5 Great Photoshop Filters and Techniques for Amazing Effects

Photoshop is by far one of the most popular photo-editing software among graphic designers. The application contains a dazzling array of features. In this article, we will discuss 5 powerful Photoshop techniques that can help in creating amazing image effects.

1. Glitch

Glitch is a cool Photoshop plug-in that allows you to make your photo appear like a frozen still from a damaged video tape. The plug-in will give a retro look to the picture making it look like a glitchy VHS picture. Also, the plug-in is great for making posters for a horror movie.  The free plug-in can be downloaded from Creativetacos website.

2. Displacement Technique

The displacement technique is great for creating movie posters and similar media. With this technique, you can place shapes behind an image and make it appear to be coming out of an image. The technique allows you to make the image look fluid and real. This technique involves using the magnetic lasso tool, layer mask option, low opacity brush, and drop shadow effects to create a displacement effect.

3. Weekend Black & White

The Weekend B/W plug-in is compatible with Photoshop C6 and Creative Cloud. The plug-in can be used for giving a retro look to upmarket shots. The plug-in gives a classic and sleek monochrome look to the images.

4. Free Vintage Retro Circle Effect

Another stylish plug-in that you can download from Creativetacos website is the Free Vintage Retro Circle Effect. This plug-in allows you to give an old-school retro print look to the image. The effects look quite dramatic reminiscent of an old print.    

5. Filter Forge Freepacks

The Filter Forge Freepacks is a great effect filter for Photoshop. You can find many free plug-ins for Photoshop at the Filter Forge website. The plug-ins are based on different themes. The filter themes add many cool effects to the images.

Paint HDRtist, for instance, allows you to convert your images into impressionist/watercolor/abstract Pseudo-HDR paintings. Another cool filter created for Photoshop using Filter Forge is Sketchy Painting. This filter transforms your image into sketchy oil/acrylic / watercolor paintings. Derelict is another cool filter that allows you to create damaged, decayed and rusted images. Lastly, Angry Painter is a great Filter Forge plug-in for Photoshop that provides many cool image transformation effects. You can download many other filters that create metal textures, apply frames to your images, and much more.

The above are just a few Photoshop techniques and filters that allow you to create amazing effects. The filters can transform ordinary looking photos to dramatic images that evoke emotions and awe. You can find many other third-party tools to create amazing picture effects.