//7 min

Combining Effects: Advanced Workflows

Learn how to stack Yan's effects for maximum impact. From subtle enhancements to full digital destruction.

#tutorial#advanced#workflow

> The Short Answer

Stacking order decides whether layered effects read as intentional or as mud. Run structural effects first (Block Jitter, Pixel Sort, Vertical Melt), then motion (Luma Stretch), then channel separation (RGB Shift), then posterising effects that collapse the palette (ASCII, 1-Bit Dither), and finally optical ones that simulate a screen (CRT). Lower each effect as you add more: roughly 70-100% for one effect, 50-70% each for two, 30-50% for three and 20-40% for four or more.

Stacking Effects

Each effect works alone. Combined, they do more. Here's what works and in what order.

Order Matters

Structural effects first, posterizing effects last, optical effects on top.

  1. Block Jitter (structural)
  2. Pixel Sort (structural)
  3. Vertical Melt (structural)
  4. Luma Stretch (motion)
  5. RGB Shift (channel)
  6. ASCII Art Generator / Dither Converter (posterize — destroys color depth, so run late)
  7. CRT (optical — simulates a screen, so run last; stack it with sorting in Pixel Sorting Online)

Structural effects move pixels. Color effects separate channels. Posterizing effects collapse the palette. Optical effects sit on top like a lens. If you ASCII first then RGB shift, the characters get split into RGB — usually a mess. If you CRT first then pixel sort, you sort the scanlines too.

Combinations That Work

Vaporwave

  • Pixel Sort (vertical, medium)
  • RGB Shift (horizontal, subtle)
  • Dreamy, melting, color-fringed

Broadcast Error

  • Block Jitter (medium blocks, low probability)
  • RGB Shift (aggressive horizontal)
  • CRT (medium scanline, low bloom)
  • Broken TV from childhood

Speed Demon

  • Luma Stretch (horizontal, high)
  • RGB Shift (same direction, subtle)
  • Subject breaking the sound barrier

Digital Decay

  • Block Jitter (small blocks, high probability)
  • Pixel Sort (same direction)
  • Luma Stretch (subtle)
  • Image decomposing

Subtle Corruption

  • Block Jitter (tiny, low probability)
  • RGB Shift (minimal)
  • Looks almost normal. Almost.

1987 Late Night

  • Vertical Melt (high threshold, only highlights drip)
  • CRT (high scanline, high bloom)
  • Public-access TV at 2 AM

Hacker Movie

  • ASCII Art (block 8, color off, green terminal preset)
  • CRT (low bloom, medium scanline)
  • The shot where they zoom in on the laptop screen

Terminal Glitch

  • ASCII Art (block 6, color off)
  • Block Jitter (small blocks, low probability)
  • RGB Shift (minimal)
  • Corrupted teletext

Risograph Print

  • 1-Bit Dither (Floyd–Steinberg, threshold ~140)
  • RGB Shift (tiny offset for that mis-registered print look)
  • The zine you'd actually buy

Rainy Window

  • Vertical Melt (threshold ~150)
  • RGB Shift (subtle)
  • Sky bleeding into the photo, with chromatic fringe

Intensity Rules

More effects = lower individual intensity.

  • One effect: 70-100%
  • Two effects: 50-70% each
  • Three: 30-50% each
  • Four+: 20-40% each

Stacking everything at 100% makes mud.

CRT and ASCII are exceptions — they don't really have a "subtle" mode. Either you want the look or you don't. But the other effects in the stack should still come down to compensate.

By Subject

Portraits: Light pixel sort on hair/background. Subtle RGB shift. Skip or minimize block jitter on faces.

Landscapes: Horizontal pixel sort (sky melts well). Luma stretch on highlights. Light RGB shift.

Text/Logos: Block jitter for corruption. Heavy RGB shift. Skip pixel sort (kills readability).

Going Abstract: Max everything. Subject disappears. Pure texture remains.

Exploration Method

  1. One effect, medium intensity
  2. Add second effect, low intensity
  3. Adjust until balanced
  4. Add more if needed
  5. Save when you find something

You can test individual algorithms and analog print textures (like Cyanotype Photo and Risograph Effect) directly in our browser-based Texture Studio.

Or Just Randomize

Random parameters. Look at result. Keep or reroll. Sometimes that's all you need.

> Frequently Asked

In what order should I stack glitch effects?
Structural first, then motion, then channel, then posterise, then optical. Structural effects move pixels, channel effects separate colour, posterising effects collapse the palette, and optical effects sit on top like a lens. Running ASCII before RGB Shift splits the characters themselves, which is usually a mess.
How strong should each effect be when stacking?
Roughly 70-100% for a single effect, 50-70% each for two, 30-50% for three, and 20-40% for four or more. CRT and ASCII are the exceptions: they have no subtle mode, so bring the other effects down to compensate instead.
Why does stacking everything at full intensity look bad?
Each effect needs something legible to act on. When every effect runs at 100% the previous one has already destroyed the structure the next one would use, so the layers stop reading as separate decisions and the frame turns to mud.