Image glitch guide

Help

Short answers to what goes wrong most often.

Does it need WebGL or a GPU?

No. Every pixel is worked out in JavaScript and drawn on a plain canvas. Any current browser works.

It is slow

The picture is worked out by your processor, and sliders redraw on every step as they glide. Pixel sort is the heaviest: it builds and sorts a list for every row or column. On a big picture, let go of the slider and wait a moment, or use a smaller picture.

The picture changes every time I move a slider

Data mosh, VHS tracking and JPEG corrupt pick new random rows and bytes on every redraw. Move the slider to where you want it, then save.

JPEG corrupt went back to the plain picture

Some broken files cannot be read at all. Then the tool shows your original picture and says so. Lower Glitch amount and try again.

JPEG corrupt always starts from your own picture, not from another effect's result or its own last one. Each redraw breaks a fresh copy, so moving a slider back and forth does not pile up damage.

What does Randomize change?

Only the sliders of the effect you picked. The other effects keep their settings. Reset puts every slider back.

My picture came out smaller

On a phone, a touch screen or a window under 900 pixels wide, a picture bigger than 1024 pixels is shrunk to 1024 on its long side. The line under Image shows both sizes. On a wide screen the picture keeps its size, and very big ones redraw slowly.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. Tap an effect, a pill or a button, and drag the sliders. All nine effects are there.

The picture did not load

If the browser cannot open that file, the tool says so and keeps the picture you had. Save it as a PNG or JPEG and try again.

Copy did nothing

Some browsers do not let a page put a picture on the clipboard. Use Save PNG instead.

Is my picture uploaded?

No. The picture is broken on your device and never leaves it.

Why is a picture from another tool here?

Pictures you add are kept on this device for every lab tool that takes one, so you need not add them again. Press × on a tile to forget that picture; the sample comes back.

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

The tool has none of its own. Anywhere in the lab, Ctrl K, or Cmd K on a Mac, opens the list of all tools.

Why does the video stop by itself?

Record video keeps exactly one sweep, Seconds a cycle long, so the clip loops when it plays. It is an MP4 in H.264, the kind phones, Photos and Instagram play. Press Record video again to stop early.