Guide
How to enhance a photo without overdoing it
Most photos straight from a phone are a little flat: slightly underexposed, low in contrast, or with a colour cast from indoor lighting. A few small adjustments make a bigger difference than any filter. The Image Enhancer gives you the same core controls photographers use, with a live preview so you can see each change as you make it.
What each control does
- Brightness lifts or darkens the whole image. Small changes (±5–10%) are usually enough; large ones wash out highlights.
- Contrast stretches the difference between lights and darks. A modest boost adds depth to flat, hazy photos.
- Saturation controls colour intensity. Raise it gently for dull scenes; lower it for a softer, muted look.
- Sharpness uses an unsharp mask to crisp up edges. Too much creates bright halos, so zoom in to check.
- Warmth shifts colours toward orange (warmer) or blue (cooler). Use it to correct the yellow cast of indoor bulbs or the blue cast of shade.
- Vignette darkens the corners to draw the eye toward the centre.
A reliable order of adjustments
- Fix brightness first, so the subject is properly exposed.
- Add contrast until the image has depth but shadows still show detail.
- Correct colour with warmth, then adjust saturation.
- Add sharpness last, and only a little.
- Compare with the original before downloading. If the change is obvious at a glance, it's often too much.
Presets as a starting point
The eight presets (Vivid, Matte, B&W, Warm, Cool, Fade, Punch and Original) set several sliders at once. Pick the one closest to the look you want, then fine-tune individual sliders. Presets work well for social media posts where a consistent style matters.
What enhancement can't do
Adjustments improve how existing detail looks; they can't recover detail that was never captured. A badly out-of-focus or tiny image won't become sharp. In that case, start from a better original if one exists. The result downloads as a PNG so no further compression is added; compress or convert it afterwards if you need a smaller file.