Customization is paramount in being able to augment your artwork. Regardless of whether you originated these pictures or not, it nevertheless is useful to learn these photoshop action. It is important not to overuse these but the idea is to produce the output that creates these fundamental enhancements to attract your audiences. Though customizing is highly encouraged, sometimes it also helps to remember that LESS is More.
That being said, let’s get started.
1. Try the Cold Nightmare Photoshop Action
As the title of this app suggests, this permits an innocuous photo to peer into a darker world. Where an archer is something you normally associate with sportsmanship. This generally turns the photo into the guy looking like a cold-blooded assassin like Deathstroke. Or Oliver Queen gone rogue.
One thing to take note of; the addition of shadows.
2. Summer Haze Photoshop Action
To inspire that summer feeling you first get a sunny picture and exaggerate its summery feel through the addition of turquoise haze. Outdoor portraits that use natural lighting are most ideal for this feature.
3. Nightmare Photoshop Action
If you want your photos to have an atmosphere-y edge, then these inclusions are commendable. They are created to give a haunting effect and these create the impression that you’re subjecting your folks to some stakes. Like in the movies.
4. Blue Evening Photoshop Action
This one adds a tinge of drama and atmosphere to your pics. But it goes with whatever hues are complimentary with blue. You can look at some examples to see how this palette works and you are the one who gets to tweak it according to your style.
5. Hazy Afternoon Photoshop Action
Of course, this adds a softer touch to it and has a gentler layer of the gradient. You can try this free action on BW or colored pics but merely adjusting the gradient is suitable enough already to achieve the exact look you mostly are requiring.
6. Strong HDR Photoshop Action
Get even better and more vibrant effects through employing this one using the free filter from Shutter Pulse.
7. Bold B&W HDR
Why bother to get this? It is not just for colored photographs you apply this to. But with this action, you can give any photo a bold, BW look in HDR that enable it in standing out. Of course, if you can photograph the image readily in Black and White, that still is the ideal means of capture.
8. Double Exposures Photoshop Actions
Double exposure is a photographic technique that combines two images into one. With this kit from SparkleStock, you can create better double exposure in half the time.
9. Cross Processed Photoshop Action
You can make shadows deeper and saturate the colors. These are ideal for landscapes, ocean and even skies that have storms. These generally are useful in fostering a dramatic effect. Only if that is your intended outcome. Sometimes, again it is best leaving the photo as is.
10. HDR Contrast
You know what? Try not to overuse it. But the ideal specs for this one are Light, Normal, Heavy and Clicker. While it does add a flair of style, try not to think of this as a flourish you can abuse. Instead, sometimes it simply pays off to use an image as is sans editing.
11. Purple Contrast Photoshop Action
This is for fostering a more tranquil yet downbeat mood. It’s one way to accomplish this action but again, check what the subjects are to see if using this application here is appropriate your work.
12. Candy Filter Photoshop Action
This one is for all of you who want a romantic touch. This brings out the richness of tones in hair and skin and often you can soften those with a pinkish cast which is conducive to romance.
13. Cross Processing ATN
These ones are ideal for performing the action with minimal hassles. These are the ways to accomplish these chores with maximum effect without all the hassles. Of course, the eschewed saturation of colors is achieved in analog media through mixing one photochemical process to a piece of film… This effect is basically fostering that on a computer.
14. Photoshop Color Actions
These are nice treatments including the rich, grainy BW modes and the famous bleach bypass. These are good for experimentation.
15. Wedding Enhancers Kit
Most of these comprise of skin softening and other filters but most of them are for wedding photos also.
16. Color 024 Photoshop Action
These are rich photos that still retain their high level of detail. Of course with digital stuff, you can make them crisp but often they inherently don’t have that nostalgic glow of celluloid film. But using this free action, you can adjust the color saturation to foster richer sun-bleached photos that contain a lot of detail.
17. Two-strip Technicolor
This was originally available in 2 strip Technicolor film in the 20’s and even on the 30’s. They exposed BW film behind a green and a red filter. But through infusing those channels, this creates the look without necessarily compromising the image.
18. Retro effects
These effects that are inspired by 35mm have some gritty options including fantastic color treatments. Chris Spooner is popular for his tutorials and he fundamentally has the good stuff through 10 free PS actions that are retro around their style and composition and these mostly are emulating the processing of 35mm celluloid film.
