Free Photoshop Plugins
May 16, 2007 by Oli · 71 Comments 
Plugins and filters extend Photoshop by providing new functionality and effects that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to achieve or by simplifying a process. There are lots of plugins that you can buy but in the TutorialBlog way we are going to be taking a look at the best of the free plugins …
virtualPhotographer – virtualPhotographer lets you instantly apply high quality, professional photographic styles to your digital images, with just one click
Richard Rosenman – This page features a growing set of (mostly free) Photoshop filters / plugins. Most were developed because I found myself in need of something like this in the past for production. Others were developed because I foresee the need for them in the future
Filter Forge – Software to create your own filters, owners of the software get access to a huge number of user-submitted filters for free. I think this is a great idea – try it out for free for 30 days
Harry’s Filters – Harry’s Filters is a free Photoshop-compatible plugin containing up to 69 different image effects. They were formerly also known under the name “VideoRave”
Auto FX Mosaic – Mosaic makes your photos look as if they were created out of a mosaic tile. Photo-realistic depth and variable tile size and color options give this effect an infinite number of looks
Auto FX Dreamy Photo – Dreamy Photo gives images a soft romantic feel. This is a superb effect for enhancing stock photography, digital camera photos and any image you want to add a warm feel to
Telegraphics – Free plugins for Photoshop & Illustrator…and other software
Xero Graphics – A collection of freeware plugins for special effects
FreePhotoshop – Collection of free photshop plugins, also lists free shapes, styles, gradients etc
HDR Soft – Free tone mapping plugin and Photomatix software for creating HDR photographs
Luce – Add advance lighting effects to images with this free plugin
Flaming Pear – A number of free downloads for various effects
Mehdi Plugins – Loads of free plugins for various effects
Little Ink Pot – On this page Little Ink Pot provides free plugins. As always these are quality products created for their usefulness to digital image creators of all levels
Mura’s Filters – Free plugins for Adobe Photoshop and plugin compatible programs (such as Paint Shop Pro, etc.) – available only for Windows
Plugins World – A directory of free and paid plugins for photoshop and other adobe and apple software
Vanderlee – Free and paid plugins and filters
Golden Section Plugin – Now you can instantly draw the golden sections, or other divine proportions, as an aid to composition. This plugin can draw fibonacci sequences such as the golden sections, golden spiral and the golden triangles. In addition it also can draw the harmonious triangles and the rule of thirds
Pog’s Notes – A collection of free photoshop plugins and filters
Photo Plugins – These plugins are photo retouching oriented and can help with various tasks such as sharpening, converting to black and white, bringing out detail, controlling saturation, applying gradient blurs, correcting barrel and pincushion distortion etc
A lot of these plugins are things that you can learn to do in Photoshop alone, without installing any unnecessary software on top of the program. Why would any Photoshop user worth their salt find it necessary to use these plugins, when a simple action in Photoshop will often achieve the same, if not better, result?
wow!!!… a great list here.
Great list of plug-ins. thanks for sharing with us.
Thanx for sharing these! Some of them are among my faves and I already see more I’d like to try out.
Just a note, tho, that the Filter Forge trial can be extended to 90 days if you ask, and it really deserves a close look by anyone eager to discover how deep yet easy-to-use Photoshop filters can yet. My brother has designed a number of successful FF filters, everything from fireworks to anime special fx, have a look:
http://www.filterforge.com/filters/author6337-page1.html
Most graphic pros are mac users and allot of these plugins are windows only, also allot of cheap tricks that i can already do with out the use of a plugin
Why do you include commercial plugins?
The golden section plugin has to be PAID FOR.
Awesome list… I have already added this to my favourite.
Good collection, but it would have been helpful if you listed what all the free plugins actually did instead of just a few.
Thanks for the brushz, I used some of them last night. Worked great.
great resource!!! thanks for sharing
A very useful resource list. Thank you!
awesome – a big thank you for this !
Though, I’m not a huge fan of plugins, this is a great resource. In fact, there are a few things that I might even try out.
Heh… nice collection. Many of my favorites here! I’m shocked to see mine even mentioned among such greats. Xero, Richard R and Harry’s are among the first I ever discovered… years before I ever started writing.
For those few who think plugins are worthless, I must mention that not everyone HAS full-blown Photoshop. Eg, some use Elements, some of us even use Irfranview.
Also, even with CS3, there are things that filtering plugins can do that no action could even dream of. The best plugin by far IMO (not free, though) is Neat Image. I challenge anyone to duplicate it using tools from within a standard Photoshop install. I doubt anyone could come anywhere close.
Anyway, I see I should probably clean up my site a bit… make it clearer as to what’s available and where the files are.
Thanks for your work!
Very Nice compilation
can i be that you missed the “best”?
http://www.vanderlee.com/plugins_camouflage.html
you can run but now you can also hide…
H.
Nice Collection! I’m going to use some of these with my work.
These are one of the awesome tools i have downloaded. Surely will help my future designs and help me build a better portofolio.
Thanks,
Syed
Thank you ver much for this nice plugins.
The best filter gallery.. Very unique and professional.
thanks for the list …
regards, suzie
I love virtualphotographer!!
Anyway, very good list
Very good. Congratulations.
Parabéns. Saúde e paz!
fantastic selection of plugins there!
thanks for posting them up, i’ll defiantely use them.
cheers
Thnks
Thank YOU
99% of these you can learn to do yourself
no self respecting artist would need this
You don’t really need or want that lifestyle, it might hurt y’all slowly more…….Just tell him you
don’t wanna repeat something your not too proud of z7uas.
Quoting onetimeoffer: “A lot of these plugins are things that you can learn to do in Photoshop alone, without installing any unnecessary software on top of the program. Why would any Photoshop user worth their salt find it necessary to use these plugins, when a simple action in Photoshop will often achieve the same, if not better, result?”
Shortcuts.
Jack, I respect your self-respecting attitude. Why use photoshop in the first place if you are a self-respecting artist?
great resource!!! thanks for sharing
hi
its a nice place to get free plugines, nice sharing ,dear
Very Nice
To the author – Thanks for posting this list!
To the first poster – yeah! Pro’s don’t use filters – ever! Yeah – right… Go talk to someone who actually gets kudos, awards, and $$$$$, etc., for their art. They use whatever shortcuts they can. If you’re a Purist – stay away from the rest of use. Cheese! I intensely dislike Purists and Luddites.
Thanks mate, good show!