15 Incredibly Useful Free Photoshop Actions for Designers

Sneha Zacharia

18/01/2023

8 min read

Post-Production

15 Incredibly Useful Free Photoshop Actions for Designers

Are you a designer looking for some amazing free Photoshop Actions? Look no further! We’ve gathered 15 incredibly useful free Photoshop Actions that are sure to make your life easier. 

With these free Photoshop Actions, you can create stunning visuals in no time at all. From color toning to special effects, these actions will take your design projects to the next level. Read on to discover our top 15 free Photoshop Actions for designers.

15 Incredibly Useful Free Photoshop Actions for Designers

It can be daunting to figure out the best way to use Photoshop. With all the bells and whistles, it can be hard to know where to start. But fear not! We’ve compiled a list of 15 free Photoshop actions that will make your life a whole lot easier. 

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, these Photoshop actions will help you create stunning images in no time. No more sitting around scratching your head trying to figure out which tool to use. With these free Photoshop actions, you’ll be creating beautiful works of art in no time!

1. Light Leaks

Gradients have been used to produce this useful collection of light leaks, making it incredibly flexible for creating non-destructive retro effects to your photographs.

Free Photoshop Actions
Light Leaks

Five excellent leaks that support 16-bit color so you can create highlights that are brighter than white are included in the free version. Additionally, they utilize video!

2. Remove White Backgrounds

With this collection of three actions, you may automatically remove white backgrounds from your isolated photographs using several automated techniques.

Free Photoshop Actions
Remove Background

3. Retro Style Filters

Chris Spooner is well renowned for his top-notch Photoshop tutorials and giveaways, and his collection of 10 retro-inspired free Photoshop actions is no exception. 

Free Photoshop Actions
Retro Style Photoshop Action

Each of the effects draws inspiration from 35mm film and processing methods and offers both beautiful gritty alternatives and color treatments.

4. Old and Dirty

This action will give you a “black and white conversion with a tiny twist” in Photoshop and Lightroom. Apply the action, then presto! Your photo will have a vintage or retro feel.

Free Photoshop Actions
Old and Dirty Photoshop Action

5. Hologram Photoshop Action

Holograms are frequently used in science-fiction films and television shows. Their crispness and vibrancy make them effective.

Free Photoshop Actions
Hologram Photoshop Action

Any shot may be made to appear as though it belonged in a science fiction film using this Photoshop action. You only need to briefly skim over your subject. The rest is up to the action.

6. Cross-Processing Effects

Cross-processing originates in the darkroom. It was hugely popular when it came to fashion photography. Xpro is another name for it. The chemicals used to prepare the photographer’s film are made for a different kind or brand of film.

Free Photoshop Actions
Cross-Process Photoshop Action

The outcomes are erratic yet frequently quite attractive. In your digital images, you can recreate this effect using these free Photoshop actions.

7. Glass Effects for Photoshop

A Photoshop filter called the “glass” effect can be used to give an image a realistic-looking glass surface.

Free Photoshop Actions
Glass Effect Photoshop Action

The creation of textured glass buttons and other user interface elements frequently uses this filter. A fascinating textured background can be made with the glass effect.

8. 3D Anaglyph Photoshop Actions

By superimposing two images—one with a red filter and one with a cyan filter—you can make a 3D image. The image in question is an anaglyph

Free Photoshop Actions
Anaglyph Photoshop Action

The red and blue lenses on anaglyph glasses (like the ones you presumably received at a 3D movie as a child) correspond to the filtered images. The remaining work is completed by your brain, which combines the two overlaid images to create a 3D effect.

9. Desert Dust

Want to give your photographs a parched, oppressively hot atmosphere? Try this action from our range of Brusheezy’s free Photoshop actions.

Free Photoshop Actions
Desert Dust Photoshop Action

It eliminates color and gives everything a foggy appearance. With only one click, duplicate the effect and save yourself hours of editing time.

