Learn how to transform any Napkin visual into a studio-quality styled image using Effects.
What is Effects?
Before someone understands your visual, they react to it. That reaction – the feeling a visual creates before anyone has read a word – is now something you can control.
Effects transforms any Napkin visual into a high-resolution, styled image while aiming to preserve its message. When you apply an Effect, Napkin uses your existing visual as the starting point. What changes is the aesthetic — the texture, material, and visual feeling of the image.
How to access Effects
Open any visual in Napkin
Click on the visual to open the frame menu
Select Effects from the menu options
The Effects panel will open, showing the available preset styles and the custom description field.
How to use Effects
Applying a preset style:
Open the Effects panel
Browse the preset styles and click on the one you want
Select what you'd like to apply the Effect to – Visual, Icons, Text, or any combination
Click Apply
Wait for the visual to process – your styled image will appear once complete
Note: Applying an Effect costs credits per use.
Available styles
Napkin offers a range of preset styles to choose from, such as Realistic, Origami, Whiteboard, Watercolor Concept, Sticky Notes, and Low Poly. Each style creates a distinctly different aesthetic – from photorealistic to hand-crafted to editorial – so you can find the right feeling for any context.
Using custom Effects
If none of the preset styles match what you have in mind, you can describe your own using the "Describe your effect" field in the Effects panel.
Type a description of the aesthetic you want – the more specific, the better. You can reference tone, material, mood, and context. For example: "Polished and professional, with readable labels and clear headings. It should feel ready for a leadership review deck."
Once you've written your description, select what to apply it to and click Apply.
What changes and what doesn't
What changes: The aesthetic – texture, material, color treatment, and visual style.
What stays the same: Your original visual remains available when you turn off the Effect. Review the styled result for changes to text, numbers, and details before sharing it.
Effects is additive – it adds a visual layer on top of your existing work while keeping your original editable visual available.
Choosing what to apply Effects to
When applying an Effect, you choose which elements it applies to:
Visual – the background, shapes, and overall aesthetic treatment
Icons – the icons within your visual
Text – the text elements within your visual
You can select any combination of these three.
Important: Whichever elements you apply the Effect to will become part of the styled image and will no longer be individually editable. Elements you do not apply the Effect to remain fully editable.
For example, if you apply the Effect to Visual and Icons only, your text stays editable. If you apply it to all three, the entire visual becomes a styled image.
FAQs
How much does Effects cost?
Applying an Effect uses up to 100 AI credits (⚡) per use. An included free AI credit use, when available, applies first. Otherwise, Napkin uses available AI credits, including a remaining balance below 100, before an available Effect allowance. Check your available credits and allowance in the app.Can I undo an Effect after applying it?
Yes. You can turn off the Effect at any time and return to your original visual.Can I switch to a different Effect after applying one?
Yes. You can apply multiple Effects to a single visual and switch between them freely.How long does processing take?
Processing time varies. Wait for the styled result to appear before continuing.Does Effects work on all visual types?
Yes, Effects works on all Napkin visual types.Can I still edit my visual after applying Effects?
Elements you did not apply the Effect to remain fully editable. Elements you applied the Effect to become part of the styled image and are no longer individually editable.Is Effects available on all Napkin plans?
Yes, Effects is available on all Napkin plans, subject to your available credits or Effect allowance.