What this effect does
Speed lines are directional streaks radiating from a focal point or flowing behind a moving subject. They compress space, increase energy, and tell the reader where to look — essential for action panels, webtoon vertical scroll beats, and manhwa fight chapters.
When to use it
- Action panels — punches, slashes, dashes, dodges
- Emotional beats — shock, realization, rage close-ups
- Webtoon scroll moments where you need motion in a single frame
- Manhwa fight scenes with a clear motion direction
- Light novel interior spot illustrations with dynamic composition
Step-by-step workflow
- 01
Pick a panel with clear motion direction
Speed lines need a subject and a direction. A character lunging left reads better than a neutral standing pose.
- 02
Open FX Studio and add Speed Lines from Manga category
Place the overlay so lines converge toward the impact point or behind the moving figure — not randomly across the frame.
- 03
Scale and rotate on canvas
Resize the speed line layer so streaks frame the subject without covering the face. Rotate to match movement angle.
- 04
Set Intensity and Style
Start at 55–70% Intensity. Use Natural for ink-like panels; Soft Glow for webtoon/digital manga with softer rendering.
- 05
Optional: add impact burst on hit frames
For punch or slash contact frames, layer a small impact burst at the collision point with higher Intensity.
- 06
Export and test in your panel layout
Drop the finished PNG into your page template. Speed lines that work solo may need adjustment when cropped for bubbles.
Best Studio settings
- Speed Lines · Intensity 60%
- Visible motion without obscuring linework.
- Style · Natural
- Best for traditional manga and screentone-adjacent panels.
- Impact Burst · Intense Light
- Add on contact frames only.
- Warmth · 0
- Keep neutral unless scene is strongly warm/cool.
Common mistakes
- Centering speed lines on the whole canvas instead of the focal point
- Covering the character's eyes or key expression with streaks
- Using the same speed line angle for every panel in a sequence
- Max intensity on subtle dialogue scenes — speed lines are for energy
- Forgetting to align with speech bubble placement in webtoon formats
Export tips
- Export transparent-friendly PNG if compositing in Clip Studio
- For vertical webtoon, test at phone width — lines should read in 2 seconds
- Keep unlined base version for calmer alternate panels