PRIVATE BY DESIGN

Add Real Film Grain to Any Photo

Grain is what separates a flat digital photo from something that looks like it was shot on film. This tool gives you two sliders — strength and size — so you can build anything from a faint texture to a heavy, visible grain, and see the result update live as you adjust it.

Open a photo below, pick the 35mm Grain preset or start from scratch, and adjust strength and size until the texture looks right. Free, live preview, nothing uploaded.

Two controls: strength and size

Grain strength controls how visible the texture is against the photo underneath; grain size controls how coarse or fine each individual grain particle looks. Because the two are separate, a fine, subtle grain and a coarse, heavy one are both reachable at any strength you choose.

See it update as you move the slider

Both grain sliders update the preview live, so you can watch the texture build in real time instead of applying a setting and waiting to see the result. A before/after slider sits alongside it, so you can check the grain against the original photo at any point.

Works on its own or with any look

Grain applies whether you start from the 35mm Grain preset — built specifically around this texture — or add it on top of any other look, including Classic Noir, Silver Gelatin, or an unedited photo. It's one slider pair among several, not a feature locked to a single preset.

Full resolution, every format

The grain effect exports at the same resolution as the photo you started with, with no downscaling. Save the result as JPG, PNG, or WebP, with a quality preview beforehand, and EXIF data removed automatically — all without the photo ever leaving your browser.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between grain strength and grain size?

Strength controls how visible the grain is overall; size controls how coarse or fine each grain particle looks. They work independently of each other.

Can I add grain without using a preset first?

Yes. The grain sliders work on an unedited photo just as well as on top of a preset.

Will the grain still be visible at full export resolution?

Yes. Grain is applied at the photo's full resolution, not just in a downscaled preview.

Is the photo uploaded to apply grain?

No. Grain is calculated in your browser, and a proof panel confirms zero bytes are sent.