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Text tools.
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Paper, pattern, and texture tools.
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Export/Import or compression tools.
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Button-making tools.
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Lighting effects tools.
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Natural media (oils, pastels, and more) tools.
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Picture framing tools.
Filter Plug-ins
Generally, filter plug-ins apply an effect or a range of effects to your photo or to part of
your photo. Some filter plug-ins give you wild, unexpected results. Others make it easy to
be consistent. The best word of advice is to experiment with filters. Try applying filters
to small areas, change filter settings, use Undo command to remove the effect if you don’t
like it, paint and erase filter effects.
Filters can do a variety of things to your photos, like:
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Create spheres (Spheroid Designer).
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Bend, twist, multiply, or otherwise manipulate colors or tint (Gradient Designer).
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Create textures for backgrounds or designs (Texture Explorer).
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Create glass, page curls, tiles, welds, twirls, feedback, vortexes, and stereo noise
(Compact Filters).
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Offer camera lens effects (Lens f/x Filters).
Input and Output Plug-ins
Some plug-ins let you load photos directly from an external device, like a digital camera
or scanner. Scanners often have Photoshop compliant plug-ins. These let you access the
scanner directly. Some of scanners use the TWAIN interface, which can be a plug-in.
Check the documentation that comes with your scanner or digital camera to see if they
offer a Photoshop TWAIN Acquire plug-in. Some plug-ins even offer additional controls.
Other plug-ins offer special exporting options. Some digital printers and film recorders
have Export plug-ins that let you print directly from within a host application. Check the
documentation for your printer or output device to see if there is an output plug-in you
can try. Sometimes Export plug-ins increase printing speed. Other Export plug-ins let you
export your photo images in specialized file formats, like uncompressed TIFF, or allow
you to accomplish print-ready color-separation.
