LCP Style Guide - Visual Effects

Three-Effect System — Overview

Effect 01

RGB Split

Chromatic aberration derived from selective channel suppression. Produces brand-color fringing (Signal Purple + Signal Teal) rather than conventional red/green/blue offset. The brand's primary visual signature.

Effect 02

Scan Lines

Halftone line-pattern overlay set to Soft Light. Replicates the horizontal raster structure of CRT and broadcast television. Applied via gradient mask to concentrate at frame edges and preserve focal clarity at center.

Effect 03

VHS Texture

Chromatic noise overlay sourced from real tape-tracking distortion. Set to Soft Light — simultaneously adds atmospheric texture and reinforces the brand's cool color palette through its inherent blue-purple-cyan content.

Photoshop Layer Stack — Bottom to Top

Standard Layer Order

Photoshop

▲ Top of stack

VHS Texture Overlay

Chromatic noise / tape-tracking distortion image. Final atmospheric layer — sits on top of the fully assembled composite as a surface patina rather than embedded in the image structure.

Soft Light ~75% opacity

Positioned last so the texture reads as something sitting on the image surface. Moving it lower would embed the noise inside the art rather than coating it. The blue-purple-cyan content of the overlay reinforces brand palette at this stage.

Scan Line Overlay

Halftone filter, line pattern, black & white. Applied via gradient mask — denser at frame edges, transparent at center — to preserve focal clarity while building CRT raster structure toward the periphery.

Soft Light High / full opacity

Soft Light preserves both highlight and shadow detail simultaneously, keeping the art alive beneath the lines. Sits above curves so scan-line weight reads consistently regardless of how dark or bright the underlying grade.

Color Grade / Curves

Tonal and color adjustment layer. Works on the already-split composite — so any push toward cool tones simultaneously deepens the teal and purple fringe quality of the RGB split layers below it.

Normal Adjustment layer

Positioned above the RGB split so the grade unifies the split composite tonally. The two effects reinforce rather than fight each other — the grade amplifies the split's brand-color drift rather than working against it.

RGB Split Layers (×2)

Two copies of base art. Layer A: Green channel off (Red + Blue = violet/magenta). Layer B: Red channel off (Blue + Green = cyan/teal). One layer offset horizontally. See channel diagram below.

Normal Layer opacity to taste

Split layer opacity controls chromatic aberration intensity independently from the overall grade. Adjust here — not via curves — to dial split strength without affecting overall tonality.

Base Art

Source image — Magic card art, photography, or custom illustration. All subsequent effects are applied above this layer. No direct modification to the base art layer itself.

Normal 100%

Keeping base art unmodified on its own layer allows non-destructive editing throughout. Swap art without rebuilding the effects stack.

▼ Bottom of stack

Effect 01 — RGB Split · Channel Logic

Channel Configuration

Brand-Derived

R

G

B

→

Layer A — Violet Fringe

Green channel suppressed. Red + Blue = magenta-violet output. Maps to Signal Purple (#c559ff).

R

G

B

→

Layer B — Cyan Fringe

Red channel suppressed. Blue + Green = cyan output. Maps to Signal Teal (#4cdbdb).

Why this matters — Brand color coherence

Signal Purple

#c559ff · Layer A fringe

+

Signal Teal

#4cdbdb · Layer B fringe

Offset & Intensity

Spice to Taste

Offset Direction

Apply horizontal offset only as the default. One layer shifts left, the other right. A subtle diagonal offset can be used for a more organic, "damaged tape" character — reserve for heavy-treatment episodes.

Offset Distance

Scale offset distance relative to the output image width — approximately 1–2% of total width for standard treatment. At 2000px wide, this is roughly 20–40px. Too little: effect disappears at thumbnail scale. Too much: competes with legibility of type.

Independent Intensity Control

Adjust RGB split strength via layer opacity on the split layers — not via curves. This keeps chromatic aberration intensity independent from overall tonal grade. Reducing split layer opacity dials back the fringe without changing the color grade.

Effect 02 — Scan Lines · Technique & Gradient Mask

Standard Technique

Photoshop

Setup

Create a solid layer (black or white). Apply Filter → Pixelate → Color Halftone with Line pattern. Convert to black & white. Set blending mode to Soft Light. Opacity: high to full, adjusted per piece.

Why Soft Light

Soft Light works bidirectionally — it deepens shadows and lifts highlights without crushing either. The art beneath stays alive and three-dimensional. Multiply (darkens only) or Screen (lightens only) produce a flatter, more graphic result that fights the art rather than integrating with it.

Additional Atmosphere

Secondary curves or additional VCR-type images screened over the scan-line layer further compound the broadcast feel. These supplementary layers work by feel relative to the specific art.

Gradient Mask Enhancement

Recommended Addition

Concept

Apply a radial gradient layer mask to the scan-line layer: opaque black at frame edges, transparent at center. This concentrates scan-line density toward the periphery and releases it in the focal zone — mimicking how CRT screens actually behaved, where the electron beam diffused toward edges.

Practical Benefit

Scan lines at full opacity across the whole frame can compete with detailed art in the focal area. The gradient mask solves this without reducing the atmospheric impact at the edges — the frame still feels broadcast-era, but faces, type, and focal detail read cleanly in the center.

