10 Best Texture Effects for Photoshop & Illustrator

Texture effects are surfaces of materials we find visually interesting or pleasing, replicated to be used in artwork or design. They could be things like rope or bricks, or they could be traditional art effects like a paint roller or grungy inks and sprays. Whatever the format, a texture effect can help to create something almost tactile and balance out the often ‘too-clean’ impressions we can be left with when working with digital art.

At its most basic, adding a texture effect can make your design more interesting, but used purposefully and with a lot of thought, textures can transform artwork into something deeper and more meaningful.

Adding a background texture can add visual appeal; evoke a particular emotional response; or even effectively contrast with the other elements of your design, like typography.

Texture effects for Photoshop and textures for Illustrator are really popular graphic project inclusions. They can be used to add a vintage twist to a photograph or to make a design appear grungier or more distressed. You could think of background textures as a sort of flexible filter.

It’s really easy to add a great texture effect or to your art or graphic design work. You can try making your own textures by photographing surfaces, creating Photoshop actions or creating traditional, physical artwork like rolling paint or sponging inks and then digitizing them by photographing or scanning. If you’re looking for a quicker solution, there’s plenty of choice for pre-made textures in the form of Photoshop overlays, brushes, and patterns over on Envato Elements. With a subscription to Elements, everything is included, so you can download as many textures for Photoshop and Illustrator as you like!

The Poster Studio is a pack of textures for Photoshop with 32 to choose from, carefully captured from real folds and creases. There are also 6 seamless pattern overlays included, as well as a set of torn paper brushes and 10 tape pieces.

A set of paint textures for Photoshop and Illustrator, this set is great for making artistic backgrounds for graphics, business cards, invitations and much more. Just add a texture and choose a color scheme to suit your project.

20 unique grunge designs to be used as Photoshop brushes. Add a vintage, worn feel to any design or artwork by mixing textures and colors. The download includes a bonus PSD file with the original scans that you can use to create your own cool textures for Photoshop.

A bundle of 17 textures for Illustrator grouped into categories like scatter brushes, large texture brushes, shading/highlighter and more. The pack makes use of the pattern brush feature meaning they’ll never look like they’ve been stretched.

Bring out a stylish, retro mood to your images with the Halftone Photoshop Effect which includes both patterns and texture effects. Ideal for creating posters, banners, branding, social media posts and much more.

These cool textures for Photoshop are in the style of traditional printing, with all the quirks and grunginess that make it so realistic. There are 19 layer styles and over 80 high-resolution textures.

Get a wintery feel with this set of 20 snow overlays for Adobe Photoshop. Just lay over any artwork to get an instant snowing effect! The download includes both PSD and PNG format.

Inspired by ‘40s and ‘50s matchbook covers, Shine On is a set of over 30 textures including dust and scratches, halftone, paper, canvas and more. They’re available in landscape, portrait and square formats.

29 vector grain and texture brushes for Adobe Illustrator await you in this pack, each carefully handcrafted to give you a variety of densities, texture and grunginess! Try the brushes for shading or just adding a little texture to your work!

A set of poster themed textures for Illustrator, this pack includes 11 frame brushes, 12 texture patterns, 12 one-click graphic styles and even a quick reference guide and instructions to help you get started.

Texture effects look great and are fun to play with. Envato Elements includes a wide range of texture options – whether you’re looking for a simple JPEG to overlay onto an image, or something more in depth like seamless pattern files and brushes for your favorite software. Everything on the site is included in a monthly subscription, so you can experiment!

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