Effects

7 min read

Add visual effects to enhance your designs. PinePaper includes 10 built-in effects ranging from particle systems to environmental simulations.

Available Effects

Sparkle

A glowing particle that follows the outline of your item, leaving a trail of sparkles.

Best for: Logos, highlighted text, magical themes

Property Description Default
Color Sparkle/glow color #fbbf24 (gold)
Speed Animation speed multiplier 1.0
Size Particle radius 2

Blast

An explosion of particles from the center of an item. One-shot by default, or set an interval for repeating bursts.

Best for: Reveals, emphasis, celebrations

Property Description Default
Color Particle color #ef4444 (red)
Radius Explosion spread distance 100
Count Number of particles 20
Interval Repeat interval in seconds (0 = one-shot) 0
Repeat Number of repeats (0 = one-shot only) 0

Fire

Organic flame shapes with gradient coloring, sinusoidal wave animation, and turbulence. Flames pre-warm automatically so there is no cold-start gap.

Best for: Torches, campfires, dramatic emphasis

Property Description Default
Color Base color for auto-generated gradient #fbbf24
Colors Custom gradient stops array (overrides color) yellow → orange → red
Count Spawn rate 12
Speed Spawn rate multiplier 1.5
Spread Horizontal spawn spread 0
Size Base flame size 3
Height Max rise height (0 = auto from item bounds) 0
Particle Life Flame lifetime in seconds 1.5
Turbulence Wave amplitude multiplier 1.0
Max Particles Max simultaneous flames 30

Smoke

Rising smoke or steam particles with sinusoidal horizontal drift. Pre-warms automatically for instant visibility.

Best for: Chimneys, steam, atmospheric haze

Property Description Default
Color Smoke color #888888
Count Spawn rate 15
Speed Spawn rate multiplier 1.0
Spread Horizontal spawn spread 0
Size Initial particle radius 3
Drift Horizontal sinusoidal drift distance 8
Height Max rise height (0 = auto) 0
Particle Life Particle lifetime in seconds 1.5
Growth Rate Scale growth as particle rises 0.3
Max Particles Max simultaneous particles 18

Rain

Downward rain streaks with configurable wind angle and drop size.

Best for: Weather scenes, mood, environmental backgrounds

Property Description Default
Color Raindrop color #93c5fd (light blue)
Count Spawn rate factor 15
Speed Fall speed multiplier 2.0
Angle Wind angle (affects horizontal drift) 0
Spread Horizontal spawn spread factor 1.0
Size Raindrop length and width multiplier 1.0

Snow

Slowly falling snowflakes with gentle horizontal drift and rotation.

Best for: Winter scenes, holiday themes, gentle atmosphere

Property Description Default
Color Snowflake color #e2e8f0 (light gray)
Count Spawn rate factor 10
Speed Fall speed multiplier 0.5
Spread Horizontal spawn spread factor 1.5
Particle Life Flake lifetime in seconds 4.0

Confetti

Colorful tumbling rectangles with physics-based gravity. One-shot by default, or set an interval for repeating bursts.

Best for: Celebrations, achievements, party themes

Property Description Default
Colors Array of confetti colors red, yellow, green, blue, purple
Count Particles per burst 30
Radius Explosion speed range 150
Gravity Downward acceleration 200
Size Rectangle size 6
Spread Spawn area spread 0
Offset X/Y Center offset 0
Interval Repeat interval in seconds (0 = one-shot) 0
Repeat Number of repeats (0 = one-shot only) 0

Ripple

Expanding concentric circles that fade out from the item center.

Best for: Water drops, impact points, sonar/radar

Property Description Default
Color Ring color #60a5fa (light blue)
Speed Expansion speed multiplier 1.0
Max Radius Maximum ring size 150
Ring Count Number of rings to spawn 3
Stroke Width Ring line width 2

Glow

A pulsing aura behind the item that oscillates in scale.

Best for: Highlights, power-ups, attention-drawing

Property Description Default
Color Glow color #fbbf24 (gold)
Speed Pulse frequency multiplier 1.0
Intensity Maximum opacity 0.6
Size Scale oscillation range (1.0 → this value) 1.5

Electric

Flickering jagged lightning bolts around the item.

Best for: Energy, power, sci-fi themes

Property Description Default
Color Bolt color #67e8f9 (cyan)
Speed Flicker rate multiplier 1.0
Bolt Count Number of simultaneous bolts 3
Length Bolt length in pixels 60
Flicker Rate Flicker frequency in Hz 8

Applying Effects

  1. Select an item with the Selection Tool (V)
  2. In the Properties Panel, find Effects
  3. Click Add Effect
  4. Choose an effect type
  5. Adjust settings as desired

Removing Effects

  1. Select the item with the effect
  2. In the Properties Panel, find the effect
  3. Click the × button to remove it

Multiple Effects

You can apply multiple effects to the same item. They will all play simultaneously.

Effect Types

Category Effects Behavior
Continuous Sparkle, Smoke, Fire, Rain, Snow, Ripple, Glow, Electric Run until removed
One-Shot Burst Blast, Confetti (without interval) Play once and disappear
Repeating Burst Blast, Confetti (with interval) Re-trigger at set interval

Effect vs. Animation

Feature Animation Effect
What it does Transforms the item (move, scale, rotate) Adds visual elements around the item
Examples Pulse, bounce, fade Sparkle trail, particle explosion
Combine? One per item Multiple per item

Export Compatibility

Effect MP4 GIF SVG
Sparkle ✅ ✅ ⚠️ Static
Blast ✅ ✅ ❌
Fire ✅ ✅ ❌
Smoke ✅ ✅ ❌
Rain ✅ ✅ ❌
Snow ✅ ✅ ❌
Confetti ✅ ✅ ❌
Ripple ✅ ✅ ❌
Glow ✅ ✅ ⚠️ Static
Electric ✅ ✅ ❌

SVG Limitations: Effects are frame-based particle systems and have limited SVG support. For full effect animations, export as MP4 or GIF.

Tips

Effect Tips:

  • Sparkle effects work best on items with clear outlines
  • Fire and smoke pre-warm automatically — flames appear instantly with no startup delay
  • Use blast and confetti sparingly for impact moments
  • Rain and snow work best on larger items or full-canvas elements
  • Combine glow with blend modes for dramatic lighting
  • Match effect colors to your design palette

Related: Animations | Blending | Masking