Halcyon Days recipe builder

Configure your Halcyon Days settings and generate a recipe string

Note: You can paste an existing recipe string into the input field below to check, edit, or reload your settings. After generating your recipe, copy it and paste it into the Halcyon Days dialog in Photoshop (File → Automate → Halcyon Days). You can also use it to make your own presets.

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Threshold Settings

Threshold settings determine which areas of the image are bright enough to generate halation. In auto mode, the script analyzes your image histogram to find the brightest usable level above the minimum threshold, adapting to each image's tonal range. In manual mode, you set a fixed cutoff value (0–255) to force consistent behavior across multiple images. The minimum threshold acts as a safety floor in auto mode, preventing the script from selecting unrealistically low values in dark images.
Auto: script finds brightest usable level; Manual: use fixed cutoff for consistent results across images.
Fixed threshold used when Manual mode is selected. Higher values restrict halation to brighter highlights only (0–255).
Lower bound when Auto mode is active. Prevents the script from selecting unrealistically low thresholds in dark images (0–255).
Controls how sharply the bright-pass is shaped before rim and bloom generation. Higher values steepen the tonal slope, creating narrow, high-contrast rims with darker falloff. Lower values spread brightness over a wider area for softer halos. 10 = baseline, 0–60.
How far down from the absolute brightest pixels to include data for the bright-pass. Small values restrict to very bright tips (thin rims), larger values include more tonal ramp (wider base for bloom). Works with hardness to shape the final glow (0–255).

Effect Settings

Bloom controls shape the halation glow. Radius is the base blur size (automatically scaled by document dimensions). Fraction sets the inner/outer ratio—the inner blur uses radius ÷ fraction, so larger fractions give tighter inner halos. Brightness compensates for darkening from large blur radii. Multiply duplicates and merges the outer layer multiple times to amplify and spread the glow (0 = no duplication, 5 = maximum amplification).
Base blur radius for halation; larger = wider glow (0-255, scaled by document size).
Inner/outer size ratio. Inner blur = bloom_radius ÷ bloom_fraction. Larger values = smaller, tighter inner halo (1–9).
Brightness/contrast boost to compensate for darkening from blur (0–100).
Number of duplicate+merge passes to amplify/spread outer halation (0–5).

Inner Glow Color

Inner color (RGB) tints the halation layer closest to highlight sources. This is the first, most concentrated halo that appears directly around bright areas. Classic film halation often shows warm amber/orange tones here (e.g., 235, 160, 0). Lower RGB values = weaker tint; higher values = stronger tint. Equal RGB values create monochrome halation.
Red channel for inner tint (0–255).
Green channel for inner tint (0–255).
Blue channel for inner tint (0–255).

Outer Glow Color

Outer color (RGB) tints the outermost, most diffused halation layer. This color appears at the edge of the glow as it fades into the image. Many film stocks show red outer halation (e.g., 235, 0, 0). When inner and outer colors differ, the script creates a gradient-like transition between them. Lower RGB values = weaker tint; higher values = stronger tint.
Red channel for outer tint (0–255).
Green channel for outer tint (0–255).
Blue channel for outer tint (0–255).

Generated Recipe

Click "Generate Recipe" to create your recipe string
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