- E X P O S URE 5
ALIEN SKIN SOFTWARE
http://www.alienskin.com / Approx £89/$149
Alien Skin Software creates a wide range of
high-end plug-ins for Photoshop users, but
one of the best is Exposure. It is designed to
help you emulate various traditional film
looks, such as lo-fi and old-school film types.
The results are realistic and professional,
unlike some of the cheaper filter programs
available that can look cheesy and over the
top. There are hundreds of presets built in that
apply different effects with a single click, and
these can be previewed before applying.
However, when you are using the program, it
is best to consider these presets as a starting
point for experimentation, as the best results
come from combining filters in different ways,
layering them up subtly to create something
completely unique.
The presets can be customised individually
too, so it is possible to have countless
combinations, ensuring that you don’t get that
‘straight out of the box’ look. Those
customised presets and combinations can
then be saved so that you can build up a
library of your own personalised effects that
can be applied to any of your future projects
quickly. Version 5 of Exposure has been
updated with a brand new look and features,
so it is always worth an upgrade if you have
tried an earlier version, and there is a free trial
available too.
Photoshop’s Extension Manager has opened the
door for developers, artists and designers to come
up with panels and scripts that enhance the
functionality of Photoshop in a simple way. The
best part is that these are usually free, they are
easy to install and try out, and you can even create
your own (have a Google search to find out how).
We round up three extensions that we reckon are
worth a look.- F O N T S H O P
PLUGIN
FONTSHOP
INTERNATIONAL
http://www.fontshop.com / Free
This panel is linked to the
FontShop website and enables
you to browse any of its
150,000-plus fonts from within
a panel in Photoshop. This
comes in handy when working on layout
designs, as you can try out a font and see if it
works. You can get a preview of the font in your
document, search for a particular font and tag
your favourites. - BLENDME.IN
BLENDME.IN
http://www.blendme.in / Free
This handy little panel gives
you access to thousands of
assets, such as vector icon
packs, that you can drag and
drop into your work. The
assets are all under the
Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which
means you can use them in your commercial
projects too. It’s easy to install, and in the latest
version of the extension, you can add your own
files as a Collection to browse in the same way. - GUIDEGUIDE
CAMERON
MCEFFEE
http://www.guideguide.me / Free
This simple palette is
designed for those who
work with grid layouts on a
regular basis – web
designers, app designers and so on. It gives you
pixel-accurate columns, rows, midpoints and
baselines, created based on your documents or
selections. You can also save frequently used
grid setups for future use.
THREE FREE
EXTENSIONS WORTH
TRYING© 2013 peter nguyen20 BEST PLUGINS