Photoshop is the #1 software for photo retouching and all kinds of visual creation. Professional photographers and graphic designers use it every day to express their creativity.

However, in its raw state, the tool sometimes lacks the features needed to push the boundaries of creativity and creative output.

Fortunately, plugins do exist, and that's exactly what we're going to cover in this article. Here, then, is a list of the 7 must-have Photoshop plugins, in our opinion, to push back the limits of your creative production.

Pexels Photoshop Plugin

If you're familiar with Pexels, then you've probably already guessed what this plugin is all about. For the less savvy, Pexels is a free, royalty-free image and video bank.

If you're looking for images that speak for themselves in support of your message, this is ideal. The advantage of the Pexels Photoshop Plugin is that you can retrieve images from the image bank without having to juggle between Photoshop and your web browser.

To download it, go to this link.

Luminar

This is a popular tool for photographers who want to retouch their shots. Luminar is a paid plugin, but it allows you to add filters, work in HDR or modify the structure of an image.

As a marketer, it can come in very handy for improving the image quality of products you want to showcase on your visuals. What's more, you don't need to be an expert in photo retouching.

The tool is coupled with artificial intelligence. This enables it to differentiate between elements of the same image, so that it can apply distinct modifications and filters. As you can see, it's a powerful tool for amplifying the "wow" effect of your photos.

Blow Up

If you regularly create visuals, you've probably come across this situation: you want to enlarge a photo, but because the image resolution is too low, you lose sharpness.

There are two solutions:

  1. abandon the idea and put the brakes on your creativity
  2. Download Blow Up

This plugin is more advanced than the Photoshop bicube filters you may already be using. You'll be able to create ultra-sharp enlargements from images without having to compromise your creative ideas.

Texture Anarchy

If you like to incorporate natural images into your visuals, then download Texture Anarchy. The plugin lets you create textures and borders to bring depth and coherence to your visual creations.

The plugin's filters enable you to create 2D or 3D Photoshop textures in any file format (PSD, PNG, SVG, etc.).

Fluid Mask 3

You've probably already wasted long hours trying to crop your images or create a mask on Photoshop. If your photo contains a lot of detail, such as hair or grass, this can quickly become a nightmare.

The Fluid Mask 3 plugin lets you do just that in just a few clicks. What's more, it guarantees precise cutting and a very clean result.

Layers Control 2

During the design phase, we tend to do a lot of testing. We add elements, we remove them, we hide them... In short. All this is necessary to achieve an original and unique result.

However, if you test too much and don't tidy up your workbench, you soon find yourself in a mess of layers and visual elements.

To tidy up your visuals and improve your workflow, Layers Control 2 is ideal. This Photoshop plugin lets you sort, arrange, delete and clean up your layers. It can be very useful for optimizing the use of the next plugin on this list.

Export Photoshop PSD

As explained in the introduction, Photoshop is an excellent product for photo retouching and for pushing the creative envelope. But when it comes to multiplying versions of a visual for A/B testing or adapting it to a particular target, it becomes a Herculean task.

Exporting your Photoshop PSD on Abyssale lets you recover all the layers of your Photoshop creations. Simply export them to Abyssale and automate the generation of a multitude of versions by playing with text, colors or images.

It's not a plugin but it lets you push the limits of creative production. It simplifies variations without you having to rework your entire design in Photoshop.

To find out more about its features and how to use this tool, click on this link.

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To finish, this non-exhaustive list of the 7 best Photoshop plugins should help you improve your creative processes and the quality of your visuals. With tools for organizing, retouching and exporting layers, these are essential resources for getting the most out of Photoshop.

If you'd like to discover more tips and recommendations for optimizing your creative output, or even automating it, follow us on Linked-In.

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