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CRT Effect

Turns any picture into a glowing image on a curved tube screen, with scanlines, phosphor masks and VHS-⁠style signal ghosts.

The same photo on a curved CRT screen with dark rounded corners, fine scanlines, purple and blue color shifts, orange fringing and speckled noise.
Low-angle photo of a basketball player in a white tank top, blue shorts and white sneakers, with a blurred orange ball in front and a blue sky.
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Made with CRT Lab

Works in

The CRT effect runs your image through a simulated NTSC and VHS signal, then displays it on a curved CRT screen. You get scanlines, a phosphor mask, color fringing, ghosted edges, tape snow and a dark vignette. You can change the mask type, curvature, color mode, ghosting, bloom and every distortion.

Same effect, different settings

12 photos, each with its own settings. Try it on yours

  • CRT Effect on a photo of two pears on linen
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a woman in black sunglasses
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a man in a white shirt
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a woman in white cat-eye sunglasses
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a man with pink hair and black sunglasses
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a man in a suit under yellow light
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a woman in blue glasses
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a young man in black
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a woman in orange glasses and a knit collar
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a woman with a black bob and red earrings
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a black horse
  • CRT Effect on a photo of a man reaching into a blue sky

Use CRT Effect in Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Affinity or Figma

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

Settings worth touching

Mask Type
Switches the phosphor pattern between aperture grille stripes, slot mask, shadow mask dots or an LED matrix.
Color Mode
Starts at Composite NTSC color. Switch to Monochrome Green or Amber for a terminal screen, or Vivid LED for brighter color.
CRT Curvature
Sets how far the screen bulges, from flat glass to a rounded tube with dark, bent corners.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a CRT effect in Photoshop?

Install Nexus for Photoshop, convert your layer to a Smart Object and apply the look as a Smart Filter. Double-⁠click the filter any time to change its settings.

Can I animate the CRT effect in After Effects?

Yes. Drop it on any layer as a native effect and keyframe any control, such as Signal Phase, Tracking Jitter or Head Switch Tear, on the timeline.

Can it make a VHS effect too?

Yes. The engine simulates a VHS signal before the screen stage. Raise Tape Snow, Tracking Jitter and Head Switch Tear, or lower Scanlines and CRT Curvature for a flatter tape look.

How do I get a green or amber CRT screen effect?

Set Color Mode to Monochrome Green or Monochrome Amber. Phosphor Tint changes the screen color further, and Scanlines and Phosphor Bloom control how much the lines show and glow.

Can I try the CRT effect for free?

Yes. Open the look in the Nexus web editor and try it on your own image without an account. Exporting needs a free account, which exports images up to 720px and video up to 720px with the Nexus mark.

Related effects

Try CRT Effect in your browser

Free to try. Exporting needs a free account.

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