Users who are passionate about photography and image editing will surely know Photoshop, a very popular tool for retouching and editing photos. This powerful program is used by all kinds of users, from beginners to photography professionals. Today we are going to see how we can improve the operation of Photoshop, adding new and better functions through plugins .
What is and what is a Photoshop plugin for?
A plugin, translated into Spanish is a filter, which is still a small additional tool that is added to Photoshop and with which you get new features that the original program lacked and that can be very useful, such as, for example, to make web page designs or digital photo development, among others.
Its installation is very simple and we will only have to run its installer and restart the program to have access to the new added functions. In other cases the plugins may not have an installer. In this case, we must copy the folder into the Photoshop Plugins folder (for example, C: / Program Files / Adobe / Adobe Photoshop CC / Plug-ins). Once installed we will have them available within the Filters tab of the program, although occasionally we can also find them within Window (Extensions) or in File (Automate).
There are a large number of plugins that we can install in Photoshop, not in vain it is possibly the most used and popular tool for photo editing and retouching, so it is normal that there are other manufacturers who look for their business in paid plugins. In the same way there are also some plugins that are free. Either way or today we tell you the best plugins you can install in Photoshop.
Best free Photoshop plugins
Ink
It is a plugin to manage mockups for teams of developers who are not familiar with this tool. With this plugin we will have help that will provide additional information relevant to mockups when inserting layer styles, different effects, dimensions and shapes. Thanks to this plugin we will be able to annotate from the design measurements, to the colors that we have used or the hexadecimal codes. We can download it for free from their website .
Camera RAW
By using this plugin we will be able to work and edit our raw photographs , just as they come out of the camera, without the need for processing, making it an indispensable tool for professional photographers. In this way we can treat raw images, adjusting their brightness, contrast or establishing a better white balance without altering the original file. We can also use it to make montages with the best quality, and all with a completely professional result. Camera RAW is a free plugin, very useful in the field of photo editing, and that we can download from its website .
Texture Anarchy
It is a set of filters available for Photoshop with which we can create textures and borders . It has three types of texture filters with which to create infinite textures, from the most realistic and organic, to those most appropriate for design. Each filter provides us with a different type of transparent texture in 2D and 3D. The textures are based on fractal noise, which are excellent for use in natural images such as clouds, smoke or fire. It also has color and gradient wells to generate better colors, as well as different blending modes. You can download Texture Anarchy for free from the developer’s page.
CSS3Ps
This plugin is aimed at professionals who use Photoshop for web page design, since it allows transforming the layers of a design into a CSS3 sheet . This small utility, based on the cloud, we can easily and automatically convert all our designs made in Photoshop, including shadows, text format, size, border-radius, gradients, as well as colors and glitter effects, among others. The use of CSS3Ps is completely free and we can download it from its official page .
Boundary Noise Reduction Freeware
With this plugin we will be able to notably correct noise in photographs , one of the worst enemies of any photographer, due to the ease it has to ruin any photograph. It is a free version that starts from a paid version. But it does not contain watermarks and works exactly the same as the commercial version, allowing us to eliminate noise from dSLR images and film scans. By reducing noise you can make the image look smooth, but it stays equally sharp. We can download Freeware Boundary Noise Reduction from its website.
Font Awesome PS
With this plugin we will have no less than 675 different icon fonts with which we can design all kinds of logos and prototypes, making it a great utility for web designers. All the icons are scalable and can be completely modified to work with them without problems. Font Awesome PS is a free Photoshop plugin and can be downloaded from its website, with the only requirement to enter an email.
Velositey
This Photoshop plugin is another must-have app for web designers. With this tool we can build the templates structure of a web design very quickly and based on the 1170 grid system. Velositey incorporates a series of predesigned elements and modules based on Smart Objects, which we can insert into our work area to build the structure of our template to design our website. This plugin is completely free and can be downloaded from its website .
Best paid Photoshop plugins
ON1 Effects
It is a Photoshop plugin that offers a large number of high-quality filters and effects, which we can modify to our liking, achieving a leap in quality for our designs. ON1 Effects is an ideal plugin to be able to make photo montages and high-level creatives . We can also generate our own filters or presets and save them to be able to do it again later. We can purchase the filter package for $ 39.99 and being possible to install up to five devices. It is also possible to download a 30-day trial version from their website.
GuideGuide
This Photoshop plugin will allow us to offer more possibilities with grids, offering guides for our favorite design tools. With GuideGuide we can create a grid and manipulate quick guides in a simple way thanks to a user interface designed in Photoshop. We’ll enjoy clean layouts and efficient tools, quickly marking edges and midpoints with canvas or artboard based guides. Its price is $ 42 per license or 6 euros per month. It also allows a 14-day free trial version that we can download from its official website .
Topaz Adjust AI
By using this Photoshop plugin we can improve the detail and color of an image taking advantage of the power of Artificial Intelligence. In this way, we will transform our photos highlighting colors, shadows and all kinds of details to get more vivid photos in one step. Topaz Adjust IA is aimed at both professional photographers who need to speed up their workflow with high-quality results, and beginners who want professional results without spending many hours. The price of this plugin is $ 79.99 and it also allows a 14-day free trial download .
Exposure X5
This Photoshop plugin is aimed at creative photographers since it has a photo editor to create artistic images . It has a large library of magnificent looks that we can customize to our liking. Exposure has the widest selection of films available, as well as offering our creative styles with a clean, modern look. We can customize each of the styles incorporated in Exposure, and then save them as a single image that expresses our own style. The price for the Exposure X5 is $ 119 or $ 149 for the Bundle edition. It also allows the download of a trial version for 30 days.
Topaz Studio 2
This Photoshop plugin incorporates a large number of filters, both traditional (color adjustments, exposure, curves, etc.) and more creative ones. It is specifically designed for an artisanal post-processing workflow environment to create images very carefully. It features well-known filters such as “Al Clear,” an AI-powered tool for sharpening detail while eliminating noise, or “Precision Contrast,” which uses micro contrasts to give the image crisp detail and better tone without losing glare. or shadows. The price of your license is $ 99.99 and you can download a trial version from its website .
Topaz Sharpen AI
This is the first noise reduction and sharpness plugin that allows you to clearly differentiate between real details and noise. In this way we can create sharp images even when we take photos at night or with a shallow depth of field. Topaz Sharpen IA includes a separate module to handle camera shake, focus issues, or overall smoothness of a blurred photo. The price of this plugin is $ 79.99 and allows a free trial download .
Machine Wash Deluxe
With this plugin we can manually apply textures to give a retro look to our images, offering professional image texture quality, with multiple aging effects in image filters. This powerful Photoshop add-on will have more than 3,500 presets that we can easily use and obtain professional results. With Machine Wash Deluxe we will be able to give a touch of realism to our work, giving it depth and character. We can buy your license for $ 99 from its official website .
