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List4 min readUpdated 1 October 2026

The best Photoshop filters, ranked.

35 filters for Photoshop that do what the built-in ones can't: print, screen, glitch and drawing looks, plus nine background generators. Each comes with presets, a live preview and settings you can push. They all live in one plugin, so you install once and get the lot.

Halftone effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Dual Halftone filter in Filter Archive (Newsprint preset)

Halftone Effect

CRT effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the CRT filter in Filter Archive (Blown Phosphor preset)

Thermal camera effect on a portrait of a woman with copper red hair, made with the Thermal filter in Filter Archive (True Heatmap preset)

Thermal Camera Effect

Quick picks.

Halftone effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Dual Halftone filter in Filter Archive (Newsprint preset)

Best for print looksHalftone Effect

Dither effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Bitmap filter in Filter Archive (Tritone preset)

Best for retro and pixel artDither Effect

CRT effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the CRT filter in Filter Archive (Blown Phosphor preset)

Best for screensCRT Effect

Datamosh effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Datamosh filter in Filter Archive (Smear preset)

Best for glitchDatamosh Effect

Ink drawing effect on a portrait of a person with goggles looking up, made with the Edge Ink filter in Filter Archive (Blueprint preset)

Best for drawingsInk Drawing Effect

Thermal camera effect on a portrait of a woman with copper red hair, made with the Thermal filter in Filter Archive (True Heatmap preset)

Best for colourThermal Camera Effect

Op art background made with the Warp Field generator in Filter Archive (Corner Blowout preset)

Best for backgroundsOp Art Background

CRT screen texture made with the CRT Texture generator in Filter Archive (Dead Channel preset)

Best for overlaysCRT Screen Texture

How we picked.

Every filter here was judged on the same things: does it make a look Photoshop can't make on its own, does it work on a real photo straight from a preset, and can you push it far past the preset without it falling apart. The order is roughly how often designers reach for each look.

All 35 are part of Filter Archive, a single plugin for Photoshop 2024 or newer on Mac and Windows. The same filters also run in Affinity and Figma on the same licence. Each entry links to a page with eight examples, the presets and the settings worth touching.

Halftone effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Dual Halftone filter in Filter Archive (Newsprint preset)

01

Halftone Effect

Dual Halftone filter · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Posters, zines and album art

The classic print look, done with two screens at once: lines in the shadows, dots in the highlights. Pick the inks and paper and it reads as a real two-colour print rather than a dot pattern laid over a photo.

Line and DotNewsprintTwo ColourZine

Dither effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Bitmap filter in Filter Archive (Tritone preset)

02

Dither Effect

Bitmap filter · 9 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Pixel art, 1-bit and retro game graphics

Thirty dithering algorithms and palettes from handheld-console green to 1-bit Mac. The pixel size is set before the dither, which is what makes it look like a bitmap instead of noise.

HandheldAmber DotsMacintoshNewsprintTritone+4 more

CRT effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the CRT filter in Filter Archive (Blown Phosphor preset)

03

CRT Effect

CRT filter · 14 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Old TV and monitor looks for tech and gaming visuals

A real RGB phosphor mask with scan lines, bloom and a curved glass face, plus stranger modes that shred the picture into scan lines and terminal blocks. Fourteen presets.

TrinitronConsumer TVMonitorLED WallArcade+9 more

VHS effect on a portrait of a woman with red hair in a studded beanie, made with the VHS Tape filter in Filter Archive (Tracking Lost preset)

04

VHS Effect

VHS Tape filter · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for 80s and 90s tape stills and music video frames

Built from a real tape signal chain, so colour smears and arrives late while the brightness stays sharp, the way an actual cassette looks. Tracking loss and dropouts included.

SP TransferSixth GenerationTracking Lost

Thermal camera effect on a portrait of a woman with copper red hair, made with the Thermal filter in Filter Archive (True Heatmap preset)

05

Thermal Camera Effect

Thermal filter · 6 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Heat-map portraits, rave and club flyers

Reads the shape of the subject rather than just its brightness, so heat hugs the silhouette like a real thermal camera. Six palettes, ironbow to cold body.

