Most likely, among all the trends of this year, one photo effect deserves the closest attention from different angles. Back at the end of 2017, several well-known brands and companies used this effect in their works: video ads, website redesigns, print materials, and more. We're talking about the "glitch" effect — also commonly referred to as Glitch. But when you think about why it suddenly became popular, especially in a time when web design typically favors either realistic photos or graphic illustrations, it's worth considering what makes it special.

Previously, we briefly touched on the topic of creating a "tear" effect , but very briefly — far too little for what turned out to be the trend of the year. That's why in this article, we’ll take a closer look at the types of glitch effects, various ways to create and use them, their features, and more.

Why Glitch All of a Sudden?

The movement toward popularizing this effect was inspired by a trend in design toward “handmade” aesthetics, real (non-studio, but high-quality) photos, and the intentional creation of imperfection and slight messiness. When, over the course of several years, all this began to lead to the creation of template-based, lookalike projects strictly following rules and standards, some enthusiasts sought something new — something that could change the situation without being difficult to produce. And that “something” was contrast. Sounds simple, but it's true. Just as standard photos and graphics continued to be used, they also began gaining popularity in distorted versions — as if the image had been torn or crumpled.

Thus, the Glitch effect creates an intriguing mixture of realism and abstraction, modernity and retro vibes. In fact, Glitch mimics the type of distortion you might have seen years ago when trying to play old VHS tapes on a VCR or analog TV. This effect is also often associated with horror movies or something mystical (but not magical).

Key Features

It's no secret that the "glitch/tear" effect looks best when used dynamically. But static photos and images can also be distorted and used in web design as backgrounds or homepage visuals.

There are many variations of the effect, differing in both appearance and how they're created in Photoshop. Of course, you can also use Photoshop actions (we’ve talked about them before), but they offer limited customization options.

Regardless of the type, visually you’ll usually notice torn edges or waves, inverted colors, blurs, glares, noise, and various textures. In other words, Glitch effects are rarely just a pure “ripping” of an image — there’s always something more, something that adds balance and harmony.

It’s also worth noting that the intensity of the glitch effect may vary. It can be strong and chaotic to the point that the original image becomes unrecognizable. Or it can be subtle — used in a way that simply adds character.

Here’s how the effect has been implemented in some projects: kikk (glitch used on animated GIFs), mako (animated countdown), arkade (entire design based on glitch), future (glitches are subtle, but visible in icon and image distortions). Also worth checking out: dtsi, standardabweichung, oxota, and cryptarismission.

Glitch Effect Variations in Photoshop

As we mentioned earlier, the Glitch effect exists in at least three main versions. Now let’s take a look at how each of them is created and what sets them apart visually.

For clarity, we’ll use the same image (a screenshot, to be exact) for comparison. And yes… the masks should be black (if your layer mask is white, just select it in the Layers panel and invert it).

Color Channels

This is a very destructive effect and quite simple to create. Open your image and go to the Channels tab. Select the Red channel.

Go to Filter → Distort → Wave and start experimenting. First, set the type to “Square.” Then set vertical scale to 1% — this ensures distortion occurs only horizontally. Play with the Wavelength and Amplitude sliders, and don’t forget the Randomize button.

Then go back and select the Green channel. Apply the Wave filter again, but adjust the values randomly to differentiate it from the Red channel.

The result is a strong glitch effect — perhaps too much, but still realistic, similar to what you'd see with a broken TV signal.

Smart Object Method

The great thing about this method is its flexibility. Once created, the effect can be reused on any image. You can overlay color layers, group them, and apply all sorts of effects.

Open your image and convert it to a Smart Object. Duplicate the layer (Ctrl+J) and hide the copy.

Apply the Wave filter again, but this time to the entire image (not to color channels). Use a soft, barely visible wave setting. The result should look like a fractured image that someone unsuccessfully tried to piece together.

Since we’re working with a Smart Object, you can double-click the Wave filter in the Layers panel to edit it at any time.

Apply another Wave filter with smaller settings. These should be adjusted based on each image individually.

