Overlay & Texture Collection

Introducing the Overlay & Texture Collection

 

A continuously growing collection of background, overlays and textures. As I discover more interesting textures and overlays, I’ll continue to expand the collection, ensuring you always have fresh, high-quality resources at your fingertips.

 

How to Use Overlays and Textures in Photoshop

 

• Apply the Overlay:
  • Drag and drop the overlay file onto your image in Photoshop.
  • Resize it as needed to cover your canvas.
• Change the Blending Mode:
  • With the overlay selected, go to the Layers panel and experiment with different blending modes (like Screen, Multiply, Overlay, etc.) to see how it interacts with your image.
• Adjust Opacity:
  • Lower the opacity of the overlay layer to blend it more subtly with your artwork.
• Masking for Precision:
  • Add a layer mask to your overlay layer and use a soft brush to paint black on the mask, hiding areas where you don’t want the overlay to show.
• Use Textures for Depth:
  • For adding texture, follow similar steps: place your texture on top of your image and experiment with blending modes. Textures can add a tactile, gritty feel, making your artwork more immersive.
• Color Adjustments:
  • Use Hue/Saturation or Color Balance adjustments to tweak the colors of the overlay or texture, so it blends perfectly with your base image.
• Layer Effects:
  • You can apply layer effects, such as Gaussian Blur, to soften the overlay or texture for a more seamless look, or add Levels or Curves adjustments to control the contrast and intensity.

 

Using Generative Expand to Change Background Size & Shape (Photoshop Beta)

 

1. Start with Your Background

• Open your background image in Photoshop Beta

• Make sure it’s flattened or grouped cleanly (no locked background)

 

2. Select the Crop Tool

• Press C or choose the Crop Tool

• In the top options bar, set it to Generative Expand

• Unlock the aspect ratio if needed

 

3. Extend the Canvas

• Drag the crop handles outward in the direction you want to extend

  • Wider → landscape formats

  • Taller → portrait formats

  • Asymmetrical → surreal or collage-friendly layouts

 

4. Leave the Prompt Empty (Most Important Tip)

• Click Generate with no prompt

• This usually gives the most natural continuation of textures, colour, and light

👉 Only add a prompt if you want:

• Architectural detail

• More forest / sky / mist

• Painterly abstraction

 

5. Evaluate Variations

Photoshop will generate 3 variations

• Photoshop will generate 3 variations the one that best matches:

  • Texture flow

  • Colour harmony

  • Lighting direction