From the article: Plug-ins, Filters, and Extensions
Plugins are software module that can be added to another software program to extend its functionality. Photoshop-compatible plugins can be used inside Photoshop and other graphics software to add new features, enhance productivity, simplify a process, and create special effects. Some people may never have a need for additional plugins, while others find plugins essential. If you use plugins in your graphics software, which ones do you find the most essential and why? What are your must-have plugins? Share Your Favorite
Topaz and Nik
- Topaz Adjust plus all of the other Topaz bundle plugins and Nik Color Efex, Silver Efex 2 and HDR Efex Pro are my favorites. I also use onOne PhotoFrame 4 for framing my images.
- —Guest Digidiva100
Plugins by The Plugin Site
- I have been using them for several years and I still love them. FocalBlade does great sharpening, B/W Styler has unlimited black and white effects and ContrastMaster brings out the details. Their latest NoiseControl is really excellent. I haven't even opened other my other noise reduction tools since getting it.
- —Guest John
SVG Kit for Adobe Creative Suite
- One of my favorite plug-in is "SVG Kit for Adobe Creative Suite". I usually work with vector graphics (and SVG particularly) and this plug-in adds SVG file support to Adobe Photoshop. It also has a nice ability to automatically split imported SVG image into layers, which saves me a lot of time.
- —Guest Erick
Alien Skin Blowup
- This is the most valuable plug-in that I rely on constantly. I have people sending me 4X6 photos and they want 11X14 back.
- —Guest Dannie Hedgpeth
Topaz
- The entire Topaz bundle. However, now that I have CS5, I wonder if I will use Topaz as much.
- —Guest Guest Sal
Sparkling Topaz!
- My current favourite is Topaz Adjust Hdr 4 What an incredible piece of software, with seemingly endless possibilities for making your photos pop! From very subtle, minor adjustments right up to colour blasting HDR style images. I haven't fully explored it yet but it is the best of its type I have seen so far.
- —kidder10
OnOne 4.5 Plug-Ins
- All of them within the OnOne 4.5 plug-in package are great. Phototune seems to be the main one I go to. If you find Corel Painter too complex, try Snap Art 2. I can imagine the name came from when it was created and someone snapped their fingers at how fast you can create a pencil drawing or watercolor or oil painting out of any photo. They have a 30-day demo you can use just to try it out.
- —Guest Karen
Redfield and Flaming Pear
- I am a digital artist (not a photographer) and use a variety of plug-ins to obtain creative effects. Not a must in digital painting, however useful and definitely fun! My favorites are Redfield and Flaming Pear with an array of effects like "water ripples," "Polymerge,"Vibrant patterns," etc. Also Photo-Swizzle to create frames especially for templates is a pretty cool one!
- —Guest Nicole
AutoFX Pluggins
- I have recently discovered Nik software and find Viveza an extremely helpful tool; however, I have used Mystical Lighting, Dream Suite, and Photographic Edges from Auto FX for years and find them to add lots of depth to my creativity. Another pluggin that has become indepensible is Preset Viewer from Tumasoft. It is actually a stand alone program that allows me to preview my extensive collection of brushes, shapes, styles and patterns, before I load them to Photoshop.
- —Guest Linda
Filters Unlimited by ICNet
- It has well over 300 Filters but can also be used to organize some outside filters.
- —netchess
Nik Filters for photography
- For me it would have to be Nik filters. They are a must-have if you work with event photography or professional photography in general. Almost anything that they do can be achieved by Photoshop but it is so much faster and using them can really inspire you to do things you would not normally do.
- —Guest Mark
