Achieve unique effects with texture overlays.
Design with texture.
Textures are a great way to add visual interest to your vector graphics and web designs. Whether it’s a watercolor texture or wood texture, break up your solid colors with compelling overlays.
Give photos more depth.
Use old paper textures or canvas textures to give your photo an aged, vintage appearance. Or apply abstract effects like a grunge texture to give it a more well-worn vibe.
Experiment with different textures.
Textures are versatile tools. Use them to smoothly edit the color gradients in a background image, or help typography stand out by layering text with interesting effects.
Get detailed with texture.
Use Photoshop brushes to apply texture to specific areas of your project. This works especially well for organic lines, since textured brushes let you draw and sketch over your existing images.
Find just the texture you’re looking for.
Whatever aesthetic you want to use, whether it’s a subtle shiny metal texture or striking halftone effect, there are many Photoshop textures that can help you create it.
Start with free texture packs.
Explore the free high-resolution texture packs available in Adobe Stock. Browse the library and experiment with different effects.
Create your own textures.
If you can’t find the right effect, you can always turn your own high-quality photo into a texture template and layer it on another image using blending modes.
How to add texture to an image.
Follow these quick steps to apply a texture to a photograph.
- Start it:
Open Photoshop and import the image you want to add texture to. - Choose it:
Add your texture image by selecting File › Place Embedded, then navigate to where your texture image is saved. - Layer it:
Click the layer mask thumbnail to activate it. Once your layer mask is active, you can copy pixels onto it. In the Layers panel, place your texture image on top of your background image. - Select it:
Make sure the top layer is selected. - Blend it:
At the top left of the Layers panel, change the blend mode in the dropdown menu from Normal to Overlay. - Adjust it:
Experiment with different blend modes and try changing the Opacity slider to change the look of the texture on the image. - Finish it:
Save your project as a PSD file, or export your image as a PNG or JPEG to easily share it online.
Photoshop texture questions? We have answers.
Learn even more about Photoshop texture effects.
Creating a brush from textures is a multi-step process that can add real depth to your project. The following process is a basic way to turn any texture into a brush:
1. Open the texture in Photoshop and go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness and Contrast and adjust the Contrast to 100.
2. Use the Lasso Tool to select the area of the texture you like. Then go to Edit > Define Brush Preset. Name the new brush.
Keep the learning going.
There’s more than one way to use textures. Explore these tutorials and learn how you can apply artistic effects to your next creative project.
Paint with texture.
Follow this step-by-step guide to turn blended colors into a paintable marble texture.
Combine your images.
Learn different ways to combine and layer images with these Photoshop tutorials.