Activate the hidden copy layer and go to Filter Gallery → Sketch → Halftone Pattern, type: Line. Set line size to 2 and adjust contrast to your taste. Click OK. Then apply the Wave filter again with a larger scale and smaller amplitude.

Add a Solid Color adjustment layer (red) and set blending mode to Darken.

Group the first two layers and name it “Color Group.” Set blending mode to Lighten. You’ll notice the image changes significantly. If you don’t like the effect, open the filter settings and tweak them.

Duplicate the group (color group-02) and change the color from red to blue. You’ll see the changes live as you adjust the colors. Then apply the Wave filter again and increase the scale so the blue glitches stand out more.

You can also add a Channel Mixer adjustment and boost red and blue for more color contrast.

Tip: This setup is essentially an Action. You can replace the image in Layer 0 and all other effects will stay intact. Right-click the layer and choose Replace Contents.

Mixing Glitch Effects

This variation is widely recognized but not always consciously identified as “glitch-tear.” It often resembles ripples or graininess—except for one thing: its specific visual look and requirements for the image. It doesn’t work for every photo, but it looks best with panoramas and landscapes. Luckily, it’s not hard to create. Since we’ll use a smart object again, you can first create a base and later swap images freely.

Open the image again and add a new empty layer. Choose a gradient (black to white) and double-click it in the top settings bar. In the Gradient Editor, switch to Noise, set 100%, and randomize the color distribution to include a full rainbow spectrum. Click OK.

Now, drag the gradient line from bottom to top while holding Shift for perfect alignment. Desaturate it via Image → Adjustments → Desaturate.

Open Levels (Ctrl + L) and adjust sliders so the white lines become bright and sharp while dim lines disappear.

To set the ripple parameters, go to Select → Color Range → Highlights and adjust until you get the number of white lines you need. This defines distortion density. Click OK.

Save the selection via Select → Save Selection in the current document as a new channel. Then deselect and delete the layer.

Add a new layer, apply the same gradient but from top to bottom. Desaturate and use Levels (Ctrl+L) again. Select highlights, save as Channel 02, delete the layer. You’ll now have two distinct ripple patterns in Channels.

Go back to the Layers panel. Convert the image to a Smart Object and create three copies: one for lines, two for color shifts, and one base.

Select the base layer and apply the Wave filter with small scale and amplitude. This creates minor but visible tears.

On the “Red” layer, go to Select → Load Selection and choose Channel 01. Then go to Layer → Layer Mask → Hide Selection to reveal the glitch effect.

If you’re not happy with the alignment, unlock the mask, select the layer, use Free Transform (Ctrl+T) and adjust slightly. The result will be a beautiful layered glitch.

Double-click the layer and set its blending to display only the red channel. Then add Noise Filter to make it stand out.

Repeat the same steps with the Blue layer, using Channel 02 and shifting horizontally in the opposite direction.

Now handle the lines. Go to the Lines layer and apply Filter Gallery → Halftone Pattern, type: Line. This time, increase line size to 6 and boost contrast for strong white lines.

Apply the filter and set the layer’s blending mode to Screen. Now experiment with adjustment layers, color overlays, or color lookup filters. Reduce the opacity of the Lines layer to make the image underneath more visible.

If you invert the masks on the Red and Blue layers, the result will look very different.

This method lets you easily create multiple glitch styles while using a single reusable setup — just change the image.

Conclusions

The Glitch or VHS-tear effect is rightfully one of the most creative, simple, yet technically rich visual styles. While easy to apply, choosing distortion details isn’t so trivial. Still, the final result is vibrant, dynamic, and flexible enough for a variety of web designs.

Let’s say it again: web design is a creative profession. Clients might just want content blocks, but it’s up to the designer to make them attractive, stylish, elegant, and — most importantly — beautiful.

That doesn’t mean that once you learn how to make a Polyscape or glitch effect, every site should use it. If overused, even Glitch will become a cliché, dull and uninspiring.

And when creativity dies, effective web design dies with it. Sadly, that’s just how it is.