Best Grain Filters for Windows/Mac/iPhone/Android – Cheap & Beautiful
Last Updated on November 23, 2022 by Peter Wood
Grainy photos can convert different feelings than smooth photos. If you are not a professional photographer, there is no need to buy high-level film cameras and lenses. How to apply gain filters to create films to create a vintage photo? Then here comes the question, where can I find the best grain filters? If you don’t know which one to choose, you can get some useful information from the following recommendations. Whether you are a novice or an expert, you can also learn how to create film grain texture on your computer within 3 minutes.
Part 1: Is Film Grain and Image Noise the Same Thing
Many people cannot distinguish the difference between film grain and noise. Well, film grain is a kind of texture caused by small dye clouds and metal silvers. You can enlarge RAW images to see the noticeable grains.
As for digital noise, it may look like film grain. But the image noise is the visual distortion of image details, which is affected by high ISO settings, long shutter speed, high temperature, and many other reasons. In most cases, digital noise is not a good thing for photography. You have a strong feeling to correct and remove noise from pictures.
The main difference between film grain and noise is quality. Film grain will not influence the original quality. Thus the noise will decrease the visual quality of your picture a lot. There are many types of grain filters and overlays for images in the market. You can make your photos grainy accordingly.
Part 2: The Ultimate Way to Apply Stunning Grain Filters
When you need to apply some stunning grain filters with advanced settings, WidsMob AI Retoucher is an all-in-one photo editor and post-processor to add render analog film grains to your photos, tweak grain intensity and size, touch up portrait images, eliminate image noises, and even turn photos into cartoons, paintings, and sketches with AI algorithms. Moreover, there are multiple photo effects and filters to touch up photos.
- Apply different grain filters for different analog films and camera profiles.
- Polish portraits with skin smoothing, skin whitening, and shine removal.
- Tweak the grain intensity and size to render it for different analog films.
- Adjust saturation, contrast, brightness, temperature, tint, vibrancy, etc.
Step 1: Download and install WidsMob Retoucher on your Windows or Mac. Click the Import button to add the desired photos you want to edit into the program. Of course, you can also drag-n-drop photos in JPEG or TIFF format for a batch process.
Step 2: Go to the Filters menu from the left menu, which you can scroll down to choose the desired analog films you want to apply. When you need to add vintage effects, the black and white films add the desired grain filters according to your requirement.
| Kodak Ektachrome 100VS/25/64/200 | Fuji Astia 100F | Fuji Provia 100F |
|---|---|---|
| Fuji Velvia 50 | Kodak Portra 160NC/160VC | Fuji Superia Reaia 100 |
| Fuji Superia X-tra 800 | Ilford Delta 400 | Fuji Superia HG 1600 |
| Kodak BW 400CN | Kodak Tri-X 400 | Kodak T-Max 3200 |
| Fuji Neopan Acros 100 | Ilford Pan F Plus 50 | Ilford XP2 |
| Ilford HP5 800 | Kodak Elite 100 | Fuji Superia 200 |
Step 3: When you need to adjust the grain filters for the B/W films, you can go to the Adjust menu and choose the Sharpness option for enhancing the image noise. Moreover, you can also use Luminance and Chrominance to reduce the intensity of the grain filter.
Step 4: To further adjust the grain filters for the photos, you can also use the color filter, color opacity, vignetting, temperature, tint, vibrancy, and others to make adjustments. After that, you can click the Save As button to export the photos with desired grain filter to your computer.
Part 3: How to Create Film Grain Overlay in Photoshop
Photoshop is another professional photo editor for creating grain effects and presets. If you have an available Photoshop subscription plan, you can also use it to add grain filters to analog films to make a vintage effect. Moreover, you can also get film grain overlays and templates from Envato Elements as Photoshop add-ons.
Of course, Photoshop has a built-in filter to create a grain layer with the desired effect. Compared with the above grain filters for Photoshop, it takes more time and energy to add grain to Photoshop. If you don’t mind, you can follow the steps to apply the grain filters.
Step 1: Launch Photoshop on your computer and Choose the Open option from the File drop-down menu, browse and import the desired picture into Photoshop. After that, you can click the background layer and choose the Duplicate Layer option to copy another one.
Step 2: Select the Adjustments tab to choose the Black & White option to add a black and white layer. After that, you can adjust more parameters to get the desired photos, such as exposure, vibrance, saturation, brightness, levels, and curves.
Step 3: Right-click the duplicated layer and choose the Blending Options button. Choose the Overlay option from the drop-down list next to Blend Mode. Make the Opacity option 100% and adjust the other parameter before clicking the OK button.
Step 4: To add grain filters to your photos, you can go to the Filter menu and choose the Add Noise option from Noise. Enter the noise amount or use the slider to apply the desired filter. Moreover, you can tweak the distribution and monochromatic accordingly.
Step 5: If you need other types of grains, you can choose the other noises, such as de-speckle, dust & scratches, median, and reduce noise. Just tweak the other parameters and you can click the File menu and choose the Save As button before saving.
Part 4: Top 3 Grain Apps for iPhone and Android
Nowadays, the built-in camera on your mobile phone is powerful. You can take photos in any situation, weather and light condition. You can even capture the moon on your phone with pretty good quality. Therefore, you can install an application to add grain to a photo on iPhone or Android directly.
Top 1: VSCO
VSCO is not only a photo editor but also a film grain app for iOS and Android. You can add grain texture and analog film effects with ten free VSCO presets. You can unlock 200+ grain presets after paid.
- Add grain filter and photo effects to your pictures.
- Edit on RAW photos with advanced photo editing tools.
- Access grain preset library after joining the VSCO membership.
Top 2: Picsart
PicsArt also provides a library of grain filters and overlays. You can analog film grains and apply eye-catching effects with ease. The intuitive interface and support of image effects are friendly to new photographers.
- Add vintage and retro grain effects to your photos.
- Create film-like results with dust and grain effects.
- Apply sparkles, color mixes, captions, and other presets.
Top 3: IRetro 1967
If you are looking for vintage film grain effects, IRetro 1967 can be your smart choice. The Android grain filter app makes it easy to add film grain to pictures. Moreover, you can edit and share photos after using grain filters within the application.
- Provide analog grain, lens flares, dust-speckled photos on Android.
- Simulate retro camera presets and filters.
- It is a free grain filter app for Android. There is no subscription required.
Conclusion
That’s all about grain filters for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android users. You can use WidsMob AI Retoucher as recommended film grain analog software, with which you can get film grain filters from Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford. Those film grains are natural and good-looking. Furthermore, you can add film grain texture and remove the imperfection of portrait images with ease.
For people who subscribe to Photoshop, using a Photoshop grain filter is also a workable way. You can create a grainy layer or install premade grain plug-in. As for iOS and Android users, there are also some highly rated film grain applications. You can take grainy pictures like a pro without too much effort.