How to Create Vignette Effect Effectively in Photoshop

Vignette is a popular photo effect that have the power to construct viewer to focus more into the subject by giving a nice soft and gradual fade effect with the background. There many ways to create vignette effect but I prefer only this method since it gave me more control and non-destructive to the photo.

This is a simple Photoshop Tutorial on how you can create vignette effect effectively in Photoshop. Enjoy!

1. Open Image

Open your image in Adobe Photoshop. In this tutorial I use Photoshop CS4

2. Duplicate Image

Control + J to duplicate the image or Right Click > Duplicate. You can rename new layer as Vignette or whatever you like. Doesn’t matter.

3. Adjust Image Exposure

Click on the Vignette Layer and then goto Images > Adjusments > Curves

Move Curves slider down to darken area. You can control your output background by moving and playing with Curves silder.

Now you will have an underexpose image. Check for pixel details. You don’t want your image to be too dark and almost black.

4. Add Layer Mask

Add Layer Mask to Vignette layer and then make a oval selection as shown by using Elliptical Marquee Tool.

Click on Layer Mask and Paint your oval selection with Black

5. Add Gaussian Blur

Now goto to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Move slider to the right and control your final output.

6. Vignette Effect done!

You are done. This how the result looks like.

Original:

With Vignette Effect: