Effects — Photo
Posterize effect
Reduce a photo to a few flat tone levels for a bold, screen-print-style look. One simple control: levels.
- Status
- Live
- Category
- Photo
- Settings
- 1
What is the Posterize effect?
Posterization reduces the number of distinct tones in each colour channel, so smooth gradients break into flat bands. The look comes from screen printing, where each flat colour is a separate stencil.
With a single Levels control, it is a quick way to simplify a busy photo. Low values give a graphic, poster-like result; higher values look closer to the original but show stepped gradients.
Posterize settings
- Levels
Best photos for it
- Portraits and graphic subjects
- Skies and sunsets
- Pop-art and screen-print looks
Tips for better results
- Tip 01
Use 3 to 5 levels for obvious posterization.
- Tip 02
Increase contrast first so the bands fall in the right places.
- Tip 03
Combine with Gradient map for a custom palette.
Common questions
What is the difference between Posterize and Dither + palette?
Posterize flattens tones into bands. Dither + palette limits colours to a palette and can use patterns to simulate extra tones.
Similar effects
- Gradient mapRecolour a photo by mapping its brightness onto a shadow, mid and highlight colour gradient, with a mix slider.Available
- Dither + paletteConvert photos into retro pixel art with Bayer, Floyd–Steinberg, Atkinson or noise dithering and classic palettes like Game Boy, C64 and NES.Available
- Ben-Day comic dotsRecreate classic comic-book dots with adjustable dot size, colour levels and angle, the look of vintage pop-art prints.Available
Also searched as: Posterization, Flat colour effect, Colour reduction.