40+ Vintage Photography Effects & Filters (Old, Retro Effects)
With vintage-themed photography apps such as Instagram becoming increasingly popular and the latest in world-class camera technology being available to us more easily than ever, it’s no wonder that professional photographers and amateur hobbyists alike are seeking out the best ways to achieve a realistic old photo effect for their images.
We’ve searched high and low across the web and found a collection of the best vintage and retro-inspired photography effects and Photoshop filters that can help you achieve an authentic old school look in a matter of seconds, from the faded tones of the 60s through to the vibrant neons of the 80s.
Read on for our list of free and premium vintage photography effects and filters!
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80s Photoshop Filter for Photographers
Check out this collection of 10 vintage Photoshop actions helping you emulate the authenticity of analog cameras in just a few easy clicks. With so many 80s Photoshop filters stacked with a range of gradient maps, the culture devotees of the 80s are surely in for a treat.
Vintage Film Photoshop Actions
Next in our selection of the best vintage photography effects for Photoshop is this vintage film-inspired bundle of actions that will give your images an authentic antique vibe in just a single click. This bundle contains 10 unique actions inspired by vintage films such as Kodak and Agfa.
70s Photo Filter Photoshop Action
Next up, we have a retro print Photoshop action that helps you create a remarkably unique effect in just a couple of minutes. This old photo effect is compatible with Photoshop CS4+ and comes packed with a video tutorial to help you make the most of all the amazing features.
Vintage Comic Retro Effect Photoshop Filters
Here we have a collection of Photoshop styles, patterns, overlays, and shapes, all with a funky retro comic-inspired look that’s perfect for adding a creative flair to any vintage-themed project. It works with Photoshop versions CS5, CS6, and CC.
Analog & Retro Antique Photo Effects
Next in our list of vintage photography effects is this set of ten Photoshop actions that will add a realistic analog style to your photos, featuring contrast and saturation settings and fade, tone, and vignette effects to help you create the perfect filter for each unique image.
Vintage HDR – Photoshop Action
This Photoshop action will allow you to give a stylish Vintage HDR look to your modern photos. It features an effect perfected by a group of professional photographers that will make your photos and graphics look much more authentic.
Vintage Halftone Photo Effect PSD
The classic halftone effect is one of the easiest ways to transform your modern photos into vintage designs. This Photoshop template will help you add that effect to your images in just a few clicks. It comes as a PSD template with smart object layers.
Retro Lens Photo Effect for Photoshop
This is one of the most creative photo effects we’ve seen. It features a subtle lens blur effect that makes your digital photos look more natural and old-school. The effect lets you choose from 2 blur options and it has 3 color filters as well.
Old Times Vintage Photoshop Photo Effect
You can use this Photoshop template to instantly give an old-timey look to your photos. It features a rough and weathered effect with a realistic-looking design. You can easily place your photos using the smart object layers.
Synthwave Poster – 80s Photoshop Action
Create an antique masterpiece using this 80s Photoshop filter, and amaze your community of photographers, and visual editors. It’s one of the best vintage photography effects on our list, and we wholeheartedly recommend you try it out for your next retro-themed project.
Sketch Vintage Photoshop Filters
A brilliant tool for any vintage illustration enthusiast to add to their repertoire, this vintage sketch-inspired Photoshop action will transform your photos into a realistic vintage artwork in just a few clicks and includes fifteen unique colors presets as well as other layers and customization options.
Vintage Text Photoshop Effects
Here we have a retro effect Photoshop text bundle that’s incredibly easy to use – simply place your design into the smart object area and watch it transform into a vintage-inspired font with authentic colors and textures. This bundle of 9 different text effects also includes a series of beautiful modern geometric backgrounds for you to use.
Retrograde Old Photo Effects
Next in our lineup is a set of seven high-quality retrograde, retro and vintage Photoshop actions that have been professionally designed to add a range of throwback styles to your photos, from a faded 90s look to a vibrant 80s effect. It comes with a bonus set of textures and light leaks for that finishing touch.
80s Text Retro Effect Photoshop Filters
Working on an 80s themed project, or simply a fan of the notoriously colorful era? This set of ten Back to the 80s text effects for Photoshop is inspired by iconic 80s culture icons such as Stranger Things and Hotline Miami and is fully editable to help you achieve the perfect result.
Warm Vintage Photography Effects
Bring the nostalgic warmth of the good old times to your photos with this 70s photo filter for Photoshop. Compatible with Photoshop CC and higher versions, this action is a must-have in your photographer’s toolkit. A perfect old photo effect for a wide range of creative and professional applications!
Indie Camera 70s Photo Filter Photoshop Actions
Inspired by indie music scene videos that borrow aesthetics from the 70s, this collection of 17 instant Photoshop actions will add a dreamy vintage vibe to your photos, and comes with a set of 110 gradient maps and 21 PNG light leak overlays for a fully customizable effect.
Wedding Vintage Photoshop Filters
Looking for the perfect set of Photoshop actions for a vintage-inspired wedding album? This vintage wedding collection of antique photo effects is a great choice – it offers a beautiful and non-destructive workflow, film-inspired color palette, and two standalone styles with fully adjustable layers.
Vintage Colour Retro Effect Photoshop Filters
This set of 21 non-destructive color effects for Photoshop includes a wide range of retro-inspired styles, such as vignette, noise and dust effects, and classic vintage filters. It offers a choice of 21 different colors, as well as a range of other adjustments including opacity, fill, and blending modes.
So Vintage Photoshop Filters
With just one click, your photo will become “so vintage” that you won’t believe it! Featuring an incredible 80 different vintage styles, plus a range of light leaks, textures, and layers to customize, you’ll never be short of new antique photo effects with this old photo effect bundle.
