• January 03, 2021
• 23 min to read

Photoshop boasts countless different possibilities - no wonder it’s an all-time favorite tool amongst designers and photographers. Though, to unleash the full potential of Photoshop, you might need some extra help… This is where plug-ins fit into the picture. The following are 22 of the best plug-ins, in no particular order, that you need to add to your to-download list today.

• View the Full Collection A brush is the main drawing tool in Photoshop, and it can do more than just draw straight lines on a white canvas. Using this Photoshop plugin, you can apply realistic fog to a photo; add smoke, beautiful clouds, grass, etc. Just one or two brush strokes and you will get an amazing result.
• Plugins – Infinite Color Panel Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CC 2020.2.1 WIN – Free Download.

Fontself Maker for Photoshop CC. There are many free fonts available online but many designers (and their clients) prefer to have a unique and original typeface for their project. If you want to create your own fonts, Fontself Maker for Photoshop CC is a plugin worth checking out. Fontself works with both Photoshop and Illustrator CC. Top 10 Free Photoshop Plugins. Website Pexels provides a collection of over 30,000 free stock photos and videos that can be downloaded and used for non-commercial use. Pexels’ Photoshop plugin lets you search through this collection directly on Photoshop and use them in your creations.

1. Luminar 4

If you often work with raw photos, Luminar 4 is a plug-in that you’d find rather helpful. With the help of AI and preset effects, it makes editing jobs like object removal and masking significantly easier. It’s available for both Lightroom as well as Photoshop.

If you’re using Photoshop CS5 or higher, you’ll love the Photoleumr 3 plug-in. This automatic photo editor uses AI to make your photos pop. Why do all the hard work, when there’s a plug-in that was created for this job? From recovering color to correcting your exposure, Photolemur 3 will make your photos just as magical as your special moments.

3. RH Hover Color Picker

The RH Hover Color Picker is ideal for designers and artists who want better color control. Published by Rico Holmes, this plug-in boasts color sliders that you can customize giving you much better control. It’s definitely better looking and less awkward than the color picker offered by Photoshop.

4. Double Exposure Photoshop Plugins

If you want to transform your ordinary photo into the one with the Double Exposure effect, you should have a closer look at this universal bundle consisting of 26 cool actions. There are tools producing Color Double Exposure, Dispersion, Splashes, Silhouette and Advanced Double Exposure effects in a matter of seconds. To get even more flexibility while editing your pictures, you can use any of 13 Photoshop brushes included in the pack. The cost is reduced to $50.

5. Texture Anarchy

If need to include rich textures into your designs, Texture Anarchy will help you to get the job done. In addition to the wide range of filters that you can use for your designs, it also enables you to create fractals.

6. ALCE 3

Photographers will love this easy-to-use plug-in. With the help of ALCE 3, you can add more depth to your photos by enhancing the contrast. What makes it so great is that it’s much easier to use than Photoshop’s unsharp mask filter.

7. GuideGuide

Designers who often make use of grids when they’re creating layouts will find the GuideGuide plug-in oh-so-useful. It allows you to save your preferences which means that you will save loads of precious time whenever you want to access it again. In addition to enabling you to create extremely accurate grids, you can also use negative margins with the help of GuideGuide.

8. Low Poly Photoshop Plugins

To make viewers look at your photos again and again, you need to give them an unusual feel. With this idea in mind, FixThePhoto has created a new collection of Low Poly Photoshop actions and supplemented them with 3 brushes and 5 nice-looking patterns. You can get all these tools just for $24.

9. Blow Up 3

Blow Up 3 will blow your mind. Thanks to this practical plug-in, you can create piercing sharp enlargements. As a matter of fact, the algorithm that this plug-in uses is better than the filters that Photoshop boasts. Next time that your client emails you a low-resolution photo, Blow Up 3 will see to it that your project will not be blown off course.

10. SuperPNG

If you work with PNG files often but don’t have access to the latest version of Photoshop yet, you’ll love the SuperPNG plugin. With the help of this plug-in, you can gain better control over the exporting process. Battling to render your PNG files will be a thing of the past!

11. 3D Invigorator

Let’s face it, the 3D process can be challenging, even for experienced designers. Though with 3D Invigorator in your arsenal of design tools, you can create 3D elements and polished final renders without breaking a sweat. This Photoshop plug-in boasts an easy-to-use object editor that will make it a lot easier to draw and edit your shapes.

12. ParticleShop

Thanks to the ParticleShop plug-in for Photoshop, you can now play around with Corel Painter tools. From fabric to fur, ParticleShop boasts over 10 brushes! These brushes will boost your productivity and help you to take your creativity to the next level.

13. Machine Wash Deluxe

Machine Wash Deluxe is definitely no washout! With the help of this Photoshop plug-in, you can add a realistic scratchy weathering effect to images. It works especially well with typography. So, if you want to add an attractive aging effect to design, this is the tool for the job.

