignette like this:

How to create a vignette in Photoshop: final words

As you can see, applying vignettes to your photos in Photoshop doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it’s really very simple! And it’s fairly customizable, too – which means you can spend plenty of time playing around with the strength, feathering, and position of your vignette effect.

So open some of your favorite images in Photoshop. See how they look with vignettes.

As long as you keep it subtle, I’m guessing you’ll get a great result!

Photoshop vignetting FAQ

What is a vignette?

A vignette is a darkening around the periphery of a photograph. It occurs for various reasons in many photographic circumstances.

How do I add a vignette in Photoshop?

There are several ways to create a vignette in Photoshop. The methods listed in this article are simple and effective ways to apply a vignette aesthetic.

Where can I find the vignette tool in Photoshop?

Unfortunately, Photoshop doesn’t offer a vignette tool. However, you can easily create a vignette with the Shape tool, a Gradient fill layer, or a Lens Corrections filter.

How do I remove in-camera vignetting?

The easiest way to remove vignetting in post-production is to open the image in Photoshop and – with the image layer selected – click Filter>Lens Correction. The Lens Correction window will present various options for reducing unwanted vignetting.