Home > Adobe Photoshop > Adding Blending Options, Effects and Filters
Adding Blending Options, Effects and Filters
Filters
Adobe Photoshop offers a vast range of pre-determined effects, called FILTERS, that can be applied to an image. These filters have an even wider array of options, that will enable you to create some very unique images.
Again, like many Photoshop features, you will not need to be familiar with them all, and some of them you will only learn of their true potential after a bit of experimentation.
In order to get the best out of these effects, it is a good idea to work on a practice image, an image that you are able to manipulate without affecting your main project. Saving a stock image from the internet is a good idea, either from Google Images, or from one of these free stock photos sites below…
Free Stock Photos
http://www.stockvault.net/
http://www.sxc.hu/
http://www.unprofound.com/
http://freerangestock.com/
Once you have saved you image, open it up in Photoshop by going to File > Open, and browsing to its location on your computer, or alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + O. Creating a new document (File > New, or keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N) and selecting CLIPBOARD, will enable you to paste (Ctrl + V) the image onto the canvas, if you copy it (Ctrl + C) from your web browser.
Once you have your image ready to manipulate, you can select any of the pre-determined Filters by going to Filter on the File Menu.
For now, if you click Filter > Artistic > Coloured Pencil, you should see the following menu appear. (Click image to enlarge)
This menu will show you a preview of the first filter, in the first category, applied to your image as it would appear if you press OK. To the right, there are various thumbnails, and options. The thumbnails let you select and preview the next filter in that category, or change category completely. The options to the right enable you to change various parameters and settings, relevant to that particular filter, increasing or decreasing the effect it has.
This window will enable you to experiment, and test out all the filters first, before applying the filter itself. To apply the filter, click OK.
You will notice that the Filter has applied itself to the whole of the image, which may or may not be the effect you were after. This may be perfect for what you wanted, however sometimes it may be necessary to only apply the Filter to a specific section of the image.
In order to do this, we can use The Marquee Tool to make a rectangular selection, as shown in the image below.
Selecting a Filter in the same way as before, and pressing OK, will now only apply the Filter to that section of the image.
You can use the sub-icons of the Marquee Tool, or the Lasso and Magic Wand Tool to apply Filters to selections of other shapes, instead of just a rectangle. (For more information on these Tools click here)
Remember, the best way to find out what each effect does, is to experiment with them. Apply them to your image, and edit the options. Even if you do not like the effect, it may be an effect you may need to use in the future. And at this stage, you are only working on a practice image, so anything you do can be undone or discarded.
To see examples of what each filter looks like click here (example sheet 1) and here (example sheet 2).
Blending Options
By Right Clicking on any layer in the Layers Panel, you can apply further effects known as BLENDING OPTIONS. These effects are probably more suitable for simple shapes such as rectangles or more commonly, TEXT. To access them, Right Click on a layer and select BLENDING OPTIONS, or select the layer you wish to apply the filter to, and click this icon.
You should see this Menu appear. Click to see a larger image.
Down the left hand side of the menu are the available effects you can apply. Clicking the effect, (so the name of the effect is shown highlighted by a blue bar) will enable you to modify further options, which appear in the main window on the right. Ticking the box for that effect will apply it to the selected layer. If you have PREVIEW selected, you will see the effect in place behind the menu. You can tick and apply more than one effect at the same time.
Below is an example of some text with INNER GLOW, OUTER GLOW, BEVEL AND EMBOSS, and COLOUR OVERLAY applied, with various options modified to generate hues of blue, and a medium thick stroke.
Again, use a practice file to experiment with various filters, effects and options. Experimenting is the best way to get to grips with these features, and find out how they work. This way you will be able to come up with some interesting, unique effects.
Further Photoshop Resources
About Adobe Photoshop
Background Information and Getting Started
Photoshop Interface
Keyboard Shortcuts
Tool by Tool
Adding Effects and Filters
Download
Download the full Photoshop Help File as a PDF
