Firstly, Thank You!
I need to start off this article by giving a BIG thank you to Texturelabs–and more specifically to Brady Erickson, the man behind the project! I have come back to TL time and time again to learn and get assets from. Whether I’m watching a Photoshop tutorial on YouTube or getting texture files from the TL website, Texturelabs has been absolutely invaluable in my journey as a visual designer. And the most ridiculous part? Majority of the stuff Brady puts out is free!
Every time I watch a tutorial, I am reminded of how little I know of the platform. But he makes learning fun and accessible whilst imparting his wealth of knowledge and industry know-how on us! It always amazes me how much he cares for the community with the resources he puts out for us to use and learn from. Here’s his stance on the purpose of Texturelabs:
The goals of Texturelabs are to:
Create and share resources and techniques for producing compelling art and design.
Make these resources accessible to everyone, from students to seasoned professionals.
Explore new ideas and develop innovative solutions to design problems.
When I found out about his recently released Distressor plugin for Photoshop, I snapped it up in an instant. Not only was I more than happy to support Brady and Texturelabs–this plugin is a game changer. Like actually though, not just saying it! Achieving vintage and grunge effects has never been so easy. Let’s dive in and take a look at what makes Distressor so powerful and effortless ⬇️
Hello New Favourite PS Plugin!
Coming in at $40 USD (as of October 2024), Texturelabs’ Distressor plugin for Photoshop is an absolute steal! I came across it after going to the TL YouTube channel for some grungy, distressing goodness for a project I’m working on. I watched the vid “4-Minute Photoshop Pro Tips | Distressed Text Edges” which gave me a great look and feel for the brand exploration I was doing (that’s what I created below). I then noticed this video which immediately piqued my interest.
I was so impressed with what could be achieved with the plugin that I was reaching for the shop link before the video even ended! I love playing around with texturing and vintage effects, but I have felt myself distance myself from such aesthetics because of the various processes involved and only really coming back to it when I had a specific idea in mind. This plugin has rekindled my enthusiasm for it and makes such styles quicker and more accessible than ever to create while also giving us more power and nuance over a range of styles. So f*cking cool.
This really lit me up–it’s hard to fully express the joy and excitement I felt (and still feel) about this. Working full time as a designer and working on freelance & personal projects outside of that a lot of the time, I often feel somewhat jaded about design (that’s why taking breaks is important! A convo for another time though). After getting the plugin installed, I was able to make the texture effect on the text I was working with in 2 clicks! It was super eas… 2 clicks??? YUP. 2 click. That easy. Without adjusting style or parameters, I was able to make something that would have taken multiple layers, repeated effects, masks and more with none of the hassle. I feel like I’m enjoying some proper play time for the first time in a looong time 🥲
How It Works
This is a very streamlined plugin. All the parameters are neatly organized in a single pane that affect the selected style. There's also the option to alter the fade style and to change the seed, allowing for nuanced customization of the effect. You're able to copy/paste settings between layers for consistency as well! It's neat, tidy, easy and POWERFUL. Gone are the days of actions and complex collections of layers, effects and masks. Distressor ushers in a new era of texturing that irreplaceable.
Playing Around With Distressor
I’ve only just begun to play around with Distressor but I can say without hesitation that this plugin is an essential tool in any graphic or visual designer’s toolbelt. If you love vintage typography like me or just need to add some distressing to an element in a bigger piece you’re working on, I’m sure Distressor will help you play around and achieve what you want in a fraction of the time it would take via alternate methods. I used it to put together the cover image for this article!
Below are a couple of pieces I made in exploration for the stream package I’m designing for Desperate Saint, a Twitch streamer and content creator. Essentially, he wants something with some dive bar vibes and I want to make something that breaks away from the cliche “gamer” aesthetic. Distressor has helped speed up my ideation process greatly. I had the idea of implementing printing press / analog print style into the mix and it’s been great fun to adjust the parameters of the various styles to get that look.
Thank you again to Brady Erickson AKA Texturelabs for putting out such an awesome plugin, and thank you for all your tutorials and assets over the years! You’ve helped me and so many others in our design journeys. Distressor is a fantastic product that I will be using for years to come.
