2D to anaglyph 3D: red/cyan video and photos, free in your browser
Anaglyph is the oldest cheap trick in stereoscopy — and still the only one that works with a 30-cent pair of paper glasses. Here is how it works, when it beats SBS, and how to make it from any 2D file without uploading anything.
What anaglyph actually is
Two eye views are merged into one image: the left eye goes into the red channel, the right eye into the cyan channels (green + blue). Red/cyan glasses filter each eye down to its own view. Because both views share one frame, an anaglyph file is an ordinary video or photo — it plays everywhere, no special player, no headset. The trade-off: each eye loses part of the color spectrum, so saturated reds and cyans can leak into the wrong eye (that "shimmery" look on red objects is called retinal rivalry).
When to pick anaglyph over SBS
| Situation | Use |
|---|
| VR headset, 3D TV, projector | SBS — full color, full resolution |
| Paper red/cyan glasses, classroom, print | Anaglyph |
| Old 3D TV's "anaglyph" mode | Anaglyph |
| File must play anywhere as a normal video, with depth visible | Anaglyph |
How to convert (video or photo)
- Open the DepthSnap converter and drop in your
mp4/mov/webm — photos go in the same box.
- Set the output format to Red / cyan (anaglyph) instead of SBS. The default 3D strength soft is a good start; raise it only if the depth feels too subtle through the glasses.
- Convert and download. Video comes out as a normal mp4/webm at single-eye resolution; photos as a PNG. No metadata tricks needed — there is nothing stereoscopic for the player to detect.
- Want to check the depth before committing? Convert to SBS first and switch the preview to Red / cyan — same composite, instantly, before you download anything.
💡 Testing without glasses: switch the preview to Wiggle — the eyes alternate in place, which shows the depth on any screen. If nothing moves in wiggle mode, the anaglyph won't pop either.
Gotchas
- Wrong eye order — depth looks inverted (background pops, foreground sinks). That is L/R swapped; re-export, and if your glasses are a red-right variant, expect exactly this.
- Red ghosting on red titles — saturated channel colors are the physical limit of the format, not a bug in your file. Dial strength down one step.
- Already have SBS footage? — any SBS file can be re-rendered as anaglyph. The browser SBS player shows the anaglyph composite live from any SBS file you drop in.
Convert 2D to anaglyph 3D — free, no upload
Related
Video to 3D SBS · Stretched SBS fix · SBS vs Top-Bottom · Wiggle 3D maker · Sample clips
DepthSnap — free browser-based 2D to 3D converter. No upload, no signup, no watermark.