Contour Line effect

Topographic contour lines that wrap the subject: iso-tone levels, not scan lines.

Made with the Contour Field filterWorks in

Contour line effect on a portrait of a laughing woman with pink curly hair, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Sonar preset)

BeforeAfter

Contour Field reads your photo like a height map and draws a line at every tone level, so the subject is wrapped in topographic rings like a survey map. Lines stay an even weight and run together into solid in the brightest areas.

3presets
13settings
3apps

Same effect, different presets.

8 photos, each with its own preset. Try it on yours

Contour line effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Awakening preset) — Awakening

Contour line effect on a wide-angle portrait of a woman looking up at the camera, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Survey preset) — Survey

Contour line effect on a portrait of a woman in headphones holding a CD, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Awakening preset) — Awakening

Contour line effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Sonar preset) — Sonar

Contour line effect on a portrait of a person with goggles looking up, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Survey preset) — Survey

Contour line effect on a portrait of a woman in sunglasses against a blue sky, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Awakening preset) — Awakening

Contour line effect on a portrait of a woman with red hair in a studded beanie, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Sonar preset) — Sonar

Use the contour line effect in Photoshop, Affinity or Figma.

One licence covers all three: $9.99 a month or $59.99 once. See pricing

Photoshop

Open Filter Archive from the Plugins menu, pick Contour Field and press Apply. The result lands on a new layer above your original.

Mac & Windows · Photoshop 2024+

Affinity

Choose Filters, Plugins, Filter Archive on a pixel layer, pick Contour Field and apply it to that layer.

Mac & Windows · Affinity 3

Figma

Select an image, frame or shape, run Filter Archive and apply Contour Field as a new layer or in place.

Figma Community

Settings worth touching.

ContoursField: How many tone levels get a line.
SmoothingField: How broadly the form is read. Too little and the lines chase skin texture.
Merge AboveLine: The brightness where lines run together into solid.

Plus 10 more in the panel, all editable after you pick a preset.

Contour Line Effect questions.

What is a contour line effect?

A contour line effect draws lines along areas of equal brightness, the way a topographic map draws lines along equal height. On a portrait the lines wrap around the face and body.

How do I make a contour line effect in Photoshop?

Open Filter Archive from the Plugins menu and choose Contour Field. Start from a preset such as Awakening or Survey, adjust the settings while the preview updates, then press Apply. The result goes on a new layer and your original stays untouched.

Can I use it in Affinity or Figma?

Yes. The same Contour Field filter runs in Affinity 3 on Mac and Windows, from Filters, then Plugins, then Filter Archive on a pixel layer, and in Figma on an image, frame or shape. One licence covers Photoshop, Affinity and Figma.