14. B&W Effects

If you’re serious about digital photography, B&W Effects is an essential plug-in. What makes this plug-in so great is that it lets you create black and white photos that really stand out. Thanks to its conversion engine, you can transform your colored photos into magnificent monochrome pics that have just the right texture and tone.

15. Dream Suite Ultimate

Dream Suite Ultimate is one of the most comprehensive plug-ins for Photoshop that’s available on the market. It boasts an impressive range of effects that include borders, textures and tonal correction to mention only a few. What makes this plug-in so great is that it gives you access to many options in a single plug-in which means that don’t have to buy countless different plug-ins.

16. Texture Tools Industrial

If you’re in need of a metal texture to magnify your photo, the Texture Tools Industrial Photoshop plug-in offers everything that you’ll need. With 50 metal textures on offer, designers and artists can first put the metallic filters to the test before reaching for their credit card. What’s more, the plug-in also allows you to manipulate the texture so that it fits your photos.

17. Shutterstock

Designers who regularly have to work with Shutterstock can make their workflow more efficient with the help of the Shutterstock plug-in. In short, it offers you direct access to the countless stock images that the Shutterstock library boasts. This means that while you’re working inside of Photoshop, you can quickly search Shutterstock’s complete library, select and insert. Voila!

18. Watercolor Painter Plugins

Those inspired by watercolor paintings, will definitely appreciate this bundle designed by professionals. It includes 3 watercolor Photoshop actions, 14 brushes and 3 patterns aimed at giving your photos that specific look and mood. These actions are compatible with all Ps versions and cost only $35.

19. PageCurl 2

Although the functionality of this plug-in is very limited, what it does it can do brilliantly. It’s ideal for graphic designers who need to create a realistic fold and page-turn effects. So, if you regularly work with ebooks, get PageCurl 2 to promote your page-turner.

20. FlatIcon

If you need access to a large database of free vector icons, FlatIcon will make sure that your designs will not fall flat. With the help of this Photoshop plug-in, you can search for icons within Photoshop that you can download in different formats including PNG, SVG, and PSD.

21. Eye Candy

Plug-ins For Photoshop Cc

Published by Alien Skin, Eye Candy is a well-known plug-in among Photoshop users. It boasts a really impressive collection of effects which you’ll find quite handy for plenty of projects. If you find that the effect is too obvious and boring, just fiddle with the default settings to create a better effect. This plug-in might just be a lifesaver next time that you’re battling with a tight deadline.

22. Subtle Patterns

Plugins Photoshop Cc 2017

Another great plug-in that will save you a lot of time is Subtle Patterns. By adding Subtle Patterns to your plug-in list, you get access to a library of tileable, textured patterns. It’s oh-so-convenient to use as you simply click on the thumbnail of the pattern that you want to use and it will be applied to the layer that you’re currently working on.

23. Portraiture

Calling all portrait photographers! If you’re searching for a plug-in that can help you to smooth skin tone and remove imperfections without removing skin texture altogether, this is the tool just for you. What makes this plug-in so great is that it’s compatible with Aperture, Photoshop as well as Lightroom.

24. Fixel Edgehancer

Fixel Edgehancer is the perfect plug-in for those who are just starting to use Photoshop. In short, it’s a quick way to emphasize the edges without increasing the surrounding pixels’ contrast.

With the help of these popular plug-ins, you’ll be able to turn Photoshop into an even more powerful tool. So, which one of these 22 plug-ins will become your favorite new tool?

Photoshop is, indeed, a powerful tool for editing your photos. But if you want to make sure you maintain consistency in your editing workflow or if you simply want to speed up the editing process, you’ll need a quality Photoshop plugin.

From applying HDR effects to converting your images to black and white, there is a plugin for every situation and in this post, we’ve gathered the best free Photoshop plugins for photographers.

You might also like this collection of free Photoshop plugins for UI designers.

HDR Sharpener Tool

This tool makes it easy to create HDR-like effects for your images instantly. It will increase the dynamic range of the image and sharpen it in a non destructive manner.

KinemaPhoto-LITE

This Photoshop extension makes it easy to unleash your creative potential creating cinemagraphs, GIFs, and other animations. You will be able to create still images from a video layer, create video loops, and more.

CineStock Photoshop (Envato Elements)

This resource gives you the 18 Photoshop actions to simulate the look of cinematic effects popularized by movies and television series. Each action contains all the adjustment layers and is non destructive so you retain your original.

Photo FX Photoshop Plugin

Gain access to 18 cool effects and filters to use when editing your images. The plugin includes 8 different filters, 9 different light leak effects, and a film grain effect that you can use immediately.

Tint and Black & White Conversion Plugin

This Photoshop tint plugin is perfect for adding tints to an image for artistic effect. Quickly apply a range of color tones or convert images into black and white for that retro feel.

Skin Beauty Retouch Plugin

Easily retouch skin tones with this plugin. With a 1-click application you can make any skin tone free of blemishes and look beautiful. This is a handy plugin when you want to make all your photos look their best.

