Wireframe effect

A mesh that crowds where the form turns away, so line density does the shading.

Made with the Wireframe filterWorks in

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

BeforeAfter

Wireframe drapes a glowing mesh over your subject and lets the lines crowd together where the form turns away, so it reads like a 3D scan rather than a grid pasted on top. A rim line picks out the silhouette and folds.

4presets
27settings
3apps

Same effect, different presets.

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

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

Wireframe effect on a portrait of a laughing woman with pink curly hair, made with the Wireframe filter in Filter Archive (Scan Mesh preset) — Scan Mesh

Wireframe effect on a portrait of a woman in headphones holding a CD, made with the Wireframe filter in Filter Archive (Sliced Scan preset) — Sliced Scan

Wireframe effect on a portrait of a woman with silver chains on a grey background, made with the Wireframe filter in Filter Archive (Scan Mesh preset) — Scan Mesh

Wireframe effect on a portrait of a woman in a red jacket on a blue background, made with the Wireframe filter in Filter Archive (Sliced Scan preset) — Sliced Scan

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

Wireframe effect on a portrait of a woman with copper red hair, made with the Wireframe filter in Filter Archive (Lathe preset) — Lathe

Use the wireframe 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 Wireframe 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 Wireframe and apply it to that layer.

Mac & Windows · Affinity 3

Figma

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

Figma Community

Settings worth touching.

ReliefForm: How far the tone pushes the mesh. This is what makes density read as curvature.
FillLine: How much a flat surface keeps. Low lets only the turning form light up; high keeps the whole mesh.
RimLine: A solid line where the form turns edge-on: the silhouette and the folds.

Plus 24 more in the panel, all editable after you pick a preset.

Wireframe Effect questions.

What is a wireframe effect?

A wireframe effect draws a subject as a mesh of lines, like a 3D model or a body scan. The spacing and brightness of the lines describe the shape instead of normal shading.

How do I make a wireframe effect in Photoshop?

Open Filter Archive from the Plugins menu and choose Wireframe. Start from a preset such as Blueprint or Scan Mesh, 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 Wireframe 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 Wireframe?

4 presets: Blueprint, Scan Mesh, Sliced Scan and Lathe. Every setting stays editable after you pick one, and you can save a stack of filters to use again.