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Dispersion Photo Effect

Scatter image edges

The processor finds horizontal and vertical luminance changes, then selects a seeded subset of those edge pixels. Selected pixels lose opacity at the source and reappear farther along the chosen direction, so the subject appears to break apart and drift.

Particle amount controls selection density. Travel distance is a percentage of the shorter image side, so a 20% setting produces the same composition at preview and export sizes. Edge threshold decides whether the effect follows only strong silhouettes or also catches texture.

Shape the breakup

Start with a high threshold to isolate the outline of a subject. Lower it when clothing, hair, or surface texture should also fragment. Direction matters as much as amount: particles blowing into open sky read as wind, while particles crossing a busy background disappear into it.

Large travel distances need spare canvas space in the chosen direction, because particles outside the original bounds are clipped.

Example: portrait dissolving to the right

Place the subject on the left third of the frame, set Direction to Right, Travel distance near 25, and Edge threshold around 60 so only the body outline qualifies. Then lower Amount until the face stays solid and the trailing shoulder carries most of the breakup. If hair should fragment too, drop the threshold by 10 or 15 rather than raising the amount.

Cycle through a few seeds at those settings. Placement changes with each seed, and one arrangement will usually keep the eyes clean while spreading particles where the frame can afford them.

Transparency in the output

Displaced pixels leave partially transparent gaps behind, which is why the export is always PNG regardless of the source format. Those gaps are the point: layered over a darker background in another editor, the dissolved edge shows whatever sits beneath it. Flattening the PNG onto white in a later step fills the gaps and flattens the effect with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Upload JPEG, PNG, or WebP. The result always downloads as PNG because the effect creates transparent gaps where pixels leave.

It sets the contrast difference required before a pixel can become a particle. Lower values include more surface detail.

Yes. Particle distance scales with image dimensions and the seed fixes placement, so the composition holds at full resolution.

Particles that travel beyond the canvas are clipped. Point the direction toward the side with the most empty space, or crop the source wider before applying the effect.

It selects which qualifying edge pixels become particles. Different seeds give different breakup patterns at identical settings, and the same seed always repeats the same pattern.

Raise Edge threshold until only the strongest silhouette edges qualify. A subject that contrasts with its background will fragment while low-contrast areas stay intact.

Yes. The PNG keeps the transparent gaps, so the result can be layered in any editor that supports alpha.

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