Pixel Stretch
Sample one edge of a warp quad and pull those colours across the shape as bendable pixel ribbons.
Add Pixel Stretch
Open an image or build the source composition first. Put this effect after the content it should process in stack processing order. Choose Glitch → Pixel Stretch in the effects picker, or search for Pixel Stretch with Cmd/Ctrl + F. Select the new layer in Layers to open its Effect Panel.
Place the warp quad
Enable canvas handles, then position the four corners around the area where the ribbon should appear. Choose Base Edge as the edge sampled for colours.
Pull the sampled colours
Set Extent for the stretch and Sample Offset to choose a different source strip. Bend the quad using Edge Handles; use the Corners and Edge Handles sections for precise values.
Blend the ribbon
Expand Sampling for Band, Start Feather, End Feather and Side Feather. Bilinear smooths sampling. Inspect the sampled edge before adding more ribbons or later effects.
Choose the effect field
Open Effect Area and choose Source Alpha, Source Luminance, Layer Mask, Procedural or Image Map as the Source. Refine its range with Black Point, White Point and Invert. Masking explains the shared field sources, procedural shapes and image-map controls.
Compare and finish
Toggle the layer eye to compare with the incoming composition. Use the Effect Panel footer for opacity and blend mode, or add a mask to limit the affected area. In Video or Live, use the function menu on a supported control to add keyframes or a driver.
Control reference
Show individual controls
| Control | What it does | Values and animation |
|---|---|---|
| Band | Averages a thicker strip along the Pixel Stretch base edge for smoother ribbons. | 0 to 50 %; 0 to 500 px (typed input: 0 to 2000) Default: 0 % Continuous keyframes |
| Base Edge | Selects which quad edge provides the source strip for Pixel Stretch. | Bottom / Top / Left / Right Default: Bottom Discrete keyframes |
| Bilinear | Smooths Pixel Stretch source sampling; turn off for harder pixel-art sampling. | On / Off Default: On Discrete keyframes |
| Corners | Four Pixel Stretch warp-quad corners in normalized canvas space. | Canvas points Default: 4 entries Per-point keyframes |
| Corners / * / X | Horizontal position of a Pixel Stretch warp-quad corner. | -0.5 to 1.5 Default: Unset Continuous keyframes |
| Corners / * / Y | Vertical position of a Pixel Stretch warp-quad corner. | -0.5 to 1.5 Default: Unset Continuous keyframes |
| Edge Handles | Bezier handles that bend each Pixel Stretch quad edge and therefore bend the stretched ribbons. | Canvas points Default: 8 entries Per-point keyframes |
| Edge Handles / * / X | Horizontal position of a Pixel Stretch edge Bezier handle. | -0.5 to 1.5 Default: Unset Continuous keyframes |
| Edge Handles / * / Y | Vertical position of a Pixel Stretch edge Bezier handle. | -0.5 to 1.5 Default: Unset Continuous keyframes |
| End Feather | Width of the soft transparency ramp at the stretch patch's ending edge. | 0 to 50 %; 0 to 500 px (typed input: 0 to 2000) Default: 0 % Continuous keyframes |
| Extent | How far the stretched ribbons travel from the base edge toward the opposite edge. | 0 to 1 Default: 1 Continuous keyframes |
| Sample Offset | Offsets the sampled source strip away from the Pixel Stretch base edge. | -100 to 100 %; -2000 to 2000 px (typed input: -2000 to 4000) Default: 0 % Continuous keyframes |
| Start Feather | Width of the soft transparency ramp at the stretch patch's starting edge. | 0 to 50 %; 0 to 500 px (typed input: 0 to 2000) Default: 0 % Continuous keyframes |
| Twist Stops / * / Angle Deg | Twist angle for a Pixel Stretch twist stop, in degrees. | -1080 to 1080 Default: Unset Continuous keyframes |