Clarity: Local Contrast Without Clipping Anything
Contrast added at one scale and confined to the midtones, so pure black and pure white receive no boost at all and nothing new gets clipped. Plus halo protection, because the grey outline is what makes over-processed photos look over-processed.
Drop images here
or click to browse · or paste with Ctrl+V
JPG · PNG · WebP · GIF · BMP · AVIF
How much local contrast to add. Twenty to forty is the range that still looks like a photograph.
The size of the detail being boosted. Small values sharpen; large values give the broad punch clarity is known for.
At 100 the effect is confined to the middle of the tonal range, so nothing near black or white is pushed further and nothing new is clipped.
Holds the effect back at strong edges, which is where the grey outline of an over-processed photo comes from. Turn it down to see what it prevents.
Presets
Your photos are never uploaded. The local contrast and the export both run inside this browser tab.
People also use
Everything this tool does
It cannot clip anything new
The boost falls to exactly zero at pure black and pure white. On a test image whose extremes sat just short of the ends, a strong clarity boost left 0 pixels clipped where an equivalent global contrast adjustment pushed 12,800 hard against black and white.
Halo protection
Boost is held back where the local difference is far larger than ordinary texture. On a hard edge, the background beside it was lifted 55 levels with protection off and 4 with it on.
Scale as its own control
Small values sharpen fine detail, large values give the broad weighty punch clarity is actually known for. Most tools hide this, and it changes the character more than the amount does.
Adjustable midtone focus
At 100 the effect is confined to the middle of the range; at 0 it acts everywhere. Being able to relax it is useful on flat images that genuinely need help at the ends.
Colour is not shifted
All three channels are scaled by the same factor around the pixel's brightness, so adding presence does not also add saturation the way a contrast curve does.
Drag to compare
Before and after share one frame with a slider, and there is a preset with halo protection off so you can see exactly what it is doing for you.
Six purpose-built presets
Natural, landscape punch, fine detail, portrait, gritty and halo protection off.
Batch with one ZIP
Apply the same treatment across a shoot and take everything as a single archive built in your browser.
Transparency preserved
The alpha channel is untouched for PNG and WebP output.
Nothing is uploaded
No server, no queue, nothing to delete afterwards. Close the tab and every trace of the image goes with it.
What each control does
Scale is the control people underuse and it changes the character completely. A small scale sharpens edges; a large one gives the broad, weighty punch that clarity is actually known for.
| Setting | What it does | Try | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount 15-30 | subtle, safe | any scale | Nothing much |
| Amount 50-100 | strong, obvious | halo 70+ | Gritty, HDR look |
| Scale 5-20 | sharpens fine detail | amount 20-40 | Noise emphasised |
| Scale 40-120 | broad tonal punch | amount 25-50 | The real clarity look |
| Midtone focus 100 | nothing near black or white moves | always | Nothing much |
| Midtone focus 0 | acts across the whole range | rarely | Clipping |
| Halo protection 0 | shows the artefact | for comparison | Grey outlines |
Midtone
confined boost
0
files uploaded
0
new clipping
5-120
scale range
ZIP
batch download
Free
no account needed
FlipMyFormat vs other clarity tools
| Capability | FlipMyFormat | Typical free tool |
|---|---|---|
| Files stay in your browser | ||
| Boost confined to the midtones | ||
| Provably adds no new clipping | ||
| Halo protection you can toggle | ||
| Scale exposed as its own control | ||
| Batch ZIP download without paying | ||
| No watermark on the output |
How clarity differs from contrast and from sharpening
Three tools look similar and do quite different things. Contrast applies one curve to the whole picture, so it stretches the tonal range and pushes the ends toward black and white, which is why heavy contrast clips shadows and highlights. Sharpening boosts differences at the scale of a pixel or two, which makes edges crisp and also makes noise crisp. Clarity sits between them: it boosts differences at a much larger scale, tens of pixels rather than one or two, so instead of making edges sharper it makes broad areas look more defined and weighty. That is why a landscape with clarity looks like it has more presence rather than more contrast, and why it is the adjustment people reach for when a photograph looks flat but the histogram says it is fine. Two things make it usable rather than dangerous. The first is confining it to the midtones, because a boost applied evenly would push the darkest and brightest parts of the picture further out and clip them, which is exactly the thing you were trying to avoid by not using contrast. The second is halo protection. Local contrast works by comparing each pixel with a blurred version of its surroundings, and at a strong edge that comparison is enormous, so the boost creates a bright line on one side and a dark line on the other. That grey outline around every branch against the sky is the single most recognisable sign of an over-processed photograph, and holding the effect back at strong edges is what prevents it.
- 1
Add your photos
Drag them in, click to browse, or paste with Ctrl+V. Landscapes, architecture and textured subjects gain most.
- 2
Set the scale first
Small values sharpen, large values give the broad punch clarity is known for. Decide which you want before touching the amount.
- 3
Raise the amount, then export
Twenty to forty still looks like a photograph. Leave halo protection on unless you want to see what it prevents.
Why the midtone weighting matters
A boost that cannot clip
Local contrast adds a signed amount to every pixel, and if you add it evenly across the tonal range the darkest and brightest pixels are pushed past the ends and clip. Weighting the boost so that it peaks in the middle of the range and falls to exactly zero at both ends removes the possibility rather than reducing it: a pixel at 0 or at 255 receives a weight of zero and therefore no boost at all. We check the consequence directly. On a test image whose darkest and brightest areas sat just short of the ends, a strong clarity boost left the count of clipped pixels at exactly 0, while an equivalent global contrast adjustment pushed 12,800 pixels hard against black and white. That is the difference between an adjustment that adds presence and one that destroys detail at both ends to get it.