Risograph Retro Effect Photoshop Action
For all vintage lovers out there, we are glad to present this Photoshop action that will help you bring a grainy risograph texture to your pictures with minimal effort. This is one of the best antique photo effects for emulating a withered, distressed aesthetic on screen.
Retro Effect Photoshop Filters
Offering a set of complementary Photoshop actions, light leak textures, and paint roller mask PNGs, this set of retro effects makes it incredibly easy to achieve super authentic vintage results. It works with Photoshop versions CS5 and up.
Analog Camera Photoshop Actions
Here we have another set of authentic vintage photography effects, this time with 24 analog inspired camera actions that will help you emulate the look of classic film photography, plus a bonus PDF copy of a handbook that will help you make the most of each effect in this incredible bundle.
Lomocam Retro Effect Photoshop Filters
Wanting to create realistic retro photos with your existing digital images, complete with the classic Polaroid format? Look no further than the Lomocam retro photo generator, a collection of retro effects and frames bundled into an impressive set of actions, plus a bonus set of 31 film effects to help you add an extra vintage flare to each photo.
Retro poster 80s Photoshop Filter
Whether you’re designing an 80s themed poster for a work project, school assignment, or marketing tool, this retro poster Photoshop bundle offers brushes, patterns, and actions that will make your job a whole lot easier, and promise an authentic and unique result!
Paper Effect Vintage Photoshop Filters
Next up, we have a collection of 30 old paper-style Photoshop brushes with an impressive 2500 pixel size, suitable for use as a photo overlay, in digital photo manipulation, as a visual effect in a game or artwork, or simply as a fun decorative element. This pack of brushes is compatible with any version of Photoshop.
Filtergrade Retro Effect Photoshop Filters
Before we finish off with a few free vintage Photoshop filters, let’s take a look at the Filtergrade retro series bundle of Photoshop actions – a collection of 20 high-quality retro photo effects that will give your images a clear, crisp vintage look.
Retro Wave Photoshop Action
Want to transform your ordinary cityscape and landscape photos into neon-glowing retro-futuristic photos? Then be sure to download this Photoshop action. It features a fully editable action that creates effects with separate adjustment layers. You can edit and improve it however you like.
80s Retro Poster Photoshop Action
Retro design trend is widely used in poster and flyer designs. If you also want to give a retro look to your flyers and posters, this Photoshop action will come in handy. It allows you to instantly give a glowing retro look to your poster designs. And it comes in 3 different color options.
50 Vintage Photoshop Actions
With this massive bundle of Photoshop actions, you’ll have more than enough effects to give classic vintage looks to your portrait and landscape photos. The pack includes 50 actions featuring non-destructive effects with editable adjustments.
Retro Comic Book Photoshop Action Kit
This action kit comes with all the necessary elements for transforming your photos and graphics to look like pages from a classic comic book. The bundle features 50 retro comic book elements and a few comic book mockups to showcase your designs as well.
Vintage Print Photoshop Action
With this Photoshop action, you can give your photos a classic vintage look with just a few clicks. The effect is non-destructive and will work with any portrait photo to make them look more amazing. The action works with Photoshop CS4 and higher.
Free Vintage Photoshop Filters
Let’s take a look at few of the best free vintage Photoshop filters that we think are a bit cut above the rest:
Free Retro Effect Photoshop Actions
A great pick for both amateur and professional photographers alike, this collection of 18 vintage Photoshop actions will take you back in time without having to travel in a time machine. These astonishing antique photo effects are absolutely free for you to download.
30 Free Vintage Photoshop Actions Bundle
This is a collection of 30 unique Photoshop actions that feature classic vintage-themed effects. They are easy to apply and have customizable effects. You can use these to add simple retro and vintage looks to your photos.
Free Black White Photoshop Action
The black-and-white look is the easiest way to make your photos look vintage. This free PS action will allow you to create a more authentic black and white effect without effort.
Free Retro Circle Photoshop Actions
Circle Photoshop actions are invariably loved by photographers. To make things even better, these Photoshop actions are available in a monochrome retro look. It’s a product that you will cherish for a long time to come, so grab it right away.
Free Old Film Vintage Photoshop Filter
Next in our list of the best vintage Photoshop filters is this beautiful old film-inspired Photoshop action that will add an old-school movie effect to your images and comes as part of a free bundle of 20 Photoshop actions that can be downloaded from Shutter Pulse.
Free Retro Vintage Photoshop Filters
This collection of 30 vintage Photoshop filter actions will help you create professional-looking retro-inspired photos in a flash with either RAW or JPEG images. They’re compatible with Photoshop versions CS3 to CS6, and can be downloaded for free from Creative Tacos!
Old and Dirty Vintage Photoshop Filter
Just as the name suggests, this antique photo effect for Photoshop versions CC, CC 2014 and CC 2015 will add a black and white filter with an authentic grainy look that will make your images look as if they’re straight out of a vintage photo album. It’s available as a free download from Exposure Empire.
Free Vintage Photoshop Filter Bundle
Next up, we have a bundle of six unique vintage Photoshop filters complete with an easy-to-use action, HDR effect, and cinematic finish, all available for free download from Fixthephoto. This is a great option for creating a romantic retro vibe on any kind of photo!
Free Vintage Breeze Photoshop Actions
Finally, we leave you with this stunning trio of authentic Photoshop actions that will add a moody vintage look to your photos in a fraction of the time, and promise a realistic and professional-looking result. You can snap these up for free from Creative Tacos.
And there you have it – a smorgasbord of the best vintage photography effects and filters from free and premium sources, with something for every kind of vintage or retro-themed design project!