Photoshop & Elements Plugins and Filters
| Photoshop-compatible plugins are provided by several companies and generally work with Photoshop, Elements and other image editing applications including PaintShop Pro, PhotoImpact, and Photo-Paint. They are mainly used for creating special image effects that would be impossible or difficult to achieve with your image editor alone. They are integrated into the application and are found under the Filters menu. Always read the requirements and info carefully or try before you buy to make sure the plugin is compatible with Elements! (Most are.) |
| Here are some of the plugins that I use such as buZZ, Virtual Painter, Nik Color Efex, PhotoFrame, Focal Blade and all the free ones. Others I have tried and also recommend if they suit your needs. Nearly all websites listed let you download a demo to try. Also check out freebies link below. |
| buZZ | Turn
photos into paintings. Several versions and prices. My FAVORITE plugin is buZZ Simplifier the least expensive buZZ version. $29 |
| PhotoArt Master | Stand-alone program (not a plugin) Turn your photos into paintings |
| Flaming Pear | Whole line of plugins for various artistic effects |
| PhotoGrapic Edges | 10,000 edges, mattes, frames for your photos - from AutoFX (the ultimate collection!) |
| PhotoFrame | 2000+ frames and edges for images (I have this one, simpler to use than the above) |
| Blow Up | High quality image resizing available for making larger prints |
| pxl Smartscale | Upsize images up to 1600% without losing quality - by Extensis |
| Nik Color Efex | Sets of photographic and other filters in several collections/packages |
| DCE Tools | Moderately priced set of nice plugins, especially the skin smoother |
| AutoFX | Several plugins. Mystical Tint Tone and Color and Mystical Lighting are great. |
| Focal Blade | Excellent plugin for sharpening photos with several modes and controls |
| Virtual Painter | Turns any digital photo into a work of art with bright colors |
| Little Ink Pot | FREE Offers several neat plugins for artistic effects |
| Xero | FREE 4 sets of plugins for Photoshop, Elements, PaintShop Pro (download) |
| Dreamy | FREE Gives images a soft romantic feel - from AutoFX for Elements, Photoshop |
| Paint Engine | FREE Elements plugin that gives images a painted, artistic effect (nice!) |
| Virtual Photographer | FREE Instantly apply high quality, professional photographic styles to your digital images - includes over 50 presets such as black & white, color modification, contrast, |
| Full list of commercial plugins |
| Full list of FREE plugins |
| Some plugins come with an installer which installs them into the Elements plugins folder. Others tell you to just copy the .8bf file(s) into the plugins folder yourself. (In Explorer - go to Program files > Adobe > Photoshop Elements > plug-ins) Do not have Elements running when you are doing this! Sometimes you have to restart the computer to get them to work. Plugins are accessed when you open your photo and then click on Filters in the top menu bar. They will be in the bottom section below the native Elements filters. |