Unlock the full potential of your photos with these 45 incredible free Photoshop actions! These tools streamline your photo editing process. And they save you time and effort in getting stunning results.
Whether you’re a pro or an enthusiastic hobbyist, these versatile actions offer an array of effects and enhancements. There is everything from vintage filters to sleek modern touches.
So say goodbye to manual adjustments. And say hello to an effortless way to elevate your images!
45 Free Photoshop Actions
Photoshop is a fantastic piece of editing software. And many photographers and creatives use it to get the most out of their work.
But because it has so many possibilities, it can sometimes take hours to get the right result. So why not use these free Photoshop actions to yourself save some time?
We highlight 45 free Photoshop actions you can download and use immediately! If you need help downloading them, read our step-by-step article about how to use Photoshop Actions.
Note: You must be registered to download the Photoshop actions from DeviantART. This is completely free and only takes a minute. So it might be good to sign up for DeviantART beforehand.
1. Dark and Haunted
This is an excellent set of actions for those who like gloomy atmospheres. You get six general effects and two extra tools to enhance your photos further.
The general effects are all meant to make your photos look as moody as possible. You can even use them to enhance your black-and-white images.
2. Free Instagram Photoshop Actions
Instagram is known for its special in-app filters. These six actions re-create the most popular Instagram looks. This is a great way to add consistency to your lifestyle, portrait, or landscape photos.
This set of actions is versatile. So you can use it to enhance all kinds of pictures. You can even use it to make your indoor photos look more appealing!
3. Ten Free Winter Blues Photo Effect Actions
The saying “winter blues” usually has a negative connotation. But that’s not the case here. This set of 10 free Photoshop actions lets you experiment with all kinds of cool photo effects.
These actions can make any winter photo look dramatic and atmospheric. But you don’t have to limit yourself to winter photos only. You can use these free actions to eliminate warm tones in any image.
4. Free Powder Explosion Photoshop Action
Flour is a standard prop in dance photography. Combined with movement, it can add a whole new level of drama to your images.
This action can create a flour explosion without making you do all the work. It works best with clean photos taken in a studio. The more movement there is, the better!
Note: If you use this action for free, you must credit the designer.
5. Photoshop Action: Cinematic Rain Effects
This action is ideal for nighttime photos with lots of shadows. It fills empty spaces with rain and fog. And it also slightly color-corrects your image, giving it a haunting atmosphere.
This isn’t something you can use in every shot. But it’s perfect for creative projects.
6. Night to Twilight Photoshop Action
This is a free Photoshop action for nighttime photographers. It lightens dark skies and makes it seem like your photos were taken at twilight.
A paid version of the action gives you access to customizable Photoshop actions. But the free version is good enough for those who want a subtle but effective transformation.
7. Sweet Cupid Tinted B&W Photoshop Action
Are you a fan of nostalgic looks? If yes, this Photoshop action is right up your creative alley.
This single action converts your photos to black and white and gives them a pink tint. The results look soft and romantic. It works perfectly as a wedding photo preset.
8. Aquamarine Dreams Photoshop Actions
Aquamarine Dreams’ actions give your photos a fresh and dreamy look. It’s ideal for spring or winter photos. It enhances the cool tones there already.
You can use it to edit portraits. But ensure you use a layer mask to restore your subject’s skin color. If you don’t, their skin might end up looking dull.
This belongs to the same person who made the previous Photoshop action. You can find hundreds of free Photoshop actions on her blog.
9. Free Mermaid Actions
If you’re a landscape photographer who loves vibrant colors, this free Photoshop action set is for you. It adds a color pop to your images.
There’s a cool turquoise or romantic pink tone, depending on the atmosphere you want to create. You end up with vibrant results and a tinted vignette.
10. Sunny Photoshop Actions
These free Photoshop actions make any image look like it was taken during golden hour. You can choose from three effects. You also get one adjustment action and an extra surprise!
They all give your photos a look similar to the reference image below. Your final images should look sharp, warm, and ethereal.
11. Free Van Gogh Art Photoshop Action
This is a unique Photoshop action for fans of Van Gogh’s oil painting look. It turns any image into a masterpiece resembling famous oil paintings by him!
The action is quite complex. So you’re likely to end up with many layers. Fortunately, you get access to each layer. So you can adjust each Photo setting to make your photos look as painterly as possible.
12. Free Photoshop Actions for Photographers
This sample set of free Photoshop actions is for lifestyle, family, and portrait photographers. It works very well with backlit photos. It adds vibrance, gets rid of cool tones, and mutes highlights.
13. Watercolor Photoshop Action
Watercolor Photoshop effects are very popular in the creative photography industry. This free Photoshop action was made for photographers who love this effect.
It transforms any image into one that strongly resembles a watercolor painting. It is a great action for those who want to make creative photos for their clients or make their portfolios stand out more.
14. Free Photoshop Action Rustic
This action helps you achieve a warm analog effect with your picture. It makes any image look like it was taken with a 35mm film camera.
