Texture Effects comes from a long lineage of Topaz programs, offering more than just the grunge look, or the Instagram of a lost shoe. Texture Effects offers a tool that makes finding and using textures easy. It creates a centralized place for texture lovers to swap ideas and presets without leaving the program.
How It Works
First, you create a masterpiece with a new look and save it as a preset. Then you can share the look with other coworkers and friends. You could have a unified design across a large multi-person project very quickly. You can also share and borrow from within a larger Topaz community, an ever-growing number of creatives.
In true Topaz style, every preset is infinitely adjustable. There are 130 presets to get you started, and each preset has an infinite number of sliders and options to tweak. Masking is adjustable by brush or gradient tools.
Of course, all textures are super high-res, and can be mixed independently to create your own unique presets. You can also add your own textures from outside the program, but the program does come with over 275 textures, including bokeh, dust/scratches, borders, and regular textures. That should be enough to get started.
Compatibility
I’ve been using it as a stand alone program during testing, but you can use it as a plugin for Photoshop as well. It is compatible with CS4+, Elements 6+ and Lightroom. It has Mac and PC versions.
If you love texture and know what it can do for your images, you’re probably already reaching for your credit card. If not, check out my examples below and do a quick Google search. You might see something you like.
Cost
Topaz Texture Effects will be on sale starting November 10th. You can purchase it for only $49.99 ($20 off) until November 20th by using this coupon code: TEXTUREFX. Buy here.
Downsides?
There is no crop tool. The stand alone app has no crop tools that I could find, so you’ll need to do that after or before bringing it into the program. Adding that tool could make it a one-stop program for many pictures. If you’re using this as a plugin, this isn’t a problem.
