Let’s do a quick Photoshop filter tutorial today. Instagram filters have become so popular, but the final images are too small to print and frame. If you want to achieve an “antiqued” or “vintage” filter and maintain the high pixel count, you can do it in Photoshop.
I downloaded this free image to use as an example from the wallpaper site www.wallpapersus.com.
The first step is to find (or create) an antiqued texture with lots of vintage touches. This will serve as our “filter”. I found this one here.
Open your main image in PS, and then create a new layer (ctrl+shift+N). Insert the texture onto the new layer.
Next, change the Blend Mode of the texture layer. I suggest trying a few of the different modes to see what works best. Sometimes, the colors on your texture layer are too bright to work well with “screen” but look great with “overlay”.
I used overlay to achieve this initial filtered look. I brought the opacity down to 80%.
The colors in this photo are lovely, but if you want to go a step further, consider adjusting the hue and saturation. To do this, add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. Select Layer>Add Adjustment Layer>Hue/Saturation.
Click ok with the preset options. Then, click “colorize” and adjust the hue to create a sepia tone-style look.
Looking good, right?
Next, select (ctrl+shift+E) to merge the layers down. If you want to make your image even more “vintage” by adding a grainy look, go to Filter>Noise>Add Noise.
By checking “Gaussian” and “Monochromatic”, you can get a very old-timey look easily.
That will cause your image to look like this:
To go even further, consider using the Burn tool to darken some areas (I did the corners and the shadows on her arms and legs).
Here’s the final result!
Rachel is a digital marketing strategist, and CEO of Belle Strategies. She spends her time helping clients leverage the digital space to reach and convert their communities into lifelong customers.