Filters have become such an intrinsic part of most users’ experience across social media, that we probably don’t need to tell you what they are.
Designed to transform, alter, perfect, or subtly edit something about an image or visual display, filters are creative and give your content that extra lift to really stand out and compliment your profile aesthetic and/or the mood of the piece.
Think black and white noir movie vibes, pastel spring colours, and vibrant cartoon-like videos.
On TikTok, filters are often used confused with effects – but they are not the same. Filters change the aesthetic of a video or photo, while effects are more about completely changing the location, theme, sound, look, and context of a video or TikTok post. For the purpose of this article, we’re focussing exclusively on filters from now on.
What Filters Are Available?
With filters designed to enhance and really showcase the colours of your video or photo in line with your message, there’s something for everyone – and everything. That’s why, when it comes to choosing the right filter for you, you will find that there are four segments to choose from.
Perhaps the most commonly used filter on TikTok, and indeed across other social media apps, is the beauty filter. This delivers minor changes which boost your natural beauty and really showcase your features – evening out your skin tone and adding subtle colour to the cheeks and lips.
But if beauty isn’t your bag, there are plenty of other filters available. These include less subtle changes to the colour and tone of your content, added depth to the colour of food and inanimate objects, and even a filter which reverses the presentation of your face or view so it’s like looking in a mirror.
You can browse all of these filters and more, by following these next steps…
5 Steps to Use a Filter
- Open TikTok and click on the plus sign in the centre along the bottom menu of your screen
- Record your footage or select your images, and then click on the ‘Filters’ tab running down the right hand side of the screen
- Select one of the four option headers – Portrait, Landscape, Food, or Vibe
- Browse the filters which are listed underneath your chosen category. NOTE: It doesn’t have to be a plate of food pictured in order to use the ‘Food’ categorised filters. This is just a guide!
- When you’ve chosen a filter, using the sliding scale to intensify or dull the filter, until you’re happy with the final look
And there you have it! A photo or video clip which has been filtered to perfection – perfectly complimenting your chosen tone and vibe. We hope this helps!
