The Tiffen Hyper Star Filter is designed to be used perpendicular to a point light source such as the sun, a light bulb, or a candle. Within the filter's surface is a combination of fine, etched line types. Those lines help to create a starburst effect with 14 primary diffraction spikes that extend from the light source which is also given an elliptical shape. The Tiffen Hyper Star Filter arranges those diffraction spikes in a pattern where seven primary diffraction spikes are grouped along both sides of the elliptically-shaped light source that are furthest from each other.

This filter is most effective for pictures where the light source used to generate the starburst effect is a highlight with a significant degree of contrast from the rest of the image. It is constructed from optical glass for clarity as well as color fidelity, and features an aluminum-alloy filter ring that can be rotated in order to adjust the direction of the diffraction spikes and overall orientation of the starburst effect.