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100+ Free Photoshop Actions and Presets

January 31, 2018 · Steph Nelson

Photoshop actions can be a huge timesaver for the photo editing process. They can also help you to achieve looks and effects that you may not know how to accomplish from scratch. Implementing Photoshop actions into your workflow can help you work more efficiently and improve the end result. And, as a bonus, they can be a fun way to experiment.

While there are a lot of Photoshop actions available to download for free, finding the right ones can take countless hours. To save you time, we’ve put together this collection of excellent, free Photoshop actions. This way, you can get many of the best Photoshop actions without needing to dedicate hours to browsing blogs and forums.

This list includes a wide variety of actions for photo editing, from soft vintage to edgy HDR. Regardless of your preferences, you’re sure to find many that you like.

Free Photoshop Actions

Below you’ll find 100+ different actions and presets, categorized to make it easier to find what you need. The actions are grouped into the following categories. Use the links to jump to a particular group, or download them all!

  • Bundles of Actions
  • Sharp & Colorful Actions
  • Cinematic Actions
  • Warm-Toned Actions
  • Cold & Dramatic Actions
  • Soft/Pastel Actions
  • Black & White Actions
  • Sunlight Actions
  • Matte Actions
  • Vintage/Film-Inspired Actions

Bundles of Photoshop Actions

If you want to experiment with a variety of actions, these bundles are a great place to start. Instead of downloading actions one by one, you get a set of actions and presets in one go.

Some of the other categories include bundles as well, but those are geared towards a specific type of action. The following bundles have more variation, giving you a broader range of styles to play with.

PhotoWhoa

Cut your editing time down and try out this bundle of portrait Photoshop actions by PhotoWhoa. Great for family shoots at home or use it to help develop your professional portfolio.

Free Photoshop Actions

Contrastly Photoshop Actions

This bundle from Contrastly gives you 5 Photoshop actions plus 25 Lightroom presets. If you love this pack, there are plenty more available to buy in their store.

matte photoshop actions

MCP Actions

MCP Actions offers a variety of Photoshop Actions including a set from Fusion, their most user-friendly workflow actions with beautiful color and black and white conversions.

free photoshop actions

Shutter Pulse Photoshop Actions

ShutterPulse offers 20 of their actions for free, along with 20 Lightroom presets. You can buy a lot more actions in their store, but these 20 actions are pretty cool by themselves.

Nightmare Photoshop Action

Spoon Graphics Photo Effect Actions

These 14 actions from Spoon Graphics give you a mix of retro-style effects and color corrections that can transform the atmosphere of your photos. About half are vintage effects, while the other half work great with fashion photos. From “Winter Grey” to “Forest Light,” you’ll have an interesting variety of hues to work with.

Photo Effect Photoshop Actions

Spoon Graphics Color Grading Actions

Here’s another great pack from Spoon Graphics. With these 15 actions, you can really play with the color and vibrancy of your images. Some of the actions, like “Sunday Picnic,” give your photos a bright, relaxed atmosphere. Others, like “Horror Movie,” do the exact opposite. This variety gives you an easy way to experiment with tone and discover the right mood for your photos.

Color Grading Actions

Spoon Graphics Artistic Photo Effects Actions

This final bundle from Spoon Graphics has 4 simple actions for turning your photos into realistic artworks. There’s a painted effect, a sketched effect, a watercolor effect, and an inked effect. All mimic real art styles. Of course, these effects don’t work great with every photo. But, with the right photo, you can end up with an incredible image.

Artistic Effects Actions

Color Play Photoshop Actions

If you want even more coloring options, this bundle gives you 20 actions to test out. This pack has a little less variety than the Spoon Graphics bundle, but if you’re aiming for warm, antique-like photos, you might appreciate this addition.

Color Play Photoshop Actions

Presets Galore Photoshop Actions

You get 37 actions with this bundle, all with adjustable layers. The majority are related to matte, but despite that, you still get a nice variety. Copper Sunlight, Dramatic Freckles, and High-Contrast Teal Fog are a few examples of actions worth getting in this pack.

Richly Warm Action

Creative Portraits

Want to spice up your portraits? This bundle of 20 actions gives you a good batch of effects specifically for portraits. From skin smoothing to black and white actions, you’ll have a solid basis to build on.

Creative Portraits

Pretty Lady Actions

If most of your portraits feature women, then this bundle is for you. The actions revolve around making the portrait/subject “prettier” through editing and color corrections.

Pretty Lady Actions

Sharp & Colorful Photoshop Actions

These actions can help make your dull images look sharper and more colorful. Some add intense color or sharpness, while others are subtler. Either way, if you want your photos to stand out, try experimenting these unique effects.

Mini Fusion
Mini Fusion

HDR Action
HDR Photoshop Action

Popper Action
Popper Action

Boldness Action
Boldness Photoshop Action

Faux HDR Action
Faux HDR Photoshop Action

High Definition Sharpening Actions
High Definition Sharpening Actions

Ice Action
Ice Photoshop Action

2 Minute Miracle
2 Minute Miracle

Intensity Action
Intensity Photoshop Action

Cinematic Photoshop Actions

The following actions are also in bundles, but with a cinematic theme. Each bundle focuses on getting the look of movies and TV shows, from westerns to sci-fi films. You’ll still get a variety of effects, but they’ll all have a cinematic feel.

Cinema Action
Cinema Photoshop Action

Cinematic FX Actions
Cinematic FX Actions

Spoon Graphics Cinematic Actions
Cinematic Photoshop Actions

Warm-Toned Photoshop Actions

Want to give your photos a warm, relaxed atmosphere? Or are you looking for warmer tones to improve your portraits? Whatever your goal, you might find the following effects indispensable.