This action’s effects are very subtle. Because of this, you can use it to enhance almost any kind of photo.
15. Nothing But Memories Action
Do you like making photos look old and textured? This Photoshop action helps you achieve that in a few simple clicks.
This action is for photographers who want to give their digital photos a faded analog look. You can use it in any genre of photography. But it might work best with landscape, still-life, and portrait photos.
16. BlackNull’s Modern Artist Action Set
This action is an Adobe original. BlackNull, a well-known digital artist, originally made it. And it is one of the most complex Photoshop actions on our list.
It makes any image look like a graphic artist designed it. It is infinitely customizable. And it can help take your designs to the next level! Make sure you go through the tutorial to avoid making mistakes.
17. High-Key Photoshop Action
High-key photography has more highlights than shadows. It’s ideal for commercial, portrait, and even landscape photography. You can use it to make your subjects look optimistic and eye-catching.
This free Photoshop action by Mark Galer makes a simple image pop! It’s an action set with two variations to simplify customization. Just make a few clicks, and you’re done!
18. Multiplicity Action
This is another free Photoshop action by Mark Galer. It focuses more on effects than color correction. Multiplicity creates a distorted look in your images.
As Mark Galer describes, it makes it seem like you have triple-vision. It works best with photos featuring architecture or intricate designs. The more details, the more interesting the final results!
19. Daguerreotype Action
Daguerreotypes introduced much of the public to photography. They were high in contrast and gave their models a haunting look. And some of them had a yellowish tint.
All of that inspired this Photoshop action. Given the nature of daguerreotypes, this action works best when editing portraits.
20. One Hundred Free Pop Art Photoshop Actions
Pop art gained popularity in the ’50s. It’s vibrant and has a comic-book feel to it. Back in the day, it was made to lift people’s spirits during a gloomy time in history.
You can achieve a similar effect using one of these 100 free Photoshop actions! They’re highly customizable. So you can edit them as much as you like after the action has done its work.
21. Free Photoshop Actions: Forest Waterfalls LITE
This is an exclusive set of free Photoshop actions for landscape photographers. More specifically, it’s for landscape photographers who shoot forests, waterfalls, rivers, etc.
These actions give your photos a boost of color and sharpness. The results are meant to be subtle and natural. You’re likely to save a lot of time thanks to these actions.
22. Free Space Photoshop Effect Action
This free Photoshop action gives your images a galactic feel. Your subject will stand out among a sky full of stars, vibrant lights, or smoke.
This action is suitable for creative projects and design work. It’s guaranteed to make your photos stand out from the rest.
23. Free Orange and Teal Photoshop Actions
Orange and teal are colors that work wonderfully together. You might have seen them in images by popular photographers. They’re often used in lifestyle, portrait, and landscape photography.
This vibrant color duo gives your photos a surreal and dreamy look. This is a set of five free Photoshop actions inspired by orange and teal. The different variations work well with any photo.
24. Hologram Photoshop Action
Science-fiction movies and TV shows like to feature holograms often. They’re effective thanks to their vibrance and sharpness.
This Photoshop action makes any photo look like it belongs in a science-fiction movie. All you need to do is brush it over your subject. The action does the rest!
25. Fusion Photoshop Action
Sometimes, you want to change the mood of your images. And the right change in color, contrast, or tint can make a significant difference. This Photoshop action is ideal for portraits and fashion photos.
It is a simple and quick way to add unique effects and a personal touch to your pictures. This versatile action set is perfect for editing photos for publications, ads, posters, and graphics.
26. Sepia Photoshop Filter
The best thing about this free Photoshop filter? You don’t have to download it to test its effects. You can upload a sample image on the website. And you instantly see what your picture will look like!
You get more customization options when you download it. But this saves you time. This action gives your photos a brown tint with yellow highlights. It’s ideal for creating nostalgic monochrome images.
27. Blur Background Photoshop Action
A blurred background can make your subject stand out more. It can also get rid of distractions and add depth to your image. This action helps you achieve this.
It comes with three variations, depending on how intense you want your background to look. After the action is applied, all you need to do is mask your subject. That way, only the backdrop is blurred.
28. Fifteen Free Boudoir Photoshop Actions
If you’re a boudoir photographer, you know how important it is to make your model look as appealing as possible. This can be difficult to achieve if you have a deadline and a messy editing workflow.
These 15 free Photoshop actions are made specifically for romantic boudoir photography. They give images a soft, hazy, dreamy feel. There are even a few black-and-white options.
29. Free Photoshop Actions for Portraits, Weddings, and Newborns
This set of 12 free Photoshop actions is perfect for wedding, portrait, and newborn photography. Each action is taken from the creator’s premium collections.
This is a great opportunity to try out their resources for free. And there’s one action in the set that’s not available in any of their exclusive products!