ScopeTrue HeatmapScanEmberCold Body+1 more

ASCII art effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the ASCII filter in Filter Archive (Plotter preset)

06

ASCII Art Effect

ASCII filter · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Terminal, code and hacker aesthetics

Rebuilds the photo from characters, with sets from classic ASCII to blocks, strokes and binary. Set the ink and ground colours for green-on-black or ink-on-paper.

Image ProjectTerminalPlotter

Datamosh effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Datamosh filter in Filter Archive (Smear preset)

07

Datamosh Effect

Datamosh filter · 5 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Glitch art, music covers and motion-looking stills

Fakes broken video compression on a single image: blocks drag along invented motion and melt, while some stay stubbornly still.

BloomSmearMeltCoarse BlocksBarely Moving

Chromatic aberration effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Chromatic Aberration filter in Filter Archive (Hard Split preset)

08

Chromatic Aberration Effect

Chromatic Aberration filter · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Fashion, editorial and RGB-split graphics

Both meanings of the name: the hard RGB split designers mean and the subtle fringing real lenses make, which grows from the centre outward.

Hard SplitSoft SplitKit Zoom

Stipple effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Stipple filter in Filter Archive (Pointillist preset)

09

Stipple Effect

Stipple filter · 5 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Engraved and pointillist illustration

Shades with how many marks land, not how big they are. Carry Colour turns it into a pointillist colour drawing.

Engraved PlateCoarse StippleChalkScattered GlyphsPointillist

Threshold effect on a portrait of a woman in white sunglasses with a lollipop, made with the Threshold Plus filter in Filter Archive (Toner preset)

10

Threshold Effect

Threshold Plus filter · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Stencils and bold two-tone posters

Cuts the photo to two tones and breaks the edge into toner specks, from a clean cut to a spray stencil.

TonerClean CutSpray Stencil

Photocopy effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Receipt filter in Filter Archive (Sixth preset)

11

Photocopy Effect

Receipt filter · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Punk flyers and zine pages

Copies the page again and again, so contrast, fog and skew build up the way they really do on the twelfth generation.

Second GenerationSixthTwelfthClean Machine

Ink drawing effect on a portrait of a person with goggles looking up, made with the Edge Ink filter in Filter Archive (Blueprint preset)

12

Ink Drawing Effect

Edge Ink filter · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Manga and comic inking from photos

Find Edges taken all the way to a finished drawing: long contours, hatching that follows the form and shadows that flood solid.

Acid HelmetFind Edges, FixedKakeamiBlueprint

Line art effect on a portrait of a woman in headphones holding a CD, made with the Trace filter in Filter Archive (Broken Contours preset)

13

Line Art Effect

Trace filter · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Single-line and contour portraits

Draws the subject as continuous lines where thickness, waver or dashes carry the tone.

Broken ContoursAura RingsRippleSonar

Emboss effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Emboss filter in Filter Archive (Clean Relief preset)

14

Emboss Effect

Emboss filter · 6 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Letterpress, rubbings and relief

Lights the photo as a raised surface from one side, then screens and dirties it so it looks pressed rather than sharpened.

RubbingPlasterBlind FoilGravestoneNewsprint+1 more

Mosaic effect on a portrait of a woman with copper red hair, made with the Cell filter in Filter Archive (Five Inks preset)

15

Mosaic Effect

Cell filter · 6 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Tiled abstraction and posterised portraits

Tiles that follow the detail: small on the face, big on the background, with poster, tesserae and grid fills.

Adaptive MosaicSubdivisionFive InksPartition OnlyTesserae+1 more

Contour line effect on a portrait of a laughing woman with pink curly hair, made with the Contour Field filter in Filter Archive (Sonar preset)

16

Contour Line Effect

Contour Field filter · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Topographic, sci-fi and data-viz looks

Wraps the subject in map-style contour rings drawn from its tones, glowing or printed.

