Glow
Bloom, neon, and directional light leak effects.
Glow
The glow system adds bloom and light effects on top of the dithered image. It's applied after dithering, so the glow interacts with the dithered pixels — not the original image.
Controls
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enable Glow | Toggle | Off | Turn on the glow engine. |
| Glow Mode | ChoiceSimple, Per-Color, Directional, Density | Simple | How the glow is generated. Each mode has a very different look. |
| Intensity | Float0% - 200% | 50% | Brightness of the glow. Subtle at low values. Cranked up, it bleeds across the image. |
| Radius | Float1 - 100 px | 15 px | How far the glow spreads from bright areas. Small radius = tight halo. Large radius = soft bloom. |
| Threshold | Float0% - 100% | 30% | Minimum brightness for a pixel to glow. Lower = more glow everywhere. Higher = only the brightest spots. |
| Tint | Color Picker | White | Color the glow. White is neutral. Try warm tones for a filmic bloom or neon colors for a cyberpunk look. |
| Saturation | Float0% - 200% | 100% | Color intensity of the glow. 0% is a white/monochrome bloom regardless of source color. |
| Softness | Float0% - 100% | 50% | How diffuse the glow falloff is. Low = hard halo edge. High = dreamy, soft. |
| Angle | Float0 - 360 degrees | 0 | Direction of the glow streak (Directional mode only). |
Glow Modes
Simple
A uniform Gaussian bloom applied to any pixel above the threshold. Classic post-processing bloom. Good for softening harsh dithered edges or adding a dreamy quality.
Per-Color
Each color in your palette generates its own independent glow. This creates a neon sign effect where different colored regions bloom in their own hue. Works best with:
- Low color depth (2-4)
- Vivid palettes (1980s Neon, Neon Punk preset)
- Dark footage with isolated bright areas
Directional
An elongated glow streak at a specified angle. Simulates anamorphic light leaks or light bleeding across the frame. The Angle control sets the streak direction — 0 is horizontal, 90 is vertical.
Density
A glow that follows the structure of the dither pattern itself. Where dithered dots cluster together, the glow intensifies into bright pools. Where dots are sparse, the glow stays dark. The result is organic, content-aware bloom that makes the dither feel like it's glowing from within. The Softness control adjusts how sharply the glow concentrates — lower values create harder density cutoffs with more dramatic pooling.
Tips
- Per-Color mode + 1980s Neon palette is an instant cyberpunk look
- Directional at 0 degrees with a warm Tint creates a convincing anamorphic flare
- Threshold is your most important control — too low and the whole image blooms into mush, too high and nothing glows. Start around 30% and adjust.
- Intensity 150%+ with Radius 50+ creates an aggressive, blown-out look — great for music videos
- Glow is keyframeable — animate the Intensity on a beat drop for a pulsing bloom effect