How to Create a Film Photoshop Action

What You’ll Be Creating

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create an action in Photoshop to add film Photoshop effects to your photos. I will explain everything in so much detail that everyone can create it, even those who have just opened Photoshop for the first time.

For more film Photoshop effects, don’t forget to check our list of five film Photoshop actions in this article.

What You’ll Need

To recreate the design above, you will need the following resources:

• Stock Image

1. How to Start Creating an Action

Step 1

First, open the photo that you want to work with. To open your photo, go to File > Open, choose your photo, and click Open. Now, before we get started, just check a couple of things:

1. Your photo should be in RGB Color mode, 8 Bits/Channel. To check this, go to Image > Mode.
2. For best results, your photo size should be 2000–4000 px wide/high. To check this, go to Image > Image Size.
3. Your photo should be the Background layer. If it is not, go to Layer > New > Background from Layer.

Step 2

Now go to Window > Actions, and in the Actions panel, click on the menu icon in the top right-hand corner. Choose New Set to create a new set, and name it Film. Then, click on the same menu icon again, choose New Action to create a new action, and name it Film as shown below:

2. How to Make the Base Adjustments

Step 1

In this section, we are going to make the base adjustments to the photo. Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate the Background layer.

Step 2

Now go to Image > Adjustments > Shadow/Highlights, and set the Shadows to 30% and the Highlights to 0% as shown below:

Step 3

Name this layer Reveal Details.

Step 4

Press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches. Then, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map to create a new gradient map adjustment layer and name it Overall_Contrast.

Step 5

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay and set the Opacity to 40%.

Step 6

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation to create a new hue/saturation adjustment layer and name it Overall Saturation.

Step 7

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, set the Saturation to -10.

Step 8

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels to create a new levels adjustment layer, and name it Overall Brightness.

Step 9

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, enter the settings below:

3. How to Create a Vignette

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create a vignette. Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient Fill to create a new gradient fill layer, name it Vignette, and use the settings below:

Step 2

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Multiply and set the Opacity to 30%.

4. How to Create a Color Look

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create a color look. Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color to create a new solid color fill layer, name it Color Look 1, and choose the color #17244d as shown below:

Step 2

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Subtract and set the Opacity to 20%.

Step 3

Select the Vignette layer, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter to create a new photo filter adjustment layer, and name it Color Look 2.

Step 4

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, set the Filter to Warming Filter (81) and Density to 30% as shown below:

5. How to Create the Borders

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create the borders. Select the Color Look 1 layer, choose the Rectangle Tool (U), click anywhere inside the canvas, and set the Width to 3351 px and Height to 125 px.

Step 2

Press Control-A on your keyboard to make a selection of the canvas. Choose the Move Tool (V), and click on Align Top Edges and then on Align Horizontal Center to align the layer both vertically and horizontally. Then, name this layer Top Border.

Step 3

Now press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer and drag it just below the Top Border layer in the Layers Panel. Then, press Control-A on your keyboard to make a selection of the canvas. Choose the Move Tool (V), and click on Align Bottom Edges to align the layer vertically. After that, name this layer Bottom Border.

You Made It!

Congratulations, you have succeeded! Here is our final result: