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How to make Snapchat filters

In This Article

In This Article

If you’ve ever attended an event and spotted a custom Snapchat filter, you may have wondered if it’s possible to make your own for your next get-together.

The good news is you can and we’ve put together this guide to teach you how to do it.

Whether you’re prepping for a party, planning a wedding, visiting a location or just feel like creating a filter for fun, there are plenty of reasons you might want to design your own Snapchat filter.

Not only do custom filters encourage people to post about your event on social media, but the filter will remain on those photos long after the party is over. This means you’ll always have that personalised watermark to remember the day.

While community and location filters are free, it’s important to note that most custom Snapchat filters are priced by the hour with the option to keep them live for up to 30 days in total. There’s also an Annual Filter option that allows your filter to remain active for a whole year if you have the budget for it.

It’s also important to distinguish between Snapchat filters and Snapchat lenses. Unlike filters, which are static, lenses are AR-based images and experiences that interact with the world through your camera. If you want to make your own lens, you can do so using Snapchat’s Lens Studio software.

If you’d rather create a custom filter, keep reading to learn how to design your own on Snapchat…

What you’ll need

What you’ll need

The Short Version

How to make Snapchat filters

Step1

Open Snapchat’sCreate Your Own filter page

You can find community filters, custom filters and lenses here. We’ll be making a custom filter.

Step2

Click Create Now next to Filters

You may be asked to log in to Snapchat between steps 2 and 3 if you haven’t already signed in.

Step3

Click the drop-down menu

This will show you the categories for Snapchat’s customisable templates. If you’d prefer to make your filter entirely from scratch, you can upload a file using the Upload button.

Step4

Choose a category

There are lots of templates in each category.

Step5

Choose a template to get started

Or begin with a blank template.

Step6

Click Colour

Then choose a colour to customise the filter.

Step7

Click Text

Here you can change the text, font, colour and shadow of any text on your filter.

Step8

Click Elements

At this stage you can add a Bitmoji or upload your own custom elements.

Step9

Click Next when you’re done

You can also choose Preview first to get a better idea of what your filter will look like on your photos.

Step10

Choose a date and time and click Next

The longer you set your filter for, the more it will cost.

Step11

Set a fence around your filter

Again, the bigger the fence, the more the filter will cost. We’ve set a large fence here, but a smaller one will be cheaper.

Step12

Enter your payment details and click Submit

Then just wait for your filter to be approved!

Troubleshooting

No, you can create community filters, including geofilters and moment filters for free. However, everyone will be able to access these and you won’t be able to use Snapchat’s templates to create them.

Snapchat filters are frames and art that are overlayed on your Snaps, while lenses are Augmented Reality (AR) experiences you and your friends can interact with. If you want to create your own Snapchat lens, you can do so with Snap’s Lens Studio software.

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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …

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Why trust our journalism?

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

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.

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.