5 Simple Tricks to Enhance Your Textures in Photoshop
I take a lot of texture photos. The macro lens in on my camera about 90% of the time waiting for the opportunity to find a perfect texture. In most cases though, textures are not design ready right out of the camera. Below I'll cover 5 simple tricks that I use to enhance my textures in Photoshop.
I usually don't use all 5 of these steps on a single texture. Usually I'll use one or two of them depending on the image, and how it's going to be used. Below we have a simple wood texture straight from the camera. It's not bad, but we can easily make it much better.
You'll notice that the levels form a hill in the center. If you drag the outer arrows in towards the beginning and end of the hill it will boost the contrast of the image.
I hope these simple steps have given you and idea of how many different ways there are to enhance and transform your textures before applying them to your designs.
I usually don't use all 5 of these steps on a single texture. Usually I'll use one or two of them depending on the image, and how it's going to be used. Below we have a simple wood texture straight from the camera. It's not bad, but we can easily make it much better.
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1. Duplicate and Overlay
One very simple method to subtly enhance the contrast and color is to duplicate the texture layer and set the duplicate's blending mode to Overlay.
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2. Levels Adjustment Layer
A fast way to boost the detail and contrast is to add Levels Adjustment Layer.
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3. Smart Sharpen Filter
Applying a Smart Sharpen (Filter | Sharpen | Smart Sharpen) will give your texture a nice crisp appearance. Below are the settings I used on the wood texture.
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4. Gradient Map
The great thing about applying a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer is that you can adjust the color tone of a texture as well as boost the contrast. Add the adjustment layer, then set the layer's blend mode to Overlay.
5. Curves Adjustment
Similar to a Gradient Map, the Curves Adjustment will allow you to adjust the color tone with a bit more control. Add a Curves Adjustment Layer, then apply adjustments to each channel separately. Below are the settings I used on the wood texture.
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