AwakeningSurveySonar

Wireframe effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Wireframe filter in Filter Archive (Lathe preset)

17

Wireframe Effect

Wireframe filter · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for 3D scan and cyber visuals

A mesh that crowds where the form turns away, so it reads like a body scan rather than a grid pasted on top.

BlueprintScan MeshSliced ScanLathe

Colour photocopy effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Colour Threshold filter in Filter Archive (Hard Copy preset)

18

Colour Photocopy Effect

Colour Threshold filter · 5 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Colour Xerox prints with grit

A colour copier's toner breaking up along the tones, while the photo keeps its colour.

XeroxHard CopyBlown TonerToner DustWashed

TV glitch effect on a portrait of a woman with black hair, hands on her head, made with the Broadcast filter in Filter Archive (Fast Pan preset)

19

TV Glitch Effect

Broadcast filter · 5 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Broadcast errors and interlaced frames

The faults of real TV formats: combed fields, dot crawl and rainbowing on fine detail.

DV TapeComposite DubFast PanCrushedEvery Generation

Star filter effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Starlight filter in Filter Archive (Anamorphic preset)

20

Star Filter Effect

Starlight filter · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Sparkle, night shots and Y2K glam

Cross-screen star streaks thrown off the highlights at one fixed angle, like a scored glass filter on the lens.

AnamorphicStarburstSoft BloomWhole Frame

Prism lens effect on a portrait of a laughing woman with pink curly hair, made with the Ghost Lens filter in Filter Archive (Classic preset)

21

Prism Lens Effect

Ghost Lens filter · 5 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Dreamy rainbow edges around a sharp subject

Bulges the centre toward you and smears the edges into rainbow ghosts, like shooting through a prism.

ClassicMeltedMonochrome GhostTunnelOff Centre

$Glass refraction effect on a portrait of a man in black sunglasses, made with the Glass Slice filter in Filter Archive (Facet Fan preset)$

22

Glass Refraction Effect

Glass Slice filter · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Fluted and shattered glass

Cuts the photo into refracting facets with colour dispersion and a bright edge on every cut.

ShatterVenetianFacet Fan

Acid blur effect on a portrait of a man with silver hair and red sunglasses, made with the Acid Blur filter in Filter Archive (Thermal preset)

23

Acid Blur Effect

Acid Blur filter · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Y2K and acid-graphics posters

Melts the subject into a spectral glow with a printed screen over it, so it reads as print, not a soft-light glow.

Riso AcidThermalChrome Mist

Melt effect on a portrait of a woman with red hair in a studded beanie, made with the Decay filter in Filter Archive (Torn preset)

24

Melt Effect

Decay filter · 7 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Surreal dripping and torn portraits

Drags the photo along its own tones in many small steps, so it tears and streams along curves.

TornWindMeltGatherCombed+2 more

Smear effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Smudge filter in Filter Archive (Combed Close preset)

25

Smear Effect

Smudge filter · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Painterly smears and combed textures

A shaped brush decides what survives, turning photos combed, swollen or smudged.

Bottom HatBottom Hat, CombedSwellCombed Close

Metaball effect on a portrait of a man with spiky red hair on a blue background, made with the Acid filter in Filter Archive (Slime preset)

26

Metaball Effect

Acid filter · 6 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Liquid blob graphics

Grows blobs on a chosen colour that fuse like liquid instead of stacking.

SlimeMercurySporesCombedChrome Tiles+1 more

27 – 35

Background generators.

These need no photo. Each draws a pattern or texture to use as a background or lay over your own work.

Op art background made with the Warp Field generator in Filter Archive (Corner Blowout preset)

27

Op Art Background

Warp Field generator · 6 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Psychedelic stripe backgrounds

Op-art stripes, rings and pinwheels bent through ripple and swirl. Two flat colours, print-ready.

MTV RippleCorner BlowoutPinwheelRule WeaveSydney Lattice+1 more

Speed lines background made with the Burst generator in Filter Archive (Manga Impact preset)

28

Speed Lines Background

Burst generator · 4 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Manga impact frames and radial bursts

Inked speed lines around a clean centre, shards or a swirled field.

