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Grunge texture effects have becomecommonly used on photographs, team artwork, or even signage to create adesign effect. At one time, it was complicated, but now it can be easy to addtextures and effects in Adobe Photoshop for use on a smooth sublimatableproduct. You can add textures to some of your designs or offer a custom effect tobe used on your sublimation products. Give a school sport team a bit edgierlook; create a unique ChromaLuxe photo panel, or just the right look on aseries of promotional products.

When working with textures, considerbuilding a small librar y to give you the most flexibility while working.Aim for a variation of textures, ranging from bricks to wood to liquid and metalto get the most mileage and create a unique look. A lot of the pre-conceivedchallenges of working with textures are discovered through experimentationwith the files. Once you become more familiar with your textures andthe effects they create, you can save preset arrangements. This will allowyou to simply pop the customer’s artwork into the Adobe Photoshop file andtweak accordingly for the perfect look. To get started, I opened a photograph ofa teenage girl with a cowboy hat on for my subject, and then I selected a texture.

I have my subject image file pen aswell as my texture image (in separate files). For now, let’s focus on the texture.This texture image was converted to grayscale mode. Select Image > ImageMode > Grayscale. Be sure to save this as a copy and not over your original file.Now we’ll want to copy and paste the black and white texture onto a new layer in your working photo file. Select all(command or ctrl+a) then copy (ctrl+c) and finally paste (ctrl+v). In your layerpalette window, check to confirm that the texture layer is above the subject.If not then select the layer and hold down the mouse to move the layer orderaround. Can’t find your Layer Window Options? Select format from the topmenu bar > Window > Layers.

With the texture layer, the top layerin the Layers Window Palette, tone the opacity down to 25%, for starters.Notice how the texture, the color effect and more will all change with the transparency.Before spending too much time altering the layer opacity levels, spend a few minutes getting an idea ofhow this texture works with some of the options; try Multiply or Screen tobegin your experimenting. The Multiply and Screen settings will be the mostcommon effects that can be used on various textures and image files.

(left) Textures come in all styles, shapes, sizes and color variations. (right) By altering the opacity and the layer effect on a single texture with our subject image, you will see some small and larger differences in how image reacts to the texture.

The texture is okay, but not closeto what I was hoping for, so let’s keep working on this file. I’ll add anothertexture, but one that is very different from the first texture. This is a bluewatercolor paper texture. Let’s keep this texture in color and apply it to anew layer in our main working file. I kept this texture on top of my subjectimage layer and toned down the opacity, then used a screen effect settingin the layers palette. From here on, it’s experimenting till you are satisfiedwith the effect. Since I feel the right side of the image is not as importantand want to darken this area a bit, I’ve also added a gradient layer.

Keep your foreground and backgroundcolors to black and white at the bottom of the main menu tool bar andselect the gradient tool from the main tool bar. I chose the black to clear gradientoption and dragged my tool horizontally across my image. Keep the gradienton a separate layer to allow more flexibility if you want to extend, shortenor change the opacity of the gradient.

(left) If the first texture selected doesn’t seem to be working well, try a completely different texture. For this example, I added the blue watercolor paper. (right) Adding a second texture and changing the layer order will further change the look of the image file. Keep experimenting until you are satisfied with the results!

In no time, you will know exactlyhow to achieve the desired effect in mind with just a few clicks! To help youget your library started, I’ve gathered up some of my own personal texturesphotographs and posted them online in a compressed zip folder to download(free) at www.unisubgraphics.com/textures. html.