The Artfkt collection library
Refraction
Reshape the view through glass-like surfaces
Refraction places a glass-like surface between the viewer and the image. Repeated ribs, frosted irregularity, beveled panes, prismatic facets, and rounded droplets each reshape the view differently.
Use it for optical cover imagery and abstract backgrounds in Artfkt. Strong edges in the source make the difference between a flat region and a refracting boundary easier to see.
Included in Artfkt for Mac. All collections, one desktop studio.
Choose the geometry of the glass
Fluted Glass compresses and expands the image through repeated curved ribs. Beveled Glass distorts pane edges while retaining flatter centers. Prismatic Glass redirects detail through angled facets with spectral separation. Their spacing and boundaries establish a rhythm before optical strength is considered.
A simple vertical or diagonal feature makes these differences clear. Ribs can turn it into repeated waves; pane centers can preserve it between distorted edges; facets can divide it into differently directed fragments. Select the structure for the role it gives the source.
Decide how much of the source should remain clear
Frosted Glass diffuses detail through fine irregular displacement. Water Droplets creates localized rounded lenses that magnify and invert small regions. The first changes the overall clarity; the second places distinct optical events over a more recognizable picture.
Use broader source shapes when the surface will be heavily frosted. For droplets, keep enough contrasting detail for the local lensing to register. A nearly uniform source can conceal the effect’s optical behavior even when the surface itself is visible.
Use distortion to organize, not just obscure
Set surface scale before increasing refraction or color separation. Large ribs or facets can become the main graphic structure of a poster, while finer ones can sit behind clean typography as a textured field.
Inspect the entire frame after strong changes. The most attractive local distortion may pull attention away from the subject or leave an awkward edge. Keep essential lettering on another layer when the glass treatment is meant to transform only the image.
Effects in Refraction
5 effects to explore and combine.
Frosted Glass
Diffuse the image through a finely irregular translucent surface.
Fluted Glass
Compress and expand the image through repeated curved glass ribs.
Beveled Glass
Refract the edges of glass panes while their centers remain flat.
Prismatic Glass
Redirect the image through angled facets with spectral separation.
Water Droplets
Magnify and invert small regions through rounded glass-like droplets.
Creative applications
- Build a ribbed-glass cover image from a strong photographic silhouette.
- Use a frosted source as a quieter background behind precise typography.
- Create an optical study contrasting flat pane centers with distorted boundaries.
Starting workflow
- For a fluted-glass poster image, choose a source with a strong edge crossing the frame.
- Apply Fluted Glass and establish the rib spacing before increasing the optical treatment.
- Compare the distorted edge with quieter image regions, adjusting the surface so the repeated compression has a clear rhythm.
- Adjust Curvature while watching the source edge, keeping the repeated rib structure readable.
- Check frame edges and final-size readability, then place any essential title outside the treated layer.
Make it part of your next composition.
Combine Refraction with other collections, images, and editable text in Artfkt for Mac.