10. Underwater Luxe

This selection from the list of free Photoshop actions is what you need if you enjoy seeing underwater photography. 

Free Photoshop Actions
Underwater Photoshop Action

It eliminates the underwater haze, enhances contrast, sharpens skin by removing blue tones, and warms it up. Ideal for changing portraits taken underwater, in particular. 

11. Reduce Motion Blur

An otherwise excellent photograph might occasionally be ruined by a little camera wobble or an unexpected movement from your subject. 

Free Photoshop Actions
Reduce Motion Blur Photoshop Action

This free Photoshop action from the roundup will save the day. Your photographs’ motion blur will be eliminated by it.

12. 2- Strip Technicolor

Download this free action to recreate the appearance of a 2-strip Technicolor film. The two-strip technicolor film, which was common in the 1920s and 1930s, exposed black-and-white film behind red and green filters. 

Free Photoshop Actions
2-Strip Technicolor Photoshop Action

This process duplicates the 2-strip effect without affecting the original image by merging the green and blue channels in separate layers.

13. Polanoid Generator 3

With one of 10 available effects, instantly transform any image into a Polaroid. One of those Photoshop actions that you’ll use repeatedly involves automated color adjustments and shadows.

Free Photoshop Actions
Polanoid Generator 3

14. Infrared Photo Effect

The only way to take truly authentic infrared images is by using infrared film or a lens, but you can get a similar appearance using this free Photoshop effect

Infrared Photoshop Action

Bring false-color infrared photography’s bizarre effect to your pictures. This set has eight actions, each of which has a distinctive and unusual inverted color effect.

15. Dystopian Action

With the help of these free Photoshop effects from SparkleStock, you can make your evening cityscapes much more spectacular. 

Free Photoshop Actions
Dystopian Photoshop Action

All versions of Photoshop CS3 and beyond, including CC, support these actions. Get three dramatic effects without paying anything; if you buy the complete version, you can access all eight.

How to Install Photoshop Actions

1. Download the Photoshop Actions you want to use. Make sure to check that they are compatible with the version of Photoshop you are using.

2. Launch Adobe Photoshop and open an image file.

3. Select “Window” from the main menu and then select “Actions” to open the Actions palette.

4. Click on the “Action Set” menu at the top of the Actions palette and select “Load Actions”

5. Navigate to where you have stored your downloaded Photoshop Actions and select them. 

6. You should now see the Photoshop Actions listed in the Actions palette, ready to be used.

How to Use Photoshop Actions

1. Open your image in Adobe Photoshop and select the layer you want to apply the action to.

2. Go to Window > Actions to open the Actions panel.

3. Select the action from the list of available actions and click the Play button at the bottom of the panel.

4. The action will be applied to your image, and you can see the effect in the document window.

5. To edit the effect, double-click on the action in the Actions panel and adjust the settings in the dialog box.

6. When you are finished making adjustments, click OK and the new settings will be applied to your image.

7. If you want to save your settings as a new action, go to the Actions panel and click on the “New Action” icon at the bottom of the panel.

8. Give your action a name, then click Record to start recording your changes.

9. When you are finished recording, click Stop and your new action will be saved in the Actions panel.

10. To run the action again, select it from the list and click Play.

Use Free Photoshop Actions on Postudio

A great place for you to use these 15 Free Photoshop Actions is Postudio. Postudio is an on-demand, online platform that hosts the industry’s best post-production software. It also includes Adobe Photoshop. 

Postudio is an on-demand, online cloud-based platform. It provides its users with the most popularly used post-production software to its users. It is a safe, secure, and collaborative platform. The best part about Postudio? You only need to pay for what you use!

Conclusion

Well, there you have it – 15 of the best free Photoshop actions that can help make your creative process faster, easier, and more efficient. 

With these handy tools at your disposal, you’ll be a master designer in no time! So don’t wait – download some of these actions now and let your creativity run wild. Happy designing!

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