Looking for an easy way to add a 3D look to your photos? You’re in the right place.
We’ve handpicked the best Photoshop actions for creating 3D effects you’ll find anywhere and listed them below for you to explore.
These actions allow you to add hyper-realistic effects to your images that’ll really make them pop in no time. Add depth of field, shadows, isometric effects, and more in just one click, and shave hours off your workflow time!
Note: All the actions below are included in an Envato Elements subscription, which is available for as little as $14.50/month. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to download as many Photoshop actions & other creative assets on Envato Elements as you like and use them in your personal or commercial projects. A 7-day free trial is available for new customers.
This awesome Photoshop action from Profactions turns any photo into a professional technical sketch. But this isn’t just any sketch action—it’s extremely high-detail and preserves certain 3D elements to create unique, eye-catching, three-dimensional works of art that play with your perspective. Use it on photos of objects for best results.
There’s also a full video tutorial included in the download if you need a few pointers to help you get started!
Conceptum is our favorite 3D action on account of how unique it is. You can use it to create truly original edits that’ll make you the envy of your Instagram followers. For businesses, it’s also great for creating unique photo edits that showcase your products in style.
Here’s another cool 3D pencil sketch action by IndWorks. The cool thing about this one is that it also creates a realistic popup effect that makes your photos look as if they’re literally jumping out of the page.
This one works best on portrait photography in high resolution (2000px-5000px; 72/300 dpi). However, you can also use it on objects and low-res images—just expect sub-par results.The download pack comes with two different styles of 3D popup sketches, 5 paper textures, and 5 wood patterns.
The action creates 10 different color presets, so you can really customize the effect and make it your own. It’s straightforward to use but you can watch the video tutorial in the help file for a step-by-step guide.
This isometric action creates a more straightforward 3D effect. You can use it to transform two-dimensional vector shapes, smart objects, texts, and layer groups into realistic 3D objects.
It’s easily customizable and includes 10 extrusion sizes and 12 shadow sizes, with customizable colors, fonts, and light and shadow directions.
That concludes our roundup of the best Photoshop actions for creating 3D effects. As you can see, there are plenty to choose from. Here are a few tips to help you choose the right action for your project.
Most (but not all) Photoshop actions for creating 3D effects are non-destructive. This means the edits they apply to an image happen in a separate layer in order to preserve the original image. That way, if you’re not happy with the finished results, you don’t have to worry about losing your original image—it hasn’t been edited directly so you can still go back to it.
If you plan on using a destructive Photoshop action, make sure you backup your original image first, just in case.
The best Photoshop actions for creating 3D effects will be highly customizable. Ideally, you should be able to quickly tweak things like shadow sizes and directions, extrusions, colors, etc., and put your own finishing touches to it.
Different Photoshop actions create different types of 3D effects, so you’ll want to choose one that creates the specific type of effect you’re going for. If you just want a straightforward 3D look that makes your 2D image look 3D, an isometric effect is the best choice. If you’re trying to recreate that old-school red/blue 3D look from retro movies, look for an action that creates an anaglyphic/stereoscopic effect.
Other actions can be used for even more unique and interesting 3D effects, such as 3-dimensional sketches, spherical images, sculpture effects, etc.
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