19. Light Leaks
These kinds of gradients are good in adding vintage effects. Of course, sometimes this makes it very non-destructive. The free version is good for five kinds of leaks that all support the 16-bit format. You might even achieve highlights that are brighter than white.
21. Hard Lomo Photoshop Action
You can use DeviantArt to locate some PS actions and as an example that comes from BlackLaceStock, this obviously is good in creating the Lomo-look and sort of situate an Instagram effect.
22. Old Photo
You can add color and contrast. If you want your images to appear as if they have experienced a time warp then try experimenting with this style which is what adds the color and contrast towards most of your output.
23. Polaroid Generator
This is one that users are bound to explore again and again. You can turn any photograph into a Polaroid one and it contains about 10 effects and color treatments you should explore. This ideally is one of those that most users are always enamored by again and again.
24. The Mini Collection
These are retro PS actions including a kit that has some light streaks and vintage PS brushes. This small collection from FilterGrade is sort of like his free sample of a bigger 49$ package. Even so, there is a lot to play with here.
25. Portrait Photoshop Action
You could replicate the vintage effect without relying on desaturation. Yet you facilitate the neutralization of colors and this is what creates the nice and vintage effect towards most of your work.
26. Split Toning
Of course, sometimes you can blur the area between BW and color. This slight change makes your pictures look as if they were having a more dramatic effect. You can go retro and add a bit of these textures to actualize the kind of aesthetic you generally are going for.
27. Unspoken
You can use this to heighten the details and facilitate contrast. This action is simple but this gives it a more blockbuster appearance that adds the nuances to photographs while it relies on adding a blue-green tint.
28. Amatorka
This is good for movie style color treatments that include a blue and greenish cast and high saturation.
29. Vintage
You can turn lowlights into colorful highlights. This filter gives photos a tinted and sort of washed out look with a bit of extra neon touch. This is good for wanting your pieces to look more elegant.
30. Set14
If you’ve already had a vintage effect but not sure what you’re going for, then try this collection from Yeonseb. It has about 14 assorted vintage actions so you ought to find something that suits your preferences.
31. Thinking of You
This creates a cinematic green cast and high saturation on shadows. Again this makes your output very elegant and it is good for those who want their stuff to feel rather fashion oriented.
32. High Key
You can use an ordinary photograph and create this effect with clean lines and an awesome finish without necessarily sacrificing its original specifications. Of course, this action requires credit in using it on your photos.
33. HipstaRev
This set is great for creating the Hipstamatic style inside Photoshop. There are three actions and they foster the classic technique of borders and noise and you can customize these towards your liking.
34. Sun Kissed
This adds a livelier tone to some drab photos. You use the sunlight effects that generally are adding warmth to the tone. You can even add a lens flare but that hinges on preference. It’s all about making the simplest tweaks to achieve the overall ambiance you need.
35. Infrared Photography
This adds a creepy touch of infrared using this free action. It facilitates two adjustment layers inside a certain group. You can change the red and blue balance and also adjust some features like the contrast.
36. Lithprint
This gives photographs the lithograph style they tend to have. This is ideal for bigger images that already have been given the treatment that works through the medium contrast appearance also.
37. Gum Bichromate
You can imitate the early days of photography with this app. The thing it does is it creates a lot of nicely textured effects. But only use these in feeling they now are rather appropriate.
38. Old Photo
Achieve a vintage look as if the picture is archaic. ArtofDecay from DeviantArt fosters this simple texture that makes it look like the source image is heavily aged. Use this for your own kind of styling.
39. Express Eye Bright
This one is able to brighten up those drab eyes with a quick fix. Simply put a bit of sparkle and those would add the nuances to sharpen someone’s eyes. But here’s the thing. Never use this if one particular corner of a person’s face doesn’t really need all that much emphasis.
40. Black and White
Get a grainy black and white appearance that relies heavily on the black. This action adds the sort of punch and high contrast BW to your pics. It creates a nice grittiness that has heavy grains and over saturated blacks. These are fantastic in creating a really gritty image.
41. Dramatic Sepia
This contrast curve is a bit more refined version of the standard effect on sepia tones. It adds a curve adjustment feature that makes your output feel like a faded photograph. It is great to emphasize the archaic nature of a photograph.
