Smoke effect

Highlights dissolve into wind-blown wisps of gas that trail off in one direction.

Made with the Mist filterWorks in

Smoke effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Ember preset)

BeforeAfter

Mist lets the light in your photo steam away. The highlights give off wisps of gas that the wind carries off in one direction, curling as they go, from a faint breath to a gale. Tint it warm for smoke off an ember or cool for dry ice, or output the mist alone to blend over the picture yourself.

4presets
8settings
3apps

Same effect, different presets.

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

Smoke effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Breath preset) — Breath

Smoke effect on a portrait of a man in black sunglasses, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Dry Ice preset) — Dry Ice

Smoke effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Ember preset) — Ember

Smoke effect on a portrait of a laughing woman with pink curly hair, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Dry Ice preset) — Dry Ice

Smoke effect on a portrait of a woman in headphones holding a CD, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Ember preset) — Ember

Smoke effect on a portrait of a man with silver hair and red sunglasses, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Breath preset) — Breath

Smoke effect on a portrait of a person with goggles looking up, made with the Mist filter in Filter Archive (Gale preset) — Gale

Use the smoke effect in Photoshop, Affinity or Figma.

One licence covers all three: $59.99, paid once. See pricing

Photoshop

Open Filter Archive from the Plugins menu, pick Mist 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 Mist and apply it to that layer.

Mac & Windows · Affinity 3

Figma

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

Figma Community

Settings worth touching.

LengthWind: How far the gas travels before it fades out.
AngleWind: The direction the wind blows. The mist leaves every highlight this way.
TurbulenceWind: How much the wind eddies. Zero is a clean straight trail; high and the gas curls back on itself.

Plus 5 more in the panel, all editable after you pick a preset.

Smoke Effect questions.

What is a smoke effect?

A smoke effect adds drifting smoke, mist or vapor to an image. Here it comes off the picture's own highlights and trails in one direction, as if the subject were steaming in the wind.

How do I make a smoke effect in Photoshop?

Open Filter Archive from the Plugins menu and choose Mist. Start from a preset such as Breath or Gale, 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 Mist 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.