Part Three – Third Party Plug Ins
Welcome To Cora’s Corner, where every month I am going to help you with your artwork issues. This month’s discussion is a continuation of;
3rd Party Plug-ins for Graphic Software Applications.
I want to thank customers for asking questions about 3rd Party Plug-ins after reading February’s newsletter. This is the 3rd and last part of the Plug-in newsletters. Now is the time for you to explore the different options available to you and have fun. Let your creativity run wild.
For the purpose of this month’s article I’m referring to Adobe Photoshop. For people who might have missed the previous two articles, here is an explanation of plug-in. In computing, a plug-in is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application. When an application supports plug-ins, it enables customization. Plug-in software supplements the application and provide additional tools that speed up complex image editing, process images for output, support file formats and creative tasks. Plug-ins are also added to aid function to outputting images to various hardware devices such as film printers, plotters and cutters. There are many operations that are practically impossible without using a plug-in filter. That’s why plug-ins are so popular.
Photoshop
Although some plug-ins come with Photoshop, there are countless third-party products that enhance an image in some manner, which would otherwise be tedious or extremely difficult using the regular Photoshop tools. This month I going to highlight some popular Photoshop plug-ins.
Adobe.com, is the best place to start if you are looking for plug-ins for Photoshop.
You’ll find 490 plug-ins and more being added all the time. Here is a few of the most popular ones to choose from the long list of options.
Eye Candy by Alien Skin Software. Eye Candy 7 renders realistic effects that are difficult or impossible to achieve in Photoshop alone, such as Fire, Chrome, and the new Lightning. Effects like Animal Fur, Smoke, and Reptile Skin are rendered in exquisite detail down to individual hairs, turbulent wisps, and shiny scales.
Snap Art by Alien Skin Software. Snap Art 4 is a natural media application that turns photos into paintings or sketches that look handmade.
ContrastMaster by The Plugin Site.ContrastMaster is a plugin and Lightroom editor for contrast enhancement, dramatic contrast looks and HDR-like effects.
3D Invigorator by Digital Anarchy. Artists can easily create complex 3D logos, text and objects using vector artwork. Turn flat 2D art into dynamic 3D objects!
ToonIt Photo by Digital Anarchy. ToonIt Photo is an easy way to give photos that sought-after cartoon look. Use one of the many presets or create custom looks.
65 Premium Photoshop Actions Set – Vol.1 by Prisma Design. 65 Premium Actions Set is the Vol.1 of professional Photoshop actions perfect for photographers and graphic designers. Also see Vol.2.
Pure Art Hand Drawing by DragonSigh. This mega bundle contains the very best of famous “Pure Art Hand Drawing Series” image actions. 10 package actions (with hundreds of incorporated sub-actions) are like no other Photoshop add-on you may have used. The process is complex and highly professional yet very easy to use. All the effects were studied and mastered and properly tested using different image exposures. With this bundle, you can profession hand draw your photographs/artworks. Also see Pure Art Hand Drawing 2.
Filters, Actions Sets and Layer Styles.
I cannot do an article on Photoshop plug-ins without mentioning filters, action sets and styles.
Filters; A software routine that changes the appearance of an image. Photoshop “filters” change the appearance of a photo by merely running the filter on the image.
Action Sets; A feature in Photoshop that lets users download or create a set of procedures that can be reused over and over to edit an image in a particular way. An action is created by manually performing a series of steps and recording them in an ATN file. Photoshop “actions” enable a series of changes to take place one after the other on an image.
Layer Styles; are effects that alter the appearance of a layer. Layer effects are things like drop shadows, stroke, textures and color overlays.
There are numerous filters, actions sets and layer styles that can be downloaded from the Web.
There are many more plug-ins. A search on Google will turn up thousands of plug-ins to help you with any task you can imagine. These are just some of the most talked about in relationship to creating artwork in Photoshop. Some companies have explanations and/or video demos of how their software works. So do your homework and check some of them out. Download them, find the best ones to help your creativity and productivity.
I would also like to hear from you about your most pressing issues about artwork. Your question may be used in a future issue of this newsletter. If you have questions, please email me at cora@qdigitizing.com. And please reference this newsletter.
Looking forward to sharing an exciting journey of discovery into the world of Art.
Sincerely,
Cora Kromer
cora@qdigitizing.com