STEP BY STEP LEARN TO LIGHT LEAK

Use a combination of layer skills, brush effects and free templates to create this vintage look

01 Open a template

Open light_leaks_before, then go to File>new. On the Art and Illustration tab, download and open the Grunge Paper Textures file. Grab the Move tool and drag the image to the paper texture file. To resize it, hit Cmd/ctrl+t, hold Shift and drag the box corners.

03 add a gradient

Click the Create Adjustment Layer icon and choose Gradient. In the Properties panel, select Foreground To Transparent, then click the preview to open the Gradient Editor. Double-click the square at the bottomleft of the gradient and choose an orange colour.

05 Paint light leakage

Click the Create New Layer icon in the Layers panel and change the Blend Mode of the new layer to Screen. Grab the Brush tool, choose a soft-edged tip and hit 5 for 50% opacity, then paint with yellow and orange colours around the edges to add to the effect.

02 tweak the layers

In the Layers panel (Window>layers), drag the image layer above the Your Image Here layer. Click through the layers and groups that make up the paper effect. There are several options within the file. Turn layers on or off to suit, and adjust the layer opacity if you like.

04 Blend with the image

Hit OK, then use the angle icon to fine-tune the angle of the gradient. You can also drag in the image to change its position. Go to the Blend Mode drop-down in the Layers panel and change it from Normal to Screen. If it’s too strong, lower the layer opacity.

06 retro colour curves

Click the Create Adjustment Layer icon and choose Curves. Drag down the curve line to darken the image. Click the RGB drop-down at the top of the Curves settings. Select Blue, then drag the bottom-left point on the line upwards to add a blue tint to the shadows.