Recently I posted an image that looked aged and since have received messages asking what plug-in, action, etc., I used. My answer....... NONE!
I started thinking, instead of sending replies to those requesting information, I thought it would be cool to start a thread that Pbasers wanting to share editing secrets, tips, etc., could do so. Let's show 'em how it's done!
Ok, for my image:
1. After making a duplicate layer of the original image, I desaturated the new layer just so there was a hint of color.
2. Take a paper bag from your local grocery store, clean off a dirty counter top with it, crinkle it up getng a lot of wrinkles in it, flatten it once again, scan it, then open the file in photoshop and using the styles pallette change it to sepia.
3. Drag the paper bag scan file to the file you are treating and make it the top layer. Add a hint of monochrome noise to it.
4. Now just use the opacity feature on the paper bag scan layer, allowing the underlying image layer to show through to taste. *Note: If you want the paper bag to really dominate the empty/negative areas of the image, yet allow the featured area of the image to show through, use a soft edge eraser set low and slowly erase the paper bag layer until the areas you want to see more start showing through.