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Lighten Image

Brighten up your dark or underexposed photos with precision and clarity.

Free · private · in-browser

Lift shadows and exposure—brighten with one precise slider

Recover detail in dark frames using a live CSS brightness filter, flip between original and edited, try samples, then export PNG—all without uploading your file.

Built for phone shots that came out too dark, indoor scenes with mixed lighting, and quick fixes before crop or print. How to fix dark photos: start near 25–40% for mild lift, then use Show Original to check highlights.

How to use Lighten Image

Load your photo

Upload a file or pick a sample from the sidebar. The image appears in the bordered preview with generous padding.

Dial Lighten Level

Once the image is ready, drag the slider from 0% upward. Use Show Original to verify faces and bright areas.

Download

When Show Edited matches your intent, tap Download to save PNG at full resolution.

Supported file formats

Open these types in the workspace. Download saves your lightened view as PNG at source resolution.

  • PNG
  • JPEG / JPG
  • WebP

Key features

Slider-driven brightness, compare modes, sidebar samples, and private PNG export.

  • 0–100 lighten level

    Maps to CSS brightness from 100% (original) through 200% at maximum—smooth preview while you drag.

  • Show Original / Show Edited

    Segmented toggle removes the filter instantly so you can judge noise, skin tones, and clipped highlights.

  • Sample thumbnails

    Same sidebar row as Blur: tap a thumbnail to load a demo image onto the canvas immediately.

  • Crisp canvas frame

    Pure white stage, 1px border, and subtle grid cues aligned with Blur and Editor.

  • PNG download

    Exports the lightened result with the same brightness math you see when Show Edited is active.

  • Private processing

    Decoding and filtering stay on your device—we do not upload your photo for this workflow.

Common use cases

  • Underexposed phone & camera shots

    When auto-exposure missed the mark, a controlled brighten pass can restore faces and backgrounds without re-shooting.

  • Indoor and mixed lighting

    Best settings for indoor shots: smaller increments (try 20–50%) so lamps and windows do not blow out—compare often.

  • Scans and older JPEGs

    Lift flat or muddy digitized prints slightly so text and edges read clearly on screen.

  • Prep before another editor

    Normalize overall brightness here, then fine-tune contrast or color elsewhere with a better baseline.

Pro tips

  • How to fix dark photos: increase Lighten Level gradually; if highlights clip before shadows open up, your file may need RAW recovery or a lower setting.
  • Best settings for indoor shots: prefer 15–45% and re-check lamps and window edges with Show Original after each change.
  • For portraits, watch skin highlights—if they turn flat white, back off the slider or soften the effect in another tool.
  • Noise can look louder after brightening; compare with Show Original to decide if the trade-off is acceptable for your use case.

Frequently Asked Questions