Expert: Scott Valentine - 10/19/2008

Question
Hi,

I'm a little confused about plug-ins. What are they and how can they help me with PS?

Thanks.

Answer
Great question, Carlos! Plug-ins are extensions for an application. They provide additional features that in general help to automate some tasks. Typically, plug-ins are used for manipulating or altering pictures, or generating images based on some kind of input.

A plug-in might automatically increase contrast and saturation in a photograph for a specific look, or it could generate a starry sky and moon for use as a background with another image. Almost everything you can do with a plug-in, however, you can do manually. The big value of the extensions is to help automate certain processes.

If you are beginning in Photoshop, plug-ins have a certain attraction, as it may seem impossible to duplicate a look, like 3D text or "growing" fur on an object. But keep in mind these effects are available to everybody else, too, so your images may just end up looking like everyone else's! Professional users tend towards plug-ins that help with common, but complex, tasks.

For example, a professional photographer may need to work on hundreds of images. A plug-in could help them find a setting they like just by moving a couple of sliders rather than going through many, many adjustments. Alternatively, some plug-ins may offer several more features for a given adjustment than Photoshop offers directly. This is especially true for noise-reducing plug-ins.

If you are thinking about getting plug-ins for your own use, I highly recommend that you stay away from the special effects packages. They tend to give the same kind of look to everyone. That being said, part of the job of a digital artist is to do something unique with the same tools everyone else is using :)

I hope this helps you understand a little more about Photoshop plug-ins! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

-Scott