Double Exposure (Envato Elements)

This Photoshop plugin gives you access to a set of 4 actions that simulate a double exposure effect. This effect works well with other Photoshop actions you may have installed.

Enhanced Sub-Pixel Diffusion

Thanks to this Photoshop plugin, you’ll have the power to perform sub-pixel diffusion effects. With sub-pixel diffusion you can apply this effect when and where you would need to apply antialiasing.

Generate Ascii Art

This Photoshop plugin makes it easy to convert your images into an ASCII stylized image. ASCII art works by mapping heavier toned ASCII characters to dark areas of your image and lighter toned ASCII to the lighter areas. Not all images will translate well.

Oil Paint Photoshop Plugin

Convert any of your image into a realistic painted look without all the effort. In one click you can transform any image with a resolution size of 1000 to 4000 pixels.

Anaglyph Photoshop Actions (Envato Elements)

Save time, money and effort with this Photoshop resource. You will be able to quickly apply one of 4 basic anaglyph or 11 experimental anaglyph actions with a simple nondestructive click.

Generate Barnsley Fern Fractals

With this Photoshop plugin you will be able to create wonderfully looking fractal designs. Generate eye catching patterns in any color with a little mathematical help and create random fractals or manifest your creative streak with controls for asymmetry and scaling.

White Balance / Highlight Recovery Plugin

This powerful Photoshop plugin will apply a white balance to your images. This makes your photos brighter and have more contrast. Using images shot in a RAW format will produce the best results.

Halftone Print Simulation Plugin

This Photoshop plugin will simulate halftone imagery through the use of dots. The images you create with this plugin can be printed with each color channel independently or all together. You can lock or unlock the color channels for black and whites or creating masks.

VHS Photoshop Action (Envato Elements)

With this plugin you will be able to quickly apply a glitched or VHS look to all your photos. Simply install the plugin, load your image and click play on the plugin. You will receive 1 action file, 1 pattern file, 1 file with brushes and instructional PDF.

Lens FX Plugin

Use this plugin to achieve special effects for all of your images. Choose from a pinch, push, sine variants, concave and convex versions as well as waves or ripples. This plugin can help you create wonderful pieces of art.

stylize!

Stylize is a wonderful and artistically based plugin that transforms your images into something that looks painted, water colored, or drawn. With dozens of styles to choose from, this will be a welcome addition to your Photoshop workflow.

Multi Purpose Pixelation Photoshop Plugin

With this plugin you will be able to make pixel art out of any of your images. This plugin supports an 8 and 16 bit channels with a color channel mode for professional workflows.

Watercolor Photoshop (Envato Elements)

This Photoshop action can be used to create digital artwork in 1 click. This plugin will generate the watercolor art and multiple layers that you can further tweak and customize.

Remove.bg Plugin for Adobe Photoshop

With this plugin you will save time working on backgrounds. Quickly and easily remove the backgrounds, even around challenging edges like hair. Use the layer mask to quickly remove or restore regions of an image.

Composition Grid Plugin

This plugin will help you generate a grid that you can apply over your photo for easier editing. Each grid is generated as a separate layer so that you can apply the theory behind the Rule of Thirds, Golden Ratio, and Dynamic Symmetry.

Generate Randomly Fitted Boxes

Quickly and easily generate a mosaic of randomly sized boxes out of your images. This is a wonderful way to give your images a whole new artistic look. The box fitting tool provides control over how many boxes to create, the maximum size allowed, as well as an option to sample color from the original image or to use custom colors.

Summer Duotone (Envato Elements)

Save time with your image editing workflow with this resource highlighting the summer colors. This resource gives you 20 custom summer duotone actions to help get your summer design juices flowing.

Variable Channel Inversion Plugin

This simple but unique plugin allows precise, independent and variable color channel inversion. This will yield impressive results when full control of each channel is used. Choose colors from 8 or 16 bit channels for your project.

Action Launcher Extension

If your Photoshop has amassed a large collection of actions and actionsets then you will want to get this launcher. Quickly and easily find all of your actions, sort them through a favorites selection, as well as run the actions right from the launcher.

Highpass Sharpen Photoshop Plugin

This Photoshop plugin introduces another high fidelity method of sharpening your images by using highpass frequencies. This is a method used by professionals in the production industry and a technique favored by professional photographers and photo retouchers alike.

Lens Vibrant Effects (Envato Elements)

With just a click you can apply any of the twenty vibrant filters to make great images that can be used for blog posts, book covers, social media, and more.

PolarProjection Generator

This polar projection plugin turns your panorama pictures into their own little worlds. The plugin takes the pain out of the long process to manually morph your panorama images into stereographic projections.

Automate Diptych & Triptych Layouts

Tych Panel is an extension that automates the creation of triptychs and diptychs. It also offers an easy way to set up your rows and columns for your image placement.

Stock Photo Site Photoshop Plugins

Use this article to fill up your creative library with useful Photoshop plugins that will save you hours of time during the photo-editing process.