How To Create Your Own Photoshop Actions

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56 free Photoshop actions

Utilising the best free Photoshop actions is sure to streamline your process, saving you oodles of time. Sounds good, right? But if you're not sure what Photoshop actions actually are, bear with us and we'll explain. Adobe has integrated programming language with its flagship software, which enables you to condense minutes or hours of design work into a single click.

When editing, you can tell Photoshop to record each process and save them as an 'action'. If you assign that action a shortcut key, it will apply the edit to any image – almost instantaneously. These are invaluable timesavers if your design process involves making the same edits and changes repeatedly.

And even more of a timesaver is the ability to import ready-made free Photoshop actions, which is where this roundup of top actions comes in. These pre-programmed actions will let you add a diverse range of cool effects to your images.

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If you are feeling the Photoshop vibes and want to level up further, get yourself over to our lists of the best Photoshop plugins and Photoshop brushes. These are perfect for for photographers, graphic designers, game artists and more.

Alternatively, you can skip ahead to the section you're interested in from the drop-down menu above. Our selection includes filters, special effects and touch-up techniques, but you should definitely bookmark the entire list of free Photoshop actions to check out the rest later. (And if it's filters you're after, also see our best VSCO filters post.)

Free Photoshop actions: Photo filters

01. Cross Process

Use this traditional technique digitally (Image credit: Fix the Photo)

• Download here

First up on our free Photoshop actions roundup is this cross-processing effect. Cross-processing means deliberately processing one type of film in a chemical solution intended for another, resulting in oddly skewed colours and increased contrast and saturation. This collection includes six different cross process effects. We especially like the rich vibrant tone of the example pictured above (action number two of the collection).

02. Desert Dust

Feeling warm? (Image credit: Brusheezy)

• Download here

Want to create a dry, overly hot atmosphere in your images? Try this entry in our free Photoshop actions list from Brusheezy. It knocks out colour and gives everything a hazy look. Mimic the effect in a single click, to save you hours of editing work.

03. Facebook Fix

Everything you need for Facebook-ready photos (Image credit: mcpactions.com)

• Download here

This powerful set of Photoshop actions gives you everything you need to optimise images for sharing on Facebook. There are actions to resize, sharpen, watermark and brand your images for Facebook. Each resizing action will instantly apply your logo – all you need to do is move it to where you want it, and adjust the size and opacity.

04. Winter Blues

Turn chilly scenes into something more magical (Image credit: Spoon Graphics)

• Download here

At the other end of the temperature scale, these Winter Blues photo effects are designed to add some wintry magic to your landscapes. Use these free Photoshop actions to enhance overcast and cloudy skies and with subtle cool hues. The pack includes 10 actions, each with a different style.

05. Underwater Luxe

Bring underwater images to life (Image credit: The Coffee Shop Blog)

• Download now

If you're a fan of underwater imagery, this is the pick from the free Photoshop actions list you need. It removes the underwater haze, sharpers and boosts contrast, sharpens, and warms up skin by removing blue tones. Ideal for transforming underwater portraits in particular. This action is completely customisable, and you can download it for free at The Coffee Shop Blog.

06. Deep Matte

The intense matte finish packs a punch

• Download here

This free Photoshop action does exactly what its name would suggest. It will give your image a super-strong matte finish. If you want a more subtle matte finish, Exposure Empire also offers a basic version, but we love the intensity of this one.

07. Color Pop

An easy way to make your work pop

• Download here

Give washed-out photos an instant burst of colour with this free Photoshop action from Shutter Pulse. One of its set of 14 Boosters Photoshop Actions, it comes as part of a free bundle of 20 Lightroom presets and 20 Photoshop actions. This action is perfect from bringing a much-needed pop of colour and contrast to any photo.

08. Reduce Motion Blur

Sharpen up your snaps (Image credit: www.turningturnip.co.uk)

• Download here

Sometimes a little camera shake, or an unexpected movement from your subject, can ruin an otherwise great photo. Save the day with this entry from the free Photoshop actions roundup. It will remove motion blur from your images.

