How to Give Your Photos the Cyberpunk Look in Photoshop

You can use different tools to add a cyberpunk effect to your photos but they may not be suitable and some of them are paid, so why not learn to add a cyberpunk effect using Photoshop? Here’s our guide:

#1 Let’s Prepare

Here’s are the first few steps:

• Open Photoshop and import the image you want to edit.
• Select an image that meets the following requirements:
  • 8 Bits/Channel
  • RGB Color 
  • 25oo to 4500 pixels
  • Be the background layer – Layer>New>Background from Layer
• Go to Windows>Actions and find the main icon in the top right-hand corner of the Actions panel.
• Click New Set and give it a name – Cyberpunk.
• Repeat the same process but this time click New Action instead of New Set. Again, name it Cyberpunk.

#2 Creating Your Color Look

You’ll have to create a look. Here’s how:

• Open Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Gradient Map. Name your new layer Look_1.
• Double-click the new thumbnail and go to Properties. Here, open Gradient Editor by clicking on the gradient and change the settings:
  • Name: Custom 
  • Gradient Type: Solid 
  • Smoothness: 100%
  • Left color stop: 0000ff 
  • Right color stop: ff00ff
• Change the layer’s Opacity to 70 percent and the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
• Click the Background layer to select it.
• Go to Layer, select New Adjustment Layer, choose Hue/Saturation. This will create a new adjustment layer. Name it Look_2.
• Double click your new layer and choose your desired setting for these colors:
  • Magentas 
  • Blues 
  • Yellows 
  • Cyans 
  • Greens 
  • Reds
• Choose your Background layer, select Layer, go to New Adjustment Layer, and click Photo Filter. This will create a new photo filter adjustment layer. Name it Look_3.
• Double click the new thumbnail and go to Properties. Now, make these changes:
  • Density: 25%
  • Filter: Cooling Filter (80)
  • Check the Preserve Luminosity box

#3 A Few More Adjustments

Now that you’ve selected colors, it’s time to make final adjustments. Here’s how:

• Choose the Look_1 layer and reset the swatches by selecting Reset Swatches from the pull-down menu found in the “Swatches” tab. You can also press D to get the job done. 
• Go to Layer, choose New Adjustment Layer, and select Gradient Map. This will create a new gradient map adjustment layer. Name it Complete Contrast.
• Change the layer’s Opacity