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:
- Spark AR Studio
- Facebook and Instagram accounts
How to make an Instagram filter
Step
1Open Spark AR Studio
You can download the app from Facebook.com/sparkarhub/dashboard.
Step
2Choose 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.
Step
3Click 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.
Step
4Make 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.
Step
5Once you’re done, click Publish
We’re now going to save the filter.
Step
6Click Export
You’ll see a pop-up appear.
Step
7Name your filter and click Save to export it.
This will save the filter to your computer as an .arexport file.
Step
8Click Publish again
Next, we’re going to upload the filter.
Step
9Click Upload
This will take you to Facebook’s Spark AR Hub.
Step
10Fill 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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Editorial independence
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.
Professional 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.
