What is the pixel stretch effect called?

Pixel stretch, pixel drag or pixel sorting-adjacent smearing. They all describe the same idea: taking a row of pixels and repeating it across the frame so the image dissolves into bands.

Which photos work best?

Anything with strong horizontal or vertical colour separation - sunsets, skylines, water, neon signs - because the smear is made from a single line of those colours.

Can I keep my subject sharp?

Yes. Paint over them in Mask mode and the streaks pass behind them, so the subject stays sharp while the background stretches away.

Completely. The whole tool - the ribbon, the mask, the feather and the full-resolution PNG export - is free, and your photo is never uploaded.

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How to make the pixel stretch effect

The pixel stretch (or pixel drag) effect takes one line of a photo and smears it across the frame, turning a sunset or a portrait into long bands of colour. It is a staple of album covers and profile art. Here is how to make it in your browser, free.

1. Open Pixel Stretch and add a photo Drop in any photo. Pictures with strong colour bands - sunsets, skies, neon, water - stretch into the most striking results.
2. Place the line you want to smear Drag the endpoints of the line to choose which pixels get stretched and how wide the band is. Everything the streaks are made of comes from that one line, so move it around until the colours are the ones you want.
3. Bend and fan the streaks Add anchors along the path and drag their handles to curve the stretch instead of running it straight. Twisting an anchor fans the band out, which is what turns a flat smear into something with movement.
4. Mask your subject back in Switch to Mask mode and paint over the person or object you want kept - the streaks then pass behind it instead of over it. The feather slider softens that boundary so it does not look cut out.
5. Set the strength and export Use Opacity to control how strongly the streaks sit over the photo and Fade-out to dissolve their far end back into it, then export a full-resolution PNG. Everything renders on your device.

Open Pixel Stretch · Read the full guide

What is the pixel stretch effect called?: Pixel stretch, pixel drag or pixel sorting-adjacent smearing. They all describe the same idea: taking a row of pixels and repeating it across the frame so the image dissolves into bands.
Which photos work best?: Anything with strong horizontal or vertical colour separation - sunsets, skylines, water, neon signs - because the smear is made from a single line of those colours.
Can I keep my subject sharp?: Yes. Paint over them in Mask mode and the streaks pass behind them, so the subject stays sharp while the background stretches away.
Is it free?: Completely. The whole tool - the ribbon, the mask, the feather and the full-resolution PNG export - is free, and your photo is never uploaded.