09. Pastel Effect

Give your owl some light enhancement and colour toning

• Download here

Another way to breathe fresh life into your photos is with this set of 40 pastel effect Photoshop actions; they'll provide instant light enhancement and beautiful colour toning at the touch of a button, and transform ordinary shots into something much more Instagram-worthy.

10. Mini Fusion

Inject new life into your photos with this free action (Image credit: mcpactions.com)

• Download here

This Mini Fusion Photoshop action promises to inject new life into images. It includes colour conversions and optional tints and exposure fix layers. There are a number of impressive before-and-afters on the MCP Actions site that showcase the results.

11. Mystical Light

'scuse me while I kiss the sky

• Download here

Give your photos an other-worldly air with this Photoshop action from Megan Joy, available through DeviantArt. It'll infuse landscapes with a magical light, infusing any shot with an ethereal purple haze and making the dullest of landscape shots look like a mysterious fairy dell.

12. Instant Hipster

Get those trendy effects you love with one click

• Download here

For those times you want to give your photos a one-click Instagram effect, Instant Hipster's the perfect solution. It comes with 10 ready-made filters – Amaro, Mayfair, Hudson, Valencia, X-Pro II, Willow, Sutro, Hefe, Nashville and 1977 (you'll likely recognise those names from Instagram). Capture just the retro effect you need in seconds.

13. Nightmare

...and they were never seen again

• Download here

If your photos just aren't sinister enough for your liking, this free Photoshop action should make things a little more unsettling. It's designed to let you easily give your photos a dark, haunting vibe. Perfect for creating the impression that you're permanently about to stumble into mortal danger.

14. Cold Nightmare

Damn it, stand still when I'm trying to skewer you

• Download here

Perhaps the most dramatically titled of the free Photoshop actions will transform a photo of a perfectly innocent scenario into a window into a dark world. In this example image, the archer probably shooting at a target takes on the look of someone who is definitely trying to kill a human. It's amazing what some shadows can do.

15. Summer Haze

Get that summer feeling again

• Download here

If you'd prefer to cheer up your images, take a sunny shot and make it intensely summery with this great golden haze effect. Outdoor portraits taken in natural light are most suitable for this filter.

16. Hazy Afternoon

Hazy Afternoon adds a soft gradient colour layer

• Download here

Perfect for outdoor pictures, the Hazy Afternoon action certainly lives up to its name by creating a soft gradient colour layer. You can use this free action on black and white or colour images, plus you can easily adjust the gradient until you get the exact look you're after.

17. HDR Action

Ramp up your HDR contrast with these actions

• Download here

Remove the lack of contrast that comes with HDR photography with this set of four actions; HDR fix Light, Normal, Heavy, and Clicker. This action is designed to remove the digital grey (lack of true black) found in HDR photos, to give them back their punch.

18. Strong HDR Effect

Get vibrant colour effects with this free HDR filter

• Download here

Try getting vibrant colour effects with this free Photoshop actions HDR filter from Shutter Pulse. If it works well for you but you'd like more options, it's part of a set of 30 HDR actions that you can buy for $13.

19. Night to Twilight

Turn your nighttime images into twilight photos

• Download here

This set of 11 actions convert your nighttime images into twilight scenes by introducing a colour cast and lightening the sky. The effect is rendered using layers, so you can adjust the degree of twilight by reducing the layer's opacity, making it nice and flexible.

20. Bella

Create a romantic, nostalgic feel with a pink cast

• Download here

This action adds a beautiful warmth to your photographs, bringing out rich tones in hair and skin, and softening colours with a pink cast. Give your images a romantic, nostalgic feel in an instant.

Next page: Vintage and monochrome photo filters

Kerrie Hughes is editor of Creative Bloq. Kerrie was staff writer for 3D World magazine before joining the original Creative Bloq team in 2012. Since then she's written regularly for other publications, including ImagineFX, 3D World and Computer Arts magazines.

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How To Create Your Own Photoshop Actions

Source: https://www.creativebloq.com/photoshop/photoshop-actions-912784

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