The term refers to the availability of a specific type of visual modification for digital content creation, often involving a glowing border or illuminated stripe inside a design element. This visual enhancement, typically achieved through software or plugins, is offered without cost to the end-user, enabling designers and enthusiasts to incorporate it into their projects. An example would be using this effect to highlight text or shapes in a promotional video or graphic.
Access to this type of freely available graphical modification democratizes design possibilities. It allows individuals and smaller businesses with limited budgets to produce visually appealing content. The prevalence of this phenomenon stems from the open-source software movement and the desire of developers to share their creations with a broader audience. Historically, such sophisticated visual enhancements were only accessible through expensive commercial software.