What does inversion do?

For each pixel, R=255-R, G=255-G, B=255-B. Black becomes white, red becomes cyan, blue becomes yellow. X-ray / photo-negative effect.

Is it useful for anything real?

Checking color accessibility (inverted images should still be distinguishable), X-ray-style medical images, and the 'Dark Mode' of illustrations.

No by default — transparency is preserved. Toggle 'invert alpha' for the full negative effect where transparent areas become opaque.

Yes — running the tool twice gives you back the original. Perfect round-trip.

Invert every pixel's RGB — negative / X-ray effect. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Images collection.

Designers creating negative-effect images for artistic compositions
Developers generating dark mode icon variants by inverting light assets
Medical imaging students experimenting with X-ray contrast inversion
QA testers verifying that inverted images round-trip correctly in image pipelines

Photographic negatives, where light and dark are inverted, were the basis of all film photography from 1841 (Fox Talbot's calotype process) until digital cameras replaced film in the 2000s.
In medical imaging, X-rays are traditionally displayed as inverted images (white bones on black) because radiologists found this contrast easier to read in the 1895 first X-ray images.
CSS filter: invert(1) achieves the same pixel inversion effect in the browser, and is commonly used as a quick-and-dirty dark mode technique for legacy websites.

What does inversion do?: For each pixel, R=255-R, G=255-G, B=255-B. Black becomes white, red becomes cyan, blue becomes yellow. X-ray / photo-negative effect.
Is it useful for anything real?: Checking color accessibility (inverted images should still be distinguishable), X-ray-style medical images, and the 'Dark Mode' of illustrations.
Does alpha get inverted?: No by default — transparency is preserved. Toggle 'invert alpha' for the full negative effect where transparent areas become opaque.
Is inversion reversible?: Yes — running the tool twice gives you back the original. Perfect round-trip.

Invert every pixel's RGB — negative / X-ray effect. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Images collection.

Designers creating negative-effect images for artistic compositions
Developers generating dark mode icon variants by inverting light assets
Medical imaging students experimenting with X-ray contrast inversion
QA testers verifying that inverted images round-trip correctly in image pipelines

Photographic negatives, where light and dark are inverted, were the basis of all film photography from 1841 (Fox Talbot's calotype process) until digital cameras replaced film in the 2000s.
In medical imaging, X-rays are traditionally displayed as inverted images (white bones on black) because radiologists found this contrast easier to read in the 1895 first X-ray images.
CSS filter: invert(1) achieves the same pixel inversion effect in the browser, and is commonly used as a quick-and-dirty dark mode technique for legacy websites.

What does inversion do?: For each pixel, R=255-R, G=255-G, B=255-B. Black becomes white, red becomes cyan, blue becomes yellow. X-ray / photo-negative effect.
Is it useful for anything real?: Checking color accessibility (inverted images should still be distinguishable), X-ray-style medical images, and the 'Dark Mode' of illustrations.
Does alpha get inverted?: No by default — transparency is preserved. Toggle 'invert alpha' for the full negative effect where transparent areas become opaque.
Is inversion reversible?: Yes — running the tool twice gives you back the original. Perfect round-trip.