Design · Web app

Grainrad

In-browser WebGPU tool for real-time ASCII, dithering, and retro visual effects

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Grainrad is a free web-based creative tool that applies real-time shaders and retro styling to images, videos, and 3D files. It runs on WebGPU/WebGL to process media at 60fps directly in the browser without requiring external software installations or server-side rendering. Users can tweak a wide variety of effects—including ASCII, dithering, halftone, and VHS filters—and export to image, video, SVG, text, or Three.js code.

What it's for

  • Convert images or video clips into animated ASCII or text art
  • Apply dithering, halftone, and pixel-sorting retro effects to graphic assets
  • Add film grain, scanlines, bloom, and chromatic aberration to visual media
  • Export stylized 3D models or graphics directly as interactive Three.js HTML

Features

  • Real-time processing powered by WebGPU and WebGL2 at up to 60fps
  • Wide selection of effects including ASCII, Dithering, Halftone, Matrix Rain, Pixel Sort, and VHS
  • Broad file input support covering PNG, JPG, GIF, MP4, WebM, and 3D GLB files
  • Detailed image adjustments for brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, gamma, and hue
  • Customizable post-processing layers including grain, bloom, and scanlines
  • Multiple export formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, MP4, SVG, plain Text, and Three.js HTML

Pricing

Free to use in the browser

Details

Type
Web app
Category
Design
Topic
Image Processing
Open source
No
Platforms
Web
For
Motion designers, graphic designers, digital artists, and creative technologists
Alternative to
Photoshop, After Effects
Tags
ascii, shaders, webgpu, retro, dithering, video effects

Why it was saved

  • @timhosqo, 3 February 2026: Allows designers to quickly apply stylized visual effects like ASCII art, dithering, and film grain directly in the browser without paid software or heavy rendering times.
  • @almmaasoglu, 23 January 2026: Fast in-browser image effect processor for making ASCII-art/dithered visuals; no signup or payment, free forever, export to PNG/JPG. More effects and better ASCII/dither algorithms promised.

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