What It Does
Separate RGB splits footage into red, green, and blue channels, then lets you move, rotate, scale, blur, blend, fade, and distort each one independently. The effect is commonly used to create chromatic aberration, the color fringing you see in vintage lenses or intentional glitch aesthetics.
Key Features
Independent channel control. Every transformation parameter operates per channel. Move the red layer left while scaling the blue layer up and rotating the green layer. Each channel behaves like its own layer.
Lens distortion per channel. This is the fastest path to realistic chromatic aberration. Apply barrel or pincushion distortion to individual channels, mimicking the way light refracts differently through glass at different wavelengths.
Auto-boundary expansion. When you offset or distort channels beyond the original layer size, the plugin automatically expands the boundaries so nothing clips. No manual precomping required.
Who It’s For
Motion designers creating glitch effects, retro lo-fi visuals, or analog video simulations. VFX artists adding lens artifacts to CG renders. Anyone who needs precise control over color separation for stylistic or corrective work.
Pricing
Separate RGB costs $39.99 for a single-user license, which allows installation on up to two computers as long as they’re not used simultaneously. Floating licenses are available through the license type dropdown and require the separate Floating License Server. Render-only licenses are sold separately for command-line rendering on headless machines, but you must own at least one full license to purchase them. A free trial is available before purchase.
Developed by Rowbyte and compatible with After Effects CS6 through 2025 and Premiere Pro CS6 through 2020. Also included in the TV Distortion Bundle.