Skip navigation

Canva home
  1. Home
  2. Photo Editor
  3. Photo Effects
Photo Effects Feature Banner

Beautify your images with free photo effects

Spice up your photos with free photo effects on Canva. Let your creativity shine, and experiment with one-click filters to make your pictures look cute, warm, or breathtaking.

Explore photo effects

Get creative with filters

Adjust the intensity of your photo filter

Breathe life into your images with Canva’s slew of photo effects for every occasion. Select the Rose filter for a rose-wrapped effect. Try the Retro filter for a scrapbook-inspired vintage look. Or head to the Adjust panel and experiment with sliders for a more tailored result. Need a fresh start? No worries. Quickly restore your original image by clicking None, leaving your photo as good as new.

Craft bold looks

Apply a cool Nordic filter to your image

Go beyond cozy aesthetics and inject an element of mystery into your photos. Try the Nordic filter if you’re into cool, muted tones. Choose Fresco to punch up your visuals with high-contrast colors. Or apply the Slate filter to give your images the weight of black and white⁠(opens in a new tab or window). Play with different filters for your book covers or magazine mockups⁠(opens in a new tab or window), and see what looks best for your stunning subject.

Define your focus

Apply blur effects to your photo

Get rid of harsh angles and make your images dreamy and soft with a blur effect. Simply select Edit photo, scroll down to Effects, and use the Blur slider to adjust the intensity of the blur effect. Want more control over your image? Blur specific areas and bring your subject into focus with Blur Brush. Effortlessly adjust focus shape, size, and brush intensity for the perfect touch.

Color your visuals

Adjust the color saturation of your image

Color says everything about the mood of a photo. Deck out your images in vibrant colors with Canva’s powerful photo editor⁠(opens in a new tab or window). Go to the Adjust panel and move the Saturation slider to enrich your reds or blues, or use the Tint slider to alter your image’s entire color palette. And with Canva’s Color Edit, easily tweak the hue and brightness of individual colors in your image, keeping the rest intact.

Improve your images instantly

Adjust the whole image saturation on your mobile phone

Skip manual editing and weave magic into your work. Our AI photo editor⁠(opens in a new tab or window) detects and lets you independently adjust the image's foreground and background, making photo background changes⁠(opens in a new tab or window) a breeze. Pressed for time? Hit Auto-adjust and get a sharper look in a snap with well-defined colors and balanced lighting. Use Canva’s AI-powered tools⁠(opens in a new tab or window) such as AI portrait generator⁠(opens in a new tab or window), Anime AI generator⁠(opens in a new tab or window), and AI Video Generator to whip up perfect visuals for every social post or story.

How to add a filter to your photo

How to add a filter to your photo
Start of list: How to add a filter to your photo

Skip to end of “How to add a filter to your photo” list

Launch Canva

Open Canva. Choose a ready-made template or start a design project from scratch.

Upload your photo

Upload your image from your device or browse our library for free stock photos you can use for your project.

Add free photo effects

Select your image, then click Edit photo. In the Filters options, choose See all. Try out the many different filters available to find one you like.

Tweak your photo

Keep editing your photo by moving the sliders in the Adjust panel to find the perfect blend of warmth, brightness, and saturation. Or hit Auto-adjust to enhance your image in one click.

Download and share

Happy with the final look? Download your image as a high-quality JPG or PNG file. You can also add it to another Canva design or share it on social media straight from the editor.

Skip to start of “How to add a filter to your photo” list

End of list: How to add a filter to your photo
Explore photo effects

Open Canva. Choose a ready-made template or start a design project from scratch.

Upload your image from your device or browse our library for free stock photos you can use for your project.

Select your image, then click Edit photo. In the Filters options, choose See all. Try out the many different filters available to find one you like.

Keep editing your photo by moving the sliders in the Adjust panel to find the perfect blend of warmth, brightness, and saturation. Or hit Auto-adjust to enhance your image in one click.

Happy with the final look? Download your image as a high-quality JPG or PNG file. You can also add it to another Canva design or share it on social media straight from the editor.
Explore photo effects

Frequently asked questions

Add effects to a photo using our online photo editor. Upload your image using the desktop app or a web browser, or download our iOS or Android apps. Make the most of the same tools and features and seamlessly edit from one device to another. Once done, download your image, share it online, or add it to an existing design.

Yes, photo filters are free on our platform. Play with different filters to find one that suits your mood or desired aesthetic. You can also explore more free tools like Blur and Color Edit to fine-tune your image to perfection.

Filters are applied to images to enhance their appearance and visual appeal. They can brighten a photo, enhance colors, adjust the contrast, or sharpen the entire image. Filters also serve as a way to add creative effects and create blurs or vignettes.
Quotation mark
@canva is simply outstanding as a tool to create designs. Using Canva is such a seamless experience that once you sit down to design, you don't feel like getting up. It's addictive and useful. Keep going Canva. I use Canva every day – I couldn’t do my job without it. The ability to style logos is my favorite feature.

@navneet4

Explore more Photo Editor features

Darken ImageGrayscale ImagePhoto BordersFlip ImageMirror ImagePhoto BlurTransparent ImagesTexturesRotate ImageCircle CropCombine ImageText to ImageAdd Watermark to PhotoAdd Emoji To Photo
Explore photo effects(opens in a new tab or window)