These software programs are usually called plug-ins. They are available from Adobe as well as other third party software companies.

Several special effects plug-ins come preinstalled with Photoshop and are automatically available inside the Photoshop plug-ins folder.

Photoshop tutorials like Photoshop Fast Track can teach you how to find new plug-ins and install them to Photoshop.

Photoshop plug-ins allow you to actually add the features available in other photo editing programs to Photoshop without having to open and use the other program.

You can find Photoshop plug-ins that allow you to use various filters for the purpose of special effects or tint or tonal adjustments.

These plug-ins work just like the filters you can purchase to add to your camera lens. You can find plug-ins that will turn your photo to black and white, increase or decrease contrast, soften details, enrich black tones, increase or decrease saturation, restore details or make an image appear old using sepia tones.

The benefit of using plug-ins for special effects is that you can quickly produce very professional results that would otherwise require multiple editing steps.

Plug-ins are popular not because Photoshop is not capable of all of these effects but because the plug-ins simplify the process by combining more difficult steps into an easy to use interface.

Whether you want to create the appearance of hand-tinted photographs or simply increase the vibrancy of colors in your image, by using Photoshop plug-ins you will quickly be creating amazing images like a professional photographer or graphic artist.

Photoshop Fast Track makes it easy to learn how to find, install and use Photoshop plug-ins.

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