Figma Rolls Out Glass Effect Updates with Independent Corner Rounding and Variable Support.

Figma began rolling out a suite of glass effect updates today, expanding one of its most popular visual design tools with four new capabilities that give designers more granular control over transparency and blurred background effects.

The updates include independently adjustable round frame corners, the ability to apply glass effects to graphics, shapes, and text, support for Figma variables to control glass properties, and a new Splay property for edge adjustments. The features were announced via social media with a 4K YouTube walkthrough demonstrating each capability.

Designers can now round each corner of a glass frame independently, breaking away from the previous uniform constraint. This allows for asymmetric designs where, for example, only the top-left and bottom-right corners are rounded while others remain sharp. The change aligns with broader design trends toward more organic, varied interface elements.

The glass effect itself, which blurs content behind a semi-transparent frame, has been a go-to technique for creating depth in modern UI design. Until now, corner adjustments applied uniformly, limiting creative flexibility.

Glass effects previously applied primarily to frames. The update extends this capability to graphics, shapes, and text layers directly. Designers can now create frosted text overlays or apply glassmorphism to vector shapes without nesting them inside dedicated frames.

This reduces layer complexity and streamlines workflows, particularly for components that combine multiple element types. A call-to-action button with glass-effect text, for instance, no longer requires extra frame nesting.

Figma variables can now control glass properties such as blur intensity, opacity, and potentially the new Splay setting. This connects glass effects to design tokens, enabling designers to create themeable systems where glassmorphism adapts based on mode (light, dark, high-contrast) or user preference.

Variables have become central to Figma's design systems workflow since their introduction. Tying glass effects to variables means a single token change can propagate across an entire product, adjusting all glass elements simultaneously. This is particularly useful for accessibility adjustments or brand refresh scenarios.

The most cryptic addition is the Splay property, described as enabling edge adjustments. While Figma hasn't released detailed documentation yet, Splay likely controls how the blur or transparency gradient behaves at the edges of a glass frame. This could mean softer or sharper transitions, gradient direction, or feathering intensity.

Edge handling has been a common pain point with glass effects, where abrupt cutoffs can look unnatural. A Splay control would give designers finer tuning over these transitions, improving visual polish.

The rollout follows Figma's recent additions of voice-to-text and version history to Make workflows, continuing the platform's push to refine its prototyping and design tooling. As design handoff to tools like Locofy and v0 becomes more common, precise control over effects like glassmorphism ensures higher fidelity in the final product.

The updates are rolling out to all Figma users. Designers can access the new properties via the effects panel when a glass effect is applied to a frame, shape, graphic, or text layer.