Pixel stretch presets: Round and S Curve
By Emre Ertunc · Published August 3, 2026 · Updated August 7, 2026 · 5 min read
A rough path is often enough to show where you want the ribbon to go. Presets takes that idea and gives it clean geometry, without taking away the parts of the edit that should still feel handmade.
What do the Round and S Curve presets do?
Presets swaps the hand-drawn centerline of your stretch for an adjustable geometric path. Round bends it into an arc that can close into a full 360 degree loop. S Curve builds two balanced bends with a smooth middle. Your sampled colors, width, taper, Warp, and opacity all stay as they were.
Pixel Stretch Pro starts with the same gesture as before: choose a strip of color and pull it across the photo. Once the stretch exists, open Presets and choose Round or S Curve. The app uses your current path as the starting idea, then replaces the uneven centerline with an adjustable geometric guide.
This is different from a one-tap filter. The preset controls the route of the ribbon; you still control the colors, width, taper, Warp, opacity, and final composition.
Round
S Curve
How Presets fits into the editor
Start with a stretch
Place the sampling bar over the colors you want, then tap an arrow or sketch a rough path into the open part of the photo.
Open Presets
After the ribbon appears, choose Presets beside Shape and Warp. The shape row opens above the editor controls.
Choose Round or S Curve
The preset follows the direction and length of the path you already made, so the new shape stays connected to the original idea.
Adjust the guide
Drag the blue handles to change radius, direction, sweep, bend, or finish. The path updates as one shape instead of a chain of unrelated points.
Refine and save
Use Warp, taper, twist, Edge hue, and Opacity as needed, then export the same high-resolution copy as any other edit.
Round: from a soft arc to a full loop
Round turns the stretch into a circular path that leaves the sampling bar smoothly. Drag the size handle to open or tighten the circle, and move the end handle to control how far the ribbon travels around it. The result can be a shallow bend, a semicircle, or a complete 360-degree loop.
Use it when the photo already suggests one strong turn: a car rounding a bend, a dancer, a wheel, a face framed by color, or a ribbon that needs to circle back toward the subject.
Round is a guide, not a locked sticker. You can change its direction and size, switch to Warp for width changes, or leave Presets and continue in freeform Shape.
S Curve: two balanced bends, one smooth middle
S Curve builds two matching bends in opposite directions with a smooth transition between them. One handle changes the overall size and direction, another controls how deeply the path bends, and the finish can be moved without breaking the balanced S.
It works especially well when a ribbon needs to weave through negative space, trail behind a moving subject, or cross a wide frame without looking like one long flat stripe. A gentle S feels natural; a tighter one makes the edit more graphic.
What stays editable after choosing a preset
- The sampled colors. Move, rotate, or resize the bar and the preset stays attached to the source of the stretch.
- The ribbon width. Warp can widen or narrow parts of the path without throwing away the guided shape.
- The finish. Taper the end, fan it wider, or tune the final turn to suit the photo.
- The appearance. Edge hue and Opacity work the same way they do on a freeform stretch.
- The workflow. Undo and redo include preset changes, and switching between Round and S Curve reuses the path you started with.
Presets and freeform belong in the same edit
Use Presets when the structure should be exact and Shape when the photo needs an irregular route. You can begin with a loose sketch, clean it into a Round or S Curve, adjust the width in Warp, then return to Shape if one part needs to break away from the guide. Nothing forces the whole image into a template.
The first two shapes, not the last
Round and S Curve are the first families in Presets. The mode is designed so more shapes can join the same row over time, while the freeform editor remains available for anything a preset cannot describe.
For a deeper look at manual control points, taper, twist, and width handles, continue with the curved pixel stretch guide. If you are making your first edit, start with the four-step Pixel Stretch tutorial.
Frequently asked
Can the Round preset make a full circle?
Yes. Round can make anything from a shallow arc to a complete 360-degree loop, with controls for its size, direction, and sweep.
Is the S Curve still editable?
Yes. You can change its overall size and direction, adjust the bend, move the finish, reshape its width with Warp, or leave Presets for freeform editing.
Should I use Round or S Curve?
Round when the photo already contains one strong turn: a car on a bend, a dancer, a wheel, or a face you want framed by color. S Curve when the ribbon has to cross a wide frame or weave past the subject, because two opposing bends read as flow rather than a single flat stripe.
Is a preset the same as a filter?
No. A filter applies a fixed look to the whole photo. A preset only decides the route of the ribbon, and every other decision stays yours: which colors get sampled, how wide the band is, where it tapers, how opaque it sits, and whether you leave Presets for freehand editing.
Can you switch from Round to S Curve without starting over?
Yes. Both shapes are built from the path you already drew, so switching between them reuses the same direction and length instead of resetting the edit. Undo and redo cover preset changes too, which makes trying both on one photo a few seconds of work.