Where halos come from
Every local contrast method compares a pixel with a blurred version of its surroundings and amplifies the difference. In a flat area that difference is small and the amplification is exactly what you want. At a strong edge the difference is enormous, so the amplification produces a bright band on the light side and a dark band on the dark side, which is the halo. The fix is to notice when the difference is far larger than ordinary texture and hold the boost back there, so the effect stays strong in flat and textured areas and fades at genuine edges. We measured it on a hard edge against a smooth background with a strong boost applied: with protection off, the background immediately beside the edge was lifted 55 levels above the background further away, and with it on that dropped to 4. The control is exposed rather than fixed, because you can see the artefact for yourself by turning it down.
What people use it for
Landscapes
The classic use. Rock, cloud and foliage all gain presence without the photograph looking contrastier.
Architecture
Brick, stone and concrete have texture at exactly the scale clarity works on.
Flat, hazy photographs
When the histogram says the range is fine but the picture still looks limp, clarity is usually the answer rather than contrast.
Product photography
Adds definition to surfaces and materials without blowing out highlights on glossy items.
Black and white work
Clarity and monochrome suit each other, since there is no colour to be pushed around as a side effect.
Street photography
The gritty look at high amounts is a recognised aesthetic in its own right.
Food photography
Texture is most of what makes food look appealing, and clarity is a texture tool.
Preparing for print
Print softens local contrast, so a modest boost beforehand often reproduces better on paper.
Six tips worth knowing
Set the scale before the amount. It changes the character far more, and most people never touch it.
Twenty to forty percent still looks like a photograph. Past sixty you are choosing a processed look rather than correcting one.
Leave midtone focus high. It is what stops the adjustment clipping your shadows and highlights.
Use much less on portraits. Clarity emphasises skin texture, which is rarely what anyone wants.
Turn halo protection off once on a photo with branches against sky, just to see what it prevents.
Apply clarity after your tonal work and before any sharpening, since sharpening on top of boosted local contrast doubles up.
Troubleshooting
There are grey outlines around edges
That is the halo, and it means protection is too low. Raise it, or reduce the amount.
The photo looks gritty and over-processed
Either the amount is too high or the scale is too small. Raise the scale first; a broad boost reads as presence, a narrow one reads as grit.
Skin looks rough
Clarity emphasises texture and skin has plenty. Use much less on portraits, or raise the midtone focus so only the middle of the range is affected.
Noise got worse
A small scale boosts detail at the scale noise lives at. Raise the scale so the effect works on broad areas instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does clarity actually do?
It boosts contrast at a middling scale, tens of pixels rather than one or two, so broad areas look more defined and weighty without the picture becoming contrastier overall.
How is it different from contrast?
Contrast applies one curve to the whole picture and stretches the tonal range, pushing the ends toward black and white. Clarity works locally and is confined to the midtones, so the ends are left alone.
How is it different from sharpening?
Sharpening boosts differences at the scale of a pixel or two, which crisps edges and also crisps noise. Clarity works at a much larger scale, so it adds presence rather than crispness.
Does it clip my shadows or highlights?
No. The boost falls to exactly zero at pure black and pure white. On a test image whose extremes sat just short of the ends, a strong boost left 0 pixels clipped, while equivalent global contrast pushed 12,800 hard against black and white.
What is a halo?
A bright band on one side of a strong edge and a dark band on the other, caused by amplifying the large difference between an edge pixel and its blurred surroundings. It is the most recognisable sign of an over-processed photograph.
How much does halo protection help?
On a hard edge against a smooth background with a strong boost, the background right beside the edge was lifted 55 levels with protection off and 4 with it on.
Why can I turn the protection off?
So you can see what it prevents. There is a preset that turns it off deliberately, which is more convincing than any description.
What does the scale control do?
It sets the size of the detail being boosted. Small values sharpen, large values give the broad weighty punch clarity is known for. It changes the character more than the amount does.
How much should I use?
Twenty to forty percent still reads as a photograph. Past sixty you are choosing a processed look, which is fine as long as it is a choice.
Why does skin look rough?
Clarity emphasises texture and skin has plenty of it. Use far less on portraits, or raise the midtone focus so the effect stays in the middle of the range.
Does it change the colours?
No. All three channels are scaled by the same factor around the pixel's brightness, so unlike a contrast curve it does not increase saturation as a side effect.
Why did my noise get worse?
A small scale boosts detail at the scale noise lives at. Raise the scale so the effect works on broad areas instead of on individual pixels.
When should I apply it?
After your tonal work and before any sharpening. Sharpening on top of boosted local contrast doubles up and produces exactly the gritty look most people are trying to avoid.
Are my photos uploaded to a server?
No. The local contrast and the export both run in your browser using the canvas API. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Which format should I export?
Keep the original for photographs, at quality 90 or above. Local contrast amplifies whatever is already in the file, including compression blocks.
Is transparency preserved?
Yes for PNG and WebP output. The alpha channel is untouched. JPG has no alpha, so transparent areas are filled with the background colour first.
Can I process a batch?
Yes. Add as many photos as you like and the same amount, scale and protection are applied to each.
Does it add a watermark or need an account?
No to both. No sign-up, no email wall, no daily limit and no watermark on the output.