What Is Scratchy Grain Overlays

Film-grain or noise overlays that feel “itchy”—too coarse or high-frequency.

How to Spot Scratchy Grain Overlays

• Grain looks like white “pepper” with hard edges.
• Distracting when zoomed or on skin close-ups.

Causes of Scratchy Grain Overlays

• Using 4K grain on HD footage without downscaling.
• High ISO source added on top of heavy grain overlay.

Fixes for Scratchy Grain Overlays

• Select a finer-grain pack matched to your output resolution.
• Reduce overlay opacity to ~10–20%.
• Apply a light Gaussian blur to soften harsh specs.