Manga ImpactShard StormMercurySun Fan

Light streak background made with the Prism Streaks generator in Filter Archive (Banded Prism preset)

29

Light Streak Background

Prism Streaks generator · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Album covers and posters with prism rays

Streaks of light that split into the spectrum over a smooth or banded gradient.

Banded PrismWarm FanAnamorphic

Aurora gradient background made with the Aurora generator in Filter Archive (Nebula preset)

30

Aurora Gradient Background

Aurora generator · 3 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Glowing gradient backdrops for covers and UI

Soft blobs of light with white-hot cores that swirl into ribbons. Grain stops the banding.

Acid AuroraSingle StrokeNebula

Guilloche pattern made with the Guilloche generator in Filter Archive (Rosette preset)

31

Guilloche Pattern

Guilloche generator · 5 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Banknote, ticket and certificate textures

Layers of fine repeating lines whose interference makes the pattern, like security printing.

Wave FieldChevron WeaveRosetteTwo FocusBanknote

CRT screen texture made with the CRT Texture generator in Filter Archive (Dead Channel preset)

32

CRT Screen Texture

CRT Texture generator · 6 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Scanline overlays

An empty TV screen to lay over your own work: scanlines, shadow mask, moire and burn-in.

Dead ChannelNo SignalAmber TerminalTrinitronPhotographed Screen+1 more

Photocopy texture made with the Photocopy Noise generator in Filter Archive (Machine Marks preset)

33

Photocopy Texture

Photocopy Noise generator · 10 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Copier-noise overlays

The streaks and bands a copier leaves on a blank sheet, at physical scale.

Centre BandEdge WashStreak SheetBand SheetLid Left Up+5 more

Xerox texture made with the Xerox generator in Filter Archive (Screwed Up preset)

34

Xerox Texture

Xerox generator · 10 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Folded, copied paper backgrounds

A printed sheet folded and copied, with split creases, torn edges and pinholed blacks.

Third GenerationFolded in EighthsLid UpContact ScannerFlatbed, Clean+5 more

Fingerprint pattern made with the Fingerprints generator in Filter Archive (Whorl preset)

35

Fingerprint Pattern

Fingerprints generator · 9 presets · Photoshop, Affinity, Figma

Best for Forensic and ridge-pattern graphics

Fingerprint ridges built the way forensics classifies them: loops, whorls and arches.

Ridge FieldFine FieldOutlineLatentWhorl+4 more

What to look for in a Photoshop filter plugin.

Whichever plugin you choose, these are the things that separate a filter you'll keep using from one you try once:

A live preview on your own image. Judging a look from a sample photo tells you very little.
Settings you can push. Presets are a start; the look you want is usually two sliders away from one.
Your original kept safe. Filter Archive puts every result on a new layer and leaves the original untouched.
Stacking. Two filters in sequence (a halftone over a thermal palette, say) make looks neither can alone.
Mac and Windows, current Photoshop. Filter Archive needs Photoshop 2024 or newer.

If you also work in Affinity or Figma, check whether the licence follows you. Filter Archive's does: one licence covers Photoshop, Affinity and Figma.

Questions, answered.

What is the best filter plugin for Photoshop?

It depends on the look. For print, screen, glitch and drawing effects, Filter Archive puts 35 filters in one plugin, including halftone, dither, CRT, VHS, thermal and ASCII, each with presets and a live preview. For painterly media like watercolour, Photoshop's own Filter Gallery is still the place to start.

Are these 35 separate plugins?

No. They are 35 filters inside one plugin, Filter Archive, so you install once and get all of them, plus new filters as they ship.

Which version of Photoshop do they need?

Photoshop 2024 or newer, on Mac or Windows.

How much does it cost?

$9.99 a month, or $59.99 once for lifetime access. Both include every filter and all three apps.

Keep reading.

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Filter Archive

35 filters, one plugin.

Halftone, dither, CRT, VHS, thermal, ASCII and 29 more, with a live preview and 166 presets. Photoshop 2024 or newer on Mac and Windows, plus Affinity and Figma on the same licence.

Get Filter Archive Browse all 35 effects The best Photoshop filters