Being creative is so much easier now that we have the assistance of technology. Even people who swear they don’t have a creative bone in their body can enhance their photos with the simple use of filters or textures.

It can be amazing to see how much a photo can be altered by changing the appearance of the image through texture, color, or filters. We can all be great artists with very little effort at all!

Photoshop allows anyone to manipulate images and produce high-quality digital art. The use of texture gives added impact.

Here we look at four ways to use photo texture to take your images to the next level.

Add Depth To Backgrounds

Photo texture applied just to the background can give a vivid effect which adds more depth to the central image.

The key to awesome background texture is to be subtle. The background is not supposed to dominate or overpower the image.

Check factors such as texture scale, color, and gradient. Play around with different backgrounds and you will soon see which types of texture are best for making the image pop.

Photo Texture Overlay

Overlaying different textures to selected portions of the background of the photo can give the image a striking vintage or aged look.

For best effects, choose a texture which looks worn. This will often be something with a natural feel to it such as wood, paper, or concrete.

Multiply the layers until you get the effect that you are looking for. Change the layers blending modes to highlight or fade.

Contrast And Color

Emphasizing contrast and color is an effective way to bring out the detail and beauty of photo texture.

You can do this by duplicating the texture layer. Next set the blending mode of the duplicate to overlay. This quick and easy method enhances the contrast and brings out the color.

You can also enhance the texture of a photo subject’s skin and brighten the tone through the use of contrast and color. Sharpening details will also boost this effect.

Adjust Your Curves

You can further transform your photos and images by changing the color tone with Curve Adjustment. This is similar to a Gradient Map.

Curve Adjustment allows the user to have a little more control over individual colors. Simply add a Curve Adjustment layer and alter each specific color one by one.

This method can give photos a more detailed and effective appearance. Have fun with altering each different color until you get the look you want. Bring forward the color which best suits the mood of the picture.

Other Ways To Use Texture

Don’t forget that you can also enhance text with texture. If your photo includes text you can choose to make all or part of the font texturized. Photo texture does not need to be limited to the image alone.

Be creative with layers and saturation levels. Fade colors out or brighten them. The only limit is your imagination.

For more awesome photo texture effects, check out the range of tutorials at PSD Learning.