Web Development: How to Make a Distressed Effect Photoshop Action

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

How to Make a Distressed Effect Photoshop Action

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a distressed effect Photoshop actions using smart filters, adjustment layers, and overlay textures.

If you want to learn these photo effects via video, check out our lesson on the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

If you want to learn how to create more photo effects, check out these:

How to Create a Vintage Fade Effect Photoshop Action

I this tutorial we'll create a vintage Photoshop effect using smart filters, adjustment layers, and overlay textures.

Ivan Gromov
30 Sep 2019

Photoshop Actions
How to Create a Vintage Portrait Photo Manipulation in Adobe Photoshop

Get inspiration from the past! In this tutorial, instructor Melody Nieves will show you how to create an authentic-looking Victorian portrait using stocks...

Melody Nieves
30 Mar 2018

Photo Manipulation

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used in the production of this tutorial:

1. How to Start Recording the Photoshop Action

Step 1

First of all, we need to open the image. Press Control-O and select the image you want to use.

Step 2

Now we can start to create our action, so hit Alt-F9, or go to Windows > Actions to open the Actions panel.

Step 3

Hit the New Action button to create a new action, and then hit Record. Now our action will start recording.

2. How to Create a Hard Distressed Photo Effect

Step 1

Select the background layer and then Right-Click on the layer and select Convert to Smart Object.

Step 2

Select the smart object and then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise and use the following settings:

Amount: 5%
Distribution: Gaussian
Monochromatic: On

Step 3

After that, go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Texture > Grain. Use the following settings:

Intensity: 15
Contrast: 50
Grain Type: Regular

Step 4

Place "Distressed Texture 01.png" above the smart object.

Step 5

After that, place "Distressed Texture 02.jpg" and change the Blending Mode of this new layer to Multiply.

Step 6

Now we need to create color correction layers for our Photoshop effects. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast and create a new layer with the following settings:

Brightness: 70
Contrast: -25

Step 7

After that, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and create a new layer with Saturation of -35.

Step 8

Our action is ready now. Click Stop in the Actions panel.

This is how our image should look like after the manipulations listed above:

Soft distressed effect applied to the picture

3. How to Create a Soft Distressed Photo Effect Action

Step 1

In case this type of distressed effect is too extreme-looking, we could easily make it softer. Let's create another action and name it "Soft Distressed Action".

Step 2

Select the first overlay texture and change the Opacity of the layer to 25%.

Changing the opacity of the first texture

Step 3

After that, we need to change the Opacity of the second texture to 80%.

Changing the opacity of the second texture

Step 4

After that, hit the Stop button to finish the recording of the action. Now you can easily change the effect to a softer version just by playing this additional action.

Finishing the recording of the second action

Awesome Work, You're Now Done!

Congratulations! You have created distressed photo effects using overlay textures and Photoshop effects. Here is our final result:

Looking for some more distressed photo effect Photoshop actions? Сheck these Photoshop actions from Envato Elements:

Vintage Sketch Photoshop Action

This item adds a realistic distressed effect and turns your image into an old sketch with pencils, paints elements, and ten color effects. The final effect of this Photoshop action could be easily changed as it gives you a well-structured final PSD file.