Star Filter effect

Throws streaks of light off the brightest parts of a photo, like a scored glass star filter on the lens.

Made with the Starlight filterWorks in

Star filter effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Anamorphic preset)

BeforeAfter

Starlight finds the highlights in your picture and throws cross-screen streaks off them, all at one fixed angle, which is what makes it read as glass on the lens rather than stickers on top. Bigger lights throw longer arms. Pick four points for the classic cross-screen, or six and eight for softer vintage glass, and tint the light warm or cool.

4presets
14settings
3apps

Same effect, different presets.

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

Star filter effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Starburst preset) — Starburst

Star filter effect on a portrait of a woman in a red jacket on a blue background, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Soft Bloom preset) — Soft Bloom

Star filter effect on a portrait of a woman with copper red hair, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Whole Frame preset) — Whole Frame

Star filter effect on a portrait of a woman with silver hair and blue sunglasses by the sea, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Starburst preset) — Starburst

Star filter effect on a portrait of a laughing woman with pink curly hair, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Anamorphic preset) — Anamorphic

Star filter effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Soft Bloom preset) — Soft Bloom

Star filter effect on a wide-angle portrait of a woman looking up at the camera, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Whole Frame preset) — Whole Frame

Use the star filter 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 Starlight 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 Starlight and apply it to that layer.

Mac & Windows · Affinity 3

Figma

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

Figma Community

Settings worth touching.

PointsStar: How many arms each star has. Four is the classic cross-screen; six and eight read as older, softer glass.
LengthStar: How far an arm can reach across the frame. It is a cap, not a fixed size, so brighter lights throw further.
ColourLight: The colour of the added light. White keeps highlights neutral; a warm tint reads like a lamp in the shot.

Plus 11 more in the panel, all editable after you pick a preset.

Star Filter Effect questions.

What is a star filter effect?

A star filter effect adds pointed streaks of light to bright spots in a photo, copying the scored glass filters photographers screw onto a lens. Filter Archive builds the streaks from the photo's own highlights, so each light gets arms in proportion to how bright it is.

How do I make a star filter effect in Photoshop?

Open Filter Archive from the Plugins menu and choose Starlight. Start from a preset such as Anamorphic or Starburst, 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 Starlight 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.

Which presets come with Starlight?

4 presets: Anamorphic, Starburst, Soft Bloom and Whole Frame. Every setting stays editable after you pick one, and you can save a stack of filters to use again.