Gradient Suggestion

Radial gradient on mask: transparent ellipse at roughly 50–60% of frame width/height, fading to full black at frame edges. Adjust the falloff relative to how much of the frame the focal art occupies.

Scan Line Intensity — Visual Reference (CSS Approximation)

Light Treatment

Draw Go

EP·340

Soft Light · ~50% opacity
Social / lower-key episodes

Standard Treatment

Draw Go

EP·340

Soft Light · high / full opacity
Default thumbnail treatment

Gradient Mask Treatment

Draw Go

EP·340

Soft Light · radial mask
Clears focal center

Effect 03 — VHS Texture Overlay

Technique

Soft Light · ~75%

Blending & Opacity

Set to Soft Light at approximately 75% opacity. Soft Light preserves the texture's atmospheric character without flattening the art beneath. Pushing above 80% risks the noise pattern becoming visually dominant — useful for deliberate heavy-distortion moments, but not standard treatment.

Color Content — Brand Alignment

The reference VHS overlay (7-VHS Noise.png) carries inherent blue-purple-cyan chromatic content from real tape tracking distortion. Under Soft Light, this simultaneously adds texture and reinforces the brand's cool palette drift — a double function in a single layer. When sourcing additional overlays, favor those with similar cool-temperature color content over warm or neutral noise textures.

Sourcing & Approved Overlays

Reference Library

Current Approved Overlay

7-VHS Noise.png — LCP Branding folder. Horizontal banding tape-tracking distortion. Blue-purple-cyan chromatic content. The standard brand reference overlay.

Sourcing Additional Overlays

When adding overlays to the library, prioritize: real capture from analog tape (preferred over generated), horizontal distortion patterns over vertical or random noise, and cool-temperature color bias. Avoid warm-toned noise (orange, yellow grain) — it conflicts with the brand's thermal range.

VCR OSD Mono Pairing Note

When the VHS texture is at full or near-full opacity (heavy treatment), avoid simultaneously using VCR OSD Mono type. The two are making the same period reference from different directions — use one to carry the VHS moment, not both together.

Intensity Scale — Treatment Levels

Level	Specifications	When to Use	Notes
Light	RGB split: reduced layer opacity Scan lines: Soft Light ~50% VHS overlay: Soft Light ~40–50% Offset: minimal	Social media cards, promotional graphics, contexts where the art should lead and the brand treatment recedes. Episodes with clean or simple art that doesn't need the full treatment to read well.	Light treatment still reads as "on-brand" — the system is present but not foregrounded. Good for moments where the content is the focus.
Standard	RGB split: full layer opacity Scan lines: Soft Light, high/full VHS overlay: Soft Light ~75% Offset: 1–2% image width	Default thumbnail treatment. The established brand look for all regular episode art. Most assets should land at this level unless there is a specific reason to go lighter or heavier.	This is the baseline — "spice to taste" adjustments happen around this anchor. Apply gradient mask to scan lines for focal art clarity.
Heavy	RGB split: full + wider offset Scan lines: Soft Light 100%, possible duplicate VHS overlay: Soft Light ~85–100% Offset: 2–3%+ image width, optional diagonal	High-stakes or high-energy episodes, season finales, episodes about chaotic or destructive strategies (stax, combo, mass wipe). Moments where the brand leans fully into its glitch identity.	Use deliberately. Heavy treatment on every episode removes its impact. Reserve for the episodes that earn it tonally.
VHS Special	VHS overlay: Soft Light ~85–100% VCR OSD Mono type active Scan lines: standard or heavy RGB split: optional	Anniversary episodes, throwback content, deliberately nostalgia-coded moments. The only context where VCR OSD Mono type is activated. Use the VHS texture and font together — not paired with full-intensity RGB split, which signals something different.	This is its own mode, not simply "heavier." The VHS Special treatment is about the tape era specifically; Heavy treatment is about signal distortion and chaos. They are distinct moods.

Core Principles

The Processing Is the Brand

The three-effect system functions as a consistent filter applied over diverse art sources — Magic card art, photography, custom illustration. The filter is what unifies assets across different source material and makes them read as a family. When Andy's custom art is integrated, apply the same treatment pipeline. The brand's visual identity lives in the processing, not the art itself.

Spice to Taste

The intensity scale defines anchor points, not rigid values. Offset distance, scan-line weight, and VHS overlay opacity are adjusted relative to the specific art — busier, more detailed art benefits from a lighter treatment that doesn't flatten it; cleaner or more graphic art can carry a heavier effect. The framework provides the vocabulary; the artistic judgment applies it.

Soft Light as a Brand Decision

Both the scan-line and VHS overlay layers use Soft Light rather than the more common Multiply or Screen blend modes. This is a deliberate brand choice — Soft Light works bidirectionally, keeping the art alive beneath the effects rather than crushing it under darkness or washing it out with light. The brand's processed images have depth because of this choice. Do not substitute Multiply or Screen without understanding the tonal consequence.

Avoiding Redundancy

Each effect in the system carries a specific meaning: RGB split signals interference and brand identity, scan lines signal broadcast television and CRT, VHS texture signals tape media and analog decay. When effects double up on the same reference — VCR OSD Mono type plus full VHS texture, or heavy scan lines plus a diagonal RGB offset — the effect becomes costume rather than signature. One effect carries the reference; the others complement it.