- Add an image (file, drop, paste, or sample).
- Review the live inverted preview and choose PNG, WebP, or JPEG.
- Download the full-resolution inverted file.
Invert Image
Invert image colors to create a photo negative effect.
Settings
Choose format and quality. Paste (Ctrl/Cmd+V), drop, or pick a file—preview updates live; download is full resolution.
92%
Quality applies to JPEG/WebP.
Choose an image to get started.
Preview
Live inverted preview is scaled to fit; download uses full resolution in your browser.
PNG
How to Use This Tool
Learn More About Invert Image
How color inversion works
Each RGB channel is mapped with \(c{out} = 255 - c{in}\). That turns light areas dark and shifts hues to their complements on the color wheel. The alpha channel is usually unchanged, so transparent pixels stay transparent in PNG and WebP.
JPEG and transparency
Because JPEG cannot store an alpha channel, transparent regions are composited onto the background color you choose before export.
The Origin of the Photographic Negative
The concept of inverting an image to create a 'negative' dates back to the early days of photography. Pioneered by William Henry Fox Talbot in the 1830s, the calotype process was the first practical method for creating a translucent paper negative from which multiple positive prints could be made. This foundational negative-positive technique became the basis for chemical photography for over a century. Today's digital color inversion is the direct computational successor to this historic process.
The concept of inverting an image originates with the photographic negative, a process first developed by William Henry Fox Talbot in the 1830s to allow for the creation of multiple positive prints from a single negative.
Examples
Sample Scenario
Runtime-verified example for invert-image
Input
{"inputImage":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAAXNSR0IArs4c6QAAAD9JREFUOE9jZKAQMFKon2Fj5in+M/w34aj/DfiBoPj/L/2/gYGB4T8UvICj/P8PHCBFREA0Gr8pINsBAMj8EHyJv4XPAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","outputFormat":"PNG","imageQuality":92}Output
{"dataUrl":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAHklEQVR4nGP4//8/AyWYYdQAhtEw+D8aBv+HRRgAAMWt/R8Fr+giAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","filename":"inverted-image.png","mimeType":"image/png","width":16,"height":16}Features
Local processing
Inversion runs in your browser with the Canvas API—your file does not leave your device.
Live preview
See the inverted result immediately in the preview while you pick format and quality.
Full-resolution export
Download matches the source pixel dimensions; alpha is kept for PNG and WebP.
Use Cases
- Create a photo negative for creative or sci-fi style edits
- Flip light/dark UI screenshots to check contrast or accessibility ideas
- Invert logos or icons for dark-mode variants while keeping transparency
- Produce quick negatives of diagrams or sketches for presentations