A tear you can keep
A torn edge is random by nature, and random is a problem the moment you like one: reload the page and it is gone. Here every tear is drawn from a single seed number. The number is shown under the controls, Draw another tear picks a new one, and the number travels with a kept look, a look code and a look link — so a tear you like can be made again on the same photo next week, or on the next photo in the series.
The tear is built from noise measured around the perimeter, so it closes on itself with no seam and is the same shape whatever size it is drawn at. Along it runs a fibre rim — a second tear from the same seed, set slightly inside the first, in a lighter tone of the paper — which is the detail that makes the edge read as paper. Tear depth sets how far the rip reaches; Roughness sets how ragged it is.
Tearing the edge
- 1Open the photograph. Its edge is torn straight away.
- 2Press Draw another tear (or R) until a tear looks right.
- 3Adjust Tear depth and Roughness; change the paper colour under Colour.
- 4Save as PNG or WebP to keep the torn-off part clear.
Limits worth seeing before export
- A torn edge removes picture from every side. Use Outside placement if the edges of the photo matter, so the tear eats into the added border instead.
- Rounded corners do not apply: a tear draws its own outline.
Questions about the rendered frame
- How do I get a different tear?
- Press Draw another tear under Border, or the R key. Each press picks a new seed number, shown beside the button. The tear depth and roughness controls change the character of the tear without changing which tear it is.
- Can I make the same tear again on another photo?
- Yes. The seed is part of the look, so Keep this look, a look code or a look link brings the same tear back. Because the tear is measured round the perimeter rather than in pixels, it is the same shape on a small picture and a large one.
- What is the pale line along the edge?
- The fibre rim: a second tear from the same seed, a little inside the first, in a lighter tone of the paper — or a slightly darker one on white paper. It is what makes a ragged edge read as torn paper rather than a jagged cut-out.
- Why are the torn parts white in my file?
- JPG has no clear channel, so the area outside the tear is written white or in the background colour. Save as PNG or WebP to keep it transparent and lay the torn photo over something else later.