30. Mini Fusion Free Photoshop Action
This is a simple but effective action by MCP Actions. It’s perfect for newborn, portrait, and family photography. It gives your image a boost of color. And it works best with flat photos that lack vibrance.
31. Cross-Processing Effects
Cross-processing comes from the darkroom. Photographers would process their film in chemicals produced for a different type or brand of film.
It’s also known as X-Pro. And it used to be very popular in fashion photography.
The results are unpredictable but often look very cool. Using these free Photoshop actions, you can simulate this effect with your digital photos.
32. Free Duotone Photoshop Actions
A duotone effect is very popular in graphic design. It looks modern and timeless. These free Photoshop actions are perfect if you’re looking for a way to combine photography and graphic design.
This set features some excellent duotone effects. Use them to take your graphics to the next level and produce cool artwork. Experiment with different colors and fonts to create something unique!
33. Free Lifestyle Photoshop Actions
If you’re into lifestyle and design, these are the free Photoshop actions you want. They take social media photos to the next level, especially if you’re an Instagram influencer.
Get the look you want with a few clicks. And luckily, this set is not a one-trick pony. You can also use them for creative adventure, portrait, and landscape photography.
34. Forty Free Pastel Effect Photoshop Actions
Soft pastel is hip these days. It’s popular among photographers, bloggers, and graphic designers. This is an awesome set of free Photoshop actions to turn your photos into beautiful pastel artwork.
It includes 40 different effects that can be used to impress your social media followers. These actions work well with most Photoshop versions.
35. Retro Photoshop Action Pack
Get this Photoshop action set to add a retro flavor to your photos. This retro look is great for creative urban portraits. It might also fit with car photography and a lot more!
Try it out on a few of your photos. I’m sure you’ll like it for various genres of photography.
36. Film Light Leak Effect Action
Light leaks are still popular in many types of photography. This free Photoshop action pack simulates light leaks from film photography.
A light leak occurs when there is a small crack through which extra (unwanted) light leaks in. The extra light exposes the film. And it creates surprising colors and effects.
It’s perfect for social media. You can make ordinary photos perfect for Instagram in a few clicks.
37. Five Free Skin Retouching Photoshop Actions
Here’s another set of free Photoshop actions to simplify portrait photo editing. Use these actions with portrait photography and save yourself a lot of time.
This Photoshop action does all your necessary skin smoothing. This set works best with fashion portraits.
38. Animated Glitch Photoshop Action
This free Photoshop action adds movement to your photos. It’s a great way to add a unique glitching effect. It turns your photos into an animated GIF. And it’s a great way to create quirky graphics.
39. Aesthetic Vintage Wedding Action
Wedding photographers can also benefit from free Photoshop actions. This action makes your photos look like stylish, vintage photos. This style was and is still popular in wedding photography.
This bundle contains professional, elegant, color-enhancing actions. They add beautiful colors to your pictures. Both seasoned pros and enthusiasts will love using these.
40. Fairy Free Photoshop Actions
Here’s a great action pack for baby and family photography. These free Photoshop actions offer a collection of lively pastel filters. Use them to apply soft-colored filters to photos of your kids.
You can also use these creative effects for blogging or Instagram. It can work for food photography and ads as well.
41. Royal Wedding Pro Free Photoshop Actions
Do you shoot outdoor weddings? These free Photoshop actions offer a simple filter for wedding photos. Add great colors and tones with just a few clicks.
It’s optimized for outdoor photos and adds a unique look to every wedding. The contrast and colors in your photos will pop like never before.
42. Natural Light Landscape Photoshop Action
Landscape photography is not easy. Sometimes, waiting for the right light to get the right shot takes hours.
This free Photoshop action pack saves you a lot of hard work in post-production. Adjust the exposure, tones, brightness, and more to take your landscapes to the next level!
43. Free Glitch Photoshop Action
Can’t get enough of that glitch effect action? Here’s another one. This ’80s glitch effect looks great on any photo to create interesting artwork. It’s easy to use and leaves an impression!
44. Five Skin Retouching Photoshop Actions
If you’re a portrait photographer, then you know retouching is hard. You can’t go too far, or your photos look unnatural.
This set is all about smoothening skin and beauty retouching. It makes your work a lot easier and faster. You have to pay for the full version. But the free ones are a few must-have portrait tools.
45. Free Color Pop Photoshop Action
Do you feel like your photos are missing something? This free Photoshop action makes the colors in boring photos pop. They add brightness and make those images lively and vibrant.
The free bundle includes 20 Photoshop actions and 20 Lightroom presets. With a few clicks, you’ll bring your photos to life.
Conclusion: Free Photoshop Actions
Don’t let the countless editing possibilities of Photoshop intimidate you. Many photographers have done the work for you by creating these free Photoshop actions.
Add cool effects to your photos in a few clicks, making your editing process much easier and faster. Most actions work with any version of Adobe Photoshop.
When you’re done experimenting with these free Photoshop actions, why not create some actions yourself? Photoshop actions reduce the time you spend editing your photos.
