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Newspaper Effect

Turns any picture into grainy newsprint: dark ink broken into speckled grain on pale paper, with deep shadows and blown-⁠out highlights.

The same portrait printed in near-black ink on white, shadows in heavy grainy speckle, highlights blown to paper, the side copies fading into grain.
Color studio portrait of a freckled man in a white fabric cap and high collar, two blurred copies of him behind, on a pale gray backdrop.
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Made with RisoPrint

Works in

The newspaper effect rebuilds your image as a cheap print run. Two plates, starting near black and dark navy, screen through a coarse paper grain onto white stock, so tones turn to speckle and midtones drop out. You can change each ink color, its separation, the grain size and the paper color.

Same effect, different settings

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

  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a man with pink hair and black sunglasses
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a woman in white cat-eye sunglasses
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a pale woman with a white bob
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a man in a white shirt
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a man in white sunglasses
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a man with slicked blond hair and sunglasses
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a man with a buzz cut
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a smile with gold grills
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a woman in black sunglasses
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a young man in black
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a woman with a black bob and red earrings
  • Newspaper Effect on a photo of a black horse

Use Newspaper 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

Separation 1
Sets how much of the picture the first ink plate covers. Wider separations overlap more and build denser, darker shadows.
Ink contrast
Pushes the inks harder against the paper. The look starts at full contrast for crisp blacks; lower it for softer, grayer tones.
Scale
Sets the size of the paper grain the inks screen through. Raise it for coarser speckle, lower it for finer newsprint.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add the newspaper effect in Photoshop?

Install Nexus for Photoshop, apply the look as a Smart Filter on a Smart Object, and double-click it any time to change the inks, grain or paper.

Can I make a newsprint effect in After Effects?

Yes. Nexus for After Effects adds the look as a native effect. Drop it on a layer and keyframe any control, such as grain scale or ink color, over time.

How do I get an old newspaper effect with yellowed paper?

Change the Paper color to a warm off-white and lower Ink contrast slightly. The inks then sit on aged-looking stock instead of clean white.

Does the newspaper filter give vector output in Illustrator or Figma?

No. This look outputs pixels only. In Illustrator and Figma the result comes back as an embedded image, not as vector paths.

Can I try the newspaper print 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 Newspaper Effect in your browser

Free to try. Exporting needs a free account.

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