Digital Visions Queenstown

Adding a little more visual intrigue to your post thumbnails, helps add variance and difference to your posts, thus making them easier to quickly scan and then hopefully read.

On the right is the image we will be using in this example.A simple picture of a lake with wooden platform floating in it.

#1 – Blur & Shadow Effect

With Blur & Shadow, you duplicate the image layer, and then blur the new layer. Then you erase the parts of the blurred image, where you want the users eyes to focus. After that, you add a slight shadow to the edges of the image, so the image doesn’t look so flat.

#2 – Split Color Effect

To create the Split Color effect, you can either select half of the image and desaturate the color, or for a more unique look, you only remove the color on certain parts of the image. You can also add a white to transparent gradient from the center to the edge of the image, and the lower the opacity, to give it even more of a split effect.

#3 – Perspective & Rotation Effect

By playing with the perspective and rotation of the image, you can achieve a unique look.

#4 – Text Effect

You can add text to the image, to reinstate the post title or perhaps add a intriguing by-line.

#5- Border Effect

By adding a black border around the image, and then lowering the opacity. You can create a very simple, but nice border effect. You can see the technique over at Build Internet.