42. 5 Skin Retouching Photoshop Action
Do you wanna retouch skin like an expert. This set is great for giving you a head start on these. You can matte or airbrush using your mouse but also be able to brighten eyes and enhance the contrast that image is having. Try to rely on your sensibility for not retouching anything if the original picture is already laudable.
43. Creative Portraits 20 Photoshop Actions
Beautiful and creative portraits. Download comes with a PDF with installation instructions and action editing instructions.
44. Teeth Whitening
Of course, it is best if you or your subject just brush your teeth properly. But most aren’t naturally white in an enhancing way. Often they could appear grey and perhaps yellow. This action is useful for brightening up the smiles of friends and family by providing them a squeaky clean finish.
45. Bright Eyes
This one gives an intense look for blue eyes and is wonderful on extreme close-ups.
46. High Definition Sharpening
An easy fix for sharpening and the final stage of prepping an image should be to add a bit of sharpening to them. This is a one-click solution that enables you to adjust opacity and manipulate the masking of layers. As with any trick, do not overdo this either.
47. Soft Skin Tones
Softening skin tones is great because it uses this in combination with a selection you already have or a mask that smoothens the skin. This is great in having the textures as you color and saves up on clean up time.
48. Removing the White Background
This involves three actions that have automation to strip away white backgrounds for isolated images.
49. Glitch Effect
Notice how nostalgic the look of old VHS tapes looks like? This free nugget by Syed Faraz Amad is awesome in recreating that with lots of glitches and even the option to perform color smearing.
50. Plexiglass Photoshop Action
You can add abstract effects and make them into posters and backgrounds for text having Plexiglass. These are a set of options that generally make it easier to add these effects and borders to most images with a singular click.
51. 3D Isometric Map
You can add more dimension than flat maps where you can convert a vector map into a 3D mockup of it. These, of course, necessitate different styles and these actions also enable you to add on some buildings, trees and landscape elements on a similar fashion.
52. Pencil Draw Photoshop Action
Turn your photo into a graphite pencil sketch. This action uses contrast and locates the edges to render this effect. You can start with a full-color image without converting it to BW first.
53. Stickers and Tape
Create those round stickers that have a curl on corner or Polaroid style that contain a sticky tape holding them together. The site that enables this requires you to have free registration before using it.
54. 1930s Glitter Text
Get your glam on and convert your text into those snazzy 30s style retro treatments that contain shiny sequins and 3D. You can also adjust this before performing the action because there are many layers required also.
55. Spotlight Photoshop Action
You can make details stand out with this virtual feature. But again, this is only ideal if it suits your composition. Sometimes it is good to pull out that incandescent and photograph it in this fashion from the get-go.
56. Stamp Generator
Of course, don’t forge stamps but this turns an image into a stamp using the Photoshop brush to create the frill along the edge. Really nifty but again please use your art as legitimate means of livelihood only.
57. Denim and Leather
This PS action creates a blue denim texture and sews on a leather patch that enables the embossing towards your own artwork into the leather. This is a nice and efficient output that can be adapted for a variety of intents.
58. Folded Brochure
Turn your artwork into some virtual mockups using this nice effect. You can render them into a trifold paper design or fake 3D complete with shadows and be rendering on the image. This is good for paper designs and fantastic for presentations.
59. Outer Space
Produce an outer space background that has space dust and gases. This action colors the scene randomly so you get different effects.
60. Long Shadow
This fosters a long shadow from the text and you can tweak it to suit its opacity and ideal style also. Before using this though make sure the font you instate is ideal for the kind of presentation you are making.
61. Triptych Generator
These are ideal for prints that contain a 3D effect having the visual triptych generator that produces these at 1000x600mm, 1300×800 and also 1600×1000 containing a 50mm depth on 288dpi specs.
62. Action 3D
You can actually fake the 3D effect using channel juggling. This is created by JonasFan93 that fosters a pseudo-3D anaglyphic image. This is a freebie that has a number of styles that most are suitable for use in printed content such as brochures and web design.
Hopefully, all these are fit for integrating your style into the photographs you create. Never overuse them but at the same time, you want to implement something that appeals to your audiences.