Autumn Action
Autumn Action

Desert Dust Action
Desert Dust Action

Toasted Actions
Toasted Actions

Intense Warm
Intense Warm Action

Warm Cider
Warm Cider

Vintage Red Action
Vintage Red Action

Orange Tones Action
Orange Tones Action

Cold & Dramatic Photoshop Actions

Not all excellent photos are warm and cozy. Sometimes, to capture the true mood of a place or situation, you need cold tones and drama. While you may not use these for everyday portraits, they can be perfect for nightmarish scenes and freezing winter days.

Intensify Action
Intensify Photoshop Action

Cold Nightmare Action
Cold Nightmare Photoshop Action

Blue Evening Action
Blue Evening Action

Winter Breeze Actions
Winter Breeze Actions

Soft/Pastel Photoshop Actions

Flowers, children, and adorable animals are all great subjects for softening and pastel effects. Basically, whenever you want your viewers to say “Awww,” head for these actions.

Soft Pastel Action
Soft Pastel Action

Pastel Actions
Pastel Actions

XXEP Action
XXEP Action

Vanilla Action
Vanilla Action

Creamy Photoshop Actions
Creamy Photoshop Actions

Soft Haze Action
Soft Haze Action

Golden Cashmere
Golden Cashmere

Snowy Dreams Action
Snowy Dreams Action

Black & White Photoshop Actions

Black and white photography can be a powerful way to tell a story. However, it can also be a tricky art. Without the distraction of color, every shade and detail becomes important. To get your black and white images exactly how you want them, try editing your photos with a variety of black and white effects.

Aged Black & White Action
Aged Black & White Actions

Silver Action
Silver Photoshop Action

Bold Black & White Action
Bold Black & White Photoshop Action

Old Black & White Action
Old Black & White Action

Black & White Actions
Black & White Actions

Pure B&W
Pure Black & White

Burnt Edges
Burnt Edges

Sunlight Photoshop Actions

Sunrises, sunsets, and the midday sun all come with different vibes and lighting challenges. But, no matter what time of day it is, you can use these actions to bring your sunlit images to the next level.

Sunset Action
Sunset Photoshop Action

Golden Hour Action
Golden Hour Action

Sunlight and Sundown Action
Sunlight and Sundown Actions

Paint With Light
Paint with Light

Gorgeous Light
Gorgeous Light

Touch of Light Actions
Touch of Light Actions

Hazy Afternoon Action
Hazy Afternoon Action

Creamy Hazy Light
Creamy Hazy Light

Matte Photoshop Actions

Mattes are simple yet incredibly useful effects. They look fantastic with a wide range of photos, but particularly portraits. Though many mattes are subtle, they can vary significantly. Test out several of these actions to get the exact look you want.

Matte Action
Matte Photoshop Action

Washed Matte Action
Washed Matte Photoshop Action

Basic Matte Action
Basic Matte Action

Deeply Matte Actions
Deeply Matte Actions

Soft Velvet Matte Actions
Soft Velvet Matte Actions

Blue Cashmere Matte
Blue Cashmere

Funky Curves
Funky Curves

Vintage Matte Action
Vintage Matte Photoshop Action

Vintage/Film-Inspired Photoshop Actions

Though nearly everyone uses a digital camera now, the look of film photography is as popular as ever. As a result, there are countless film-inspired effects out there.

To give you an idea of what’s possible, we’ve chosen and sorted the free vintage actions into several groups. Some aim to capture the look of a specific camera, while others are more vague. Find your perfect retro style or get them all for a thorough experience of nostalgia.

Cross-Processed Look

Film photos require specific chemical solutions to be processed, and when you use the “wrong” chemicals, you end up with cross-processed photos. Cross-processing, or Xpro, can be an interesting and exciting technique with film, but even with digital photos, you can get part of that unique look using cross-process-themed actions.

Cross Processing Action
Cross Processing Photoshop Action

Retro Cross Action
Retro Cross Action

Faded Cross Process Action
Faded Cross Process Photoshop Action

Classic Cameras

Both Lomo cameras and cheap “toy” cameras have a distinct look that you can imitate in Photoshop. If you’re old enough to remember using either, you might get a pang of nostalgia when using these actions.

Holgarizer
Holgarizer

Lomo Action
Lomo Photoshop Action

Lomocam
Lomocam

Lomo Action
Lomo Action

Vaguely Vintage

Most vintage-style effets aren’t based on a specific camera or time period. They’re inspired by film photography, but not limited by it. This flexibility has led to a wide variety of retro actions, from obvious film effects to subtle fading effects. To give you a good range of options, we’ve included all kinds of vintage effects here.

Old Film Action
Old Film Photoshop Action

Light Leak Action
Light Leak Action

Retro Vintage Action
Retro Vintage Action

Vintage Action
Vintage Photoshop Action

Faded Action
Faded Action

Faded and Hazy Action
Faded and Hazy Action

Faded Film Action
Faded Film Action

Vintage Bundles

If you really love the vintage look, you can quickly get dozens of retro effects by downloading these bundles. Then, you’ll have an arsenal of vintage actions with just a few clicks.

Retro Filters Actions
Retro Filters Actions

Instant Hipster
Instant Hipster

Vintage Inspired Actions
Vintage Inspired Actions

Vintage Effect Actions
Vintage Effect Actions

Vintage Effect II
Vintage Effect II

Mini Collection from FilterGrade
Photoshop Actions

Old Tones Actions
Old Tones Action

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