Screenshot 1 of 6. Snowy village huts lit by warm lantern glow under the Mellow shader's soft painterly lighting
What Mellow Shaders works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Iris, OptiFine |
| Minecraft versions | 1.8, 1.16.5, 1.17.1, 1.18.2, 1.19.4, 1.20.6, 1.21.11, 26.1.2, 26.2, 26.3 |
Mellow Shaders is a painterly shader pack for Minecraft Java, built for players who want to actually play the game rather than pose for screenshots. It runs on Iris and OptiFine, sits in Modrinth's potato performance category, and keeps its look soft and easy on the eyes. Releases span Minecraft 1.8 to 26.3, with 3.4.1a the newest.
Installation
Mellow needs a shader loader, and it requires no other mod. The steps below are the standard ones, and the shader install guide covers them in more detail.
- 1.Install Iris (on Fabric or NeoForge) or OptiFine for your Minecraft release.
- 2.Download the Mellow zip from Modrinth and leave it zipped.
- 3.Put the zip in the shaderpacks folder.
- 4.Select Mellow in your loader's shader menu. On Iris, that is Video Settings > Shader Packs.
Features and presets
- Several preset color schemes, plus easily adjustable colors.
- An extensive, customizable fog system.
- Multiple styles of clouds.
- Shadows based on either the lightmap or a shadowmap.
- Extensive color grading: saturation, exposure and a color balancing tool.
Compatibility and hardware
Mellow works with Distant Horizons, Voxy and Colorwheel. Modern Nvidia, AMD and Intel GPUs are supported on Windows and Linux. Macs may or may not work. Use the latest Iris, though any Iris release that supports custom uniforms should do. OptiFine mostly works but has some small bugs.
The pack is client side only. A server does not need it and cannot load it. It is Java Edition only, since Iris and OptiFine do not run on Bedrock.
See Mellow in action
Vanilla vs Mellow Shader Comparison
Questions about Mellow Shaders.
6 questions
How do I install Mellow Shaders?
Install Iris on Fabric or NeoForge, or install OptiFine. Download the Mellow zip from Modrinth without unzipping it and place it in the shaderpacks folder. Then select Mellow in your loader's shader menu. On Iris, that is Video Settings > Shader Packs. Mellow itself requires no other mod.
Does Mellow work with Iris and OptiFine?
Yes, both loaders have releases up to 3.4.1a. Iris is the better choice: use the latest Iris, since any release with custom uniform support should work. OptiFine mostly works but has some small bugs, so expect the occasional rough edge there.
Which Minecraft versions does Mellow support?
Releases cover Minecraft Java 1.8 to 26.3 on both Iris and OptiFine. Only 1.17 and up is actively tested, so older releases may or may not work. If you play on a recent release, you are in the tested range.
Is Mellow good for low-end PCs?
It is listed in Modrinth's potato category, and the creator describes it as easy on your computer. That is a positioning, not a frame rate promise. Modern Nvidia, AMD and Intel GPUs are supported, while Macs may or may not work.
Does Mellow Shaders work on Bedrock?
No. Mellow is a Java Edition shader pack, and Iris and OptiFine cannot run on Bedrock Edition. Bedrock uses a different pack format, so this download will not load there.
Does Mellow work with Distant Horizons?
Yes. Distant Horizons is among the mods the pack is made to work with, alongside Voxy and Colorwheel. The creator lists broad mod compatibility as a feature, so you can pair the pack with it.
