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How to make an Instagram filter
In This Article
There are seemingly thousands of effects available on Instagram right now, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for one more. Here’s how to make your own Instagram filter.
Despite what you might think, you don’t need to be a professional developer or artist to make your own Instagram filters. In fact, Meta has its own AR creation app – Spark AR Studio – which you can download for free to create Instagram and Facebook filters at home.
We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to teach you how to make and post your own Instagram effects using Spark AR…
What you’ll need:
How to make an Instagram filter
Step1
Open Spark AR Studio
You can download the app fromFacebook.com/sparkarhub/dashboard.
Step2
Choose a template or create your own filter from scratch
We’ll be using the Face Distortion template for this example, but steps 5 to 10 will apply to any effect.
Step3
Click FaceDistortion to edit your filter
If you’re making a mask, sticker or background, you may be asked to replace the placeholder asset with your own at this stage.
Step4
Make any adjustments to your filter
Here, we’ve made the face and mouth bigger but you can make whatever changes you want to your filter.
Step5
Once you’re done, click Publish
We’re now going to save the filter.
Step6
Click Export
You’ll see a pop-up appear.
Step7
Name your filter and click Save to export it.
This will save the filter to your computer as an .arexport file.
Step8
Click Publish again
Next, we’re going to upload the filter.
Step9
Click Upload
This will take you to Facebook’s Spark AR Hub.
Step10
Fill out your information, upload the file and hit Submit
Facebook can take up to 24 hours to review your effect, so be patient.
Troubleshooting
If you want to preview your effect on Instagram or have it attributed to your Instagram account, you’ll need to link your Instagram page with your Facebook account.To do this, go to your Instagram settings, tap Accounts Centre, tap Set Up Accounts Centre, select Add Facebook Account and log in to Facebook. Then, just click Yes, Finish Setup to link your accounts.
Facebook aims to approve filters and effects within 24 hours of submitting, but you might need to wait longer on weekends.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
