Vector effects
real paths from any picture

A vector effect redraws a picture as dots, lines, letters and shapes. Every mark is a real path you can scale and edit.

Make a vector effect See the effects

The plugins are free with an account. Paid plans add bigger renders and your own effects. See pricing

The same portrait as green DOS characters on near-black, with line strokes tracing the hair and the outline of the face. — After, with ASCII Art Effect

How a vector effect works

It draws the picture again with shapes, so what you get is a drawing, not a photo.

Every mark is a path

Dots, lines and letters come out as shapes, not pixels.

Sharp at any size

Blow it up to a poster and every edge stays crisp.

Yours to edit

Move points, recolor shapes or pull the parts apart.

Real paths in Illustrator and Figma

Hit Drop as vector and the look lands as paths you can edit.

Illustrator

Real vector paths.

Hit Drop as vector and the look lands as paths you can edit, every anchor point included.

After Drop as vector

A Nexus look dropped into Illustrator as vector paths, every anchor point showing

Figma

Real Figma layers.

Hit Drop as vector and you get groups and paths you can edit, not a flat picture.

Layers panel

Vector effects to start with

Every one runs in your apps with the same controls as the web editor. See every effect

Every vector effect

In every app you use

Illustrator, Figma and the web editor keep the paths. Photoshop, After Effects and Affinity render them as pixels, with every setting still live.

Describe a vector effect

Switch Create to Vector and describe the look, from stipple and contour lines to flow fields and mazes.

Meet Create

The photo as green ASCII characters on a dark terminal backgroundASCII

Raster or vector?

Raster

Vector

What it makes

Pixels

Real vector paths

Best for

Photos and footage: print, glass, glow and grain

Graphics that scale: dots, lines, letters and shapes

In Illustrator and Figma

Placed as an image

Paths and groups you can edit

From the web editor

PNG and MP4

SVG on Creator and up, plus PNG and MP4

Ask Create for

Glitch, CRT, duotone, pixel sort

Stipple, contour lines, flow fields, mazes

Questions, answered

An effect that draws with shapes: dots, lines, letters and tiles, each one a real path. ASCII art, plexus, dither and text portrait are vector effects.

In Illustrator and Figma, hit Drop as vector. In the web editor, export an SVG on Creator and up.

Yes. There it renders as pixels, like any other effect, and every setting stays live.

Yes. Keyframe any setting in the web editor or in After Effects, and export the result as video.

Yes, with Create on Creator and Pro. Switch it to Vector and describe the look, from stipple and contour lines to flow fields and mazes.