Pixelcut
A stunning, widescreen photo of a mountain range at sunrise, framed with cinematic black letterbox bars at the top and bottom.

Add a Cinematic Letterbox Effect to Your Photos with AI

Trusted by 70 million people
171,800 Reviews
Developer API
Available on iPhone & Android

How to Add a Letterbox to Your Photo

  1. 1

    Upload your photo

    Start by uploading the image you want to give a cinematic look. Choose any photo from your device.

  2. 2

    Describe the effect

    In the text box, tell the AI how you want to edit your photo. For a classic look, simply type 'add a letterbox effect'.

  3. 3

    Generate your photo

    Click the generate button and let the AI instantly apply the letterbox or pillarbox effect to your image.

  4. 4

    Download your image

    Your new cinematic photo is ready. Download the high-resolution PNG file to share on social media or use in your projects.

Transform any standard photo into a cinematic still in seconds. By adding a letterbox effect, you can give your images the dramatic, widescreen feel of a movie. This technique helps guide the viewer's focus and adds a professional touch to your photography. Simply upload your picture, and our AI tool will apply the black bars, preserving your original photo's composition and quality. It’s an easy way to make your images more engaging and visually striking for social media, blogs, or personal galleries without complex editing software.

Instantly Create a Cinematic Look

A mockup showing a beautiful mountain landscape photograph with black bars at the top and bottom, demonstrating the letterbox effect on a white background.
Letterboxing is all about maintaining the artistic integrity of your image's aspect ratio. Our AI tool makes it easy to add a clean, stylish frame to your photos. Whether you want classic horizontal letterboxing for a widescreen effect or vertical pillarboxing for 4:3 style images, our tool handles it effortlessly. You don’t need to worry about cropping out important details. The AI adds black bars to the empty space, ensuring your full, original shot is displayed exactly as you intended, just with a more focused and polished presentation.

Frame Your Shot Perfectly Every Time

A photorealistic image of a mountain landscape at sunrise, with black bars at the top and bottom creating a cinematic letterbox effect, on a white background.
Take control of the final look by telling our AI exactly what you want. While the tool can automatically add a standard letterbox, you can also guide the edit with text prompts. For example, you can specify 'add thin black bars for a 2.35:1 aspect ratio' or 'create a pillarbox effect with white bars on the sides.' This conversational approach to editing allows for creative freedom without needing to navigate sliders or menus. Describe the cinematic style you're aiming for, and watch as the AI brings your vision to life on your photo.

Customize Your Edit with Simple Prompts

A mockup illustrating the letterbox effect, showing a cinematic photo of an Icelandic coastline with black bars at the top and bottom, presented against a clean white background.
It’s Effortless: No need for professional editing software. Upload your photo and our AI handles the rest. It's Fast: Go from a standard photo to a cinematic masterpiece in just a few clicks. It’s AI-Powered: Use simple text prompts to guide the AI, giving you creative control over the final result. Preserves Quality: Your original photo's resolution and detail are maintained. The process adds bars without altering your image content. Use Anywhere: Download your high-resolution, watermark-free photo and share it on social media, in your portfolio, or on your website.

Why use Pixelcut's AI to add letterbox?

A photograph of a mountain landscape at sunset, modified with black bars at the top and bottom to demonstrate a cinematic letterbox effect. The image is presented as a mockup on a plain white background.
Social Media Posts: Make your Instagram or Facebook photos stand out with a cinematic crop that draws immediate attention. Blog and Website Imagery: Enhance the storytelling on your blog by giving your featured images a professional, film-like quality. Digital Art: Frame your digital creations to give them a polished and complete look before sharing them online. Photography Portfolios: Present your work with a consistent, professional aesthetic by applying a uniform letterbox effect across your gallery.

Letterbox Photo Use Cases

A dramatic landscape photo of a mountain range at sunrise, edited with black letterbox bars at the top and bottom to create a cinematic widescreen effect, displayed on a white background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pixelcut is loved by over 2 million people

  • My favorite app

    Great app, easy to use. Helps our small business save time and money to create different marketing materials professionally. Thank you.
    Shaelyn D.
  • Best background remover

    I need a good background remover for my work and I've been through them all it feels like. This one is the best by far. It's so easy to use and the results always look amazing. Thank you Pixelcut!
    Kira H.
  • Love it

    It's amazingly easy and gives the perfect results for my bags and accessories. It looks like it was done by a professional photographer.
    Mary J.