Instagram is a social network that has stood out above all for always keeping up to date with new features for its users. This is how they have managed to be at the top of public preferences, opening up various content possibilities. The stories, for example, are a fundamental element for the current success of the platform and something that immediately hooks them are the filters. Therefore, we want to talk about how to make Instagram filters with an application called Spark AR Studio.
It is a software available for Windows and Mac, from where we can create filters as simple or complex as our knowledge and skills allow us.
What is Spark AR Studio?
Instagram filters are an adaptation of what was already happening on Snapchat. However, the diffusion it had on the Meta platform was much more powerful, managing to maintain itself until today. The filters are graphic pieces of Augmented Reality that place virtual elements in the reality captured by the mobile camera. In this way, we can find everything from masks to characters dancing.
However, for all this magic to happen, we must first go through the software from which the filters are created and the best option at the moment is: Spark AR Studio. This program was acquired by Meta to take advantage of the potential of Augmented Reality in the creation of filters and, in addition, this is in the hands of the users themselves.
It is worth considering that the filters are an important hooking factor for the platform and also for the same users who create their own. Thus, Spark AR Studio opens the door to new possibilities within Instagram to enhance our presence on the social network.
In this sense, we are going to review the steps that we must follow if we are looking for how to make Instagram filters without too many complications.
How to make Instagram filters?
download software
The first thing we should aim for in the process of how to make Instagram filters is the installation of the Spark AR Studio. It should be noted that the program is available for Windows and Mac, as well as having a version for Android that serves as a viewer for our creations. Additionally, you should take into account that the application has the only requirement that you have a Facebook account.
In that sense, download the appropriate version for your operating system from here.
Install Spark AR Studio
The installation and start-up of Spark AR Studio will not represent any challenge for any user. It will be enough to double click the installer to run it and later, you will only have to follow the conventional process that we carry out with any other program. This means that you must click on "Next" until you finish.
When the program starts, the login screen will be displayed where you will have to enter your Facebook credentials to access the system.
Create a filter from the templates
You now have the main Spark AR Studio screen in front of you, where the “Samples” section is displayed. This is one of the modalities of creating filters for Instagram that it offers, allowing you to start from a template that we can modify at will. The other way is to do it completely from scratch, something for which we need a little more advanced knowledge.
However, from the templates we can create very fun filters and in the easiest way that is available. So, to get started, click on any of the available options:
- Visual Shaders.
- More expensive.
- Face distortion.
- Christmas card.
- floating particles.
- Light filter.
- Face zoom.
Immediately, you will go to the work area, whose interface is not very friendly, however, we only need to know the controls to handle. In that sense, go to the left panel and click on the “faceMesh_distortion” option. This will display a series of controls on the right side of the screen from where you can control the distortion. Specifically, in the “Deformation” section you will find the knobs that handle changes to the eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and even the entire face.
Apply the changes you want and when you are satisfied with the result, click on the “Export” option at the bottom of the left side panel, identified with the icon of an up arrow.
To test the filter, click on the icon just above "Export", identified with a mobile and named "Test on Device". This will allow you to test it on Facebook camera, Instagram camera and also Spark AR mobile viewer for iOS. If you select Instagram, for example, the program will upload the filter to the social network's servers and give you a link.
Through this link, you can enter directly on Instagram by applying the filter on your camera to see how it turned out.