In the Filter Forge 6 main window, you’ll see the effect any filter etc has on your image. Just above the filters section is a search bar at the top of the filters section, if you want to look for a keyword which may be associated with a filter effect you’re looking for. You’ll also find that there’s a settings tab, which gives you the option to tweak the filter - again what’s here will depend on the individual filter. How many are here depends on the filter itself, but each should give you a variation on the filter type or theme. Whenever you select a filter, you’ll see in the box in the bottom left hand corner there are different factory ‘presets’ for how that filter looks. These are separated into textures and effects, which are then further separated into different categories for you to choose between. On the left hand side of the screen, you’ll see the presets and filters which are already included in the software. It doesn’t hinder the running of the software, but it’s just something to note. One of the things that stands out about Filter Forge 6 is that it’s quite old-fashioned in appearance, looking like a piece of software from a couple of decades ago, rather than the modern types we’re used to seeing elsewhere. However, this won’t be a problem if you’re working with the software as a Photoshop plugin.

It’s worth noting that in the software when used standalone, you can’t open raw format files. You can of course open your own files though. It’s a good idea to use one of these to experiment with while you get to grips with how the software works, and to explore the existing filters. When you first open Filter Forge 6, a default source will be used. It is compatible with Photoshop CC (which we have been using it with). We installed the Mac OS version, but it should be a reasonably similar process for the Windows option.Īs Filter Forge 6 is also a Photoshop plugin, if you have Photoshop installed on your machine, you should find that it is automatically added to the software when you next open it. Once you’ve downloaded it, simply follow the step-by-step instructions to install it on your machine. You can download the software from the Filter Forge website, with versions available for both Windows and Mac.

For the latest version of the software, version 6, new features include full 64-bit support.

If you create your own filter and it becomes popular, you can get a free copy of the plugin / software - it is available as a fully functional 30 day trial to allow you to do this. You can also access thousands of user-created filters. With it you can create your own filters for images, using its “node-based” editor without requiring any knowledge of coding and so on. Filter Forge 6 is a plugin for Photoshop, but it can also be used as a standalone app.

Install filter forge photoshop plugin