If you want to add a bit of extra boost to a Photoshop task, or just want to save a bit of time, plug-ins are the perfect solution. They range from the sublime to the ridiculous, and can be picked up for hundreds of pounds or for nothing at all.

We’ve compiled a few of our favourite plug-in sites, all of which offer creative products and/or free tasters

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Redfield Plugins

www.red-field.com/Downloads.htm

Operating systems:  Mac and PC

Redfield Plugins features both freeware and demo downloads which can be purchased for full use. New plug-ins are regularly featured, so keep an eye on the site for updates.

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Auto FX Software

www.autofx.com

Operating systems:  PC and Mac

Auto FX cites itself as ‘the world’s foremost developer of visual enhancement software for Photoshop and Elements’. As well as great ‘pay per download’ plug-ins, you can test a few for free.

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Mehdi Plugins

www.mehdiplugins.com

Operating system:  PC only

There are over loads of free plug-ins featured on this site, all simple to download. The site goes into quite a bit of detail, showing you the effects of the plug-ins so you can see some clear examples before you download.

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Cybia Digital Resource Studio

www.cybia.co.uk

Operating systems:  PC and limited Mac resources

Set up by South Wales-based Steve Upham, this site makes available some great colour effects plug-ins. Both freeware and reasonable paid versions are available through the site, and it also acts as a great link resource to other plug-in distributors.

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Flaming Pear

www.flamingpear.com

Operating systems:  PC and Mac OS X

Flaming Pear is a well established resource that provides users with free demo software, including a wide selection of different Photoshop effects plug-ins. The plug-ins will work for 30 days, after which, if you feel you can’t live without them you can purchase a registration code.

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The Plugin Site

www.thepluginsite.com

Operating systems:  PC and Mac

The Plugin Site both develops software and offers up web content about Photoshop-compatible plug-ins. You can sign up to The Plugin Site’s newsletter to keep up to date with new releases and announcements.

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A word on plug-ins

As plug-ins need to be installed onto your hard drive for them to work in-program, you need to make sure you download a version that’s compatible with your operating system. If you’re running Windows Vista, you might want to read around to see if older XP plug-ins will run before you install them. Similarly, you should also check that the plug-in would work with the version of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements that you have installed.
Plug-ins can perform any number of effects in Photoshop, from creating unusual visuals to transforming your photographs and applying image fixes. Once you’ve installed a plug-in onto your computer, you will usually find that it creates a menu for itself in the upper toolbar of Photoshop so you can access it easily. Plug-ins won’t run by themselves, so you will need to have the appropriate parent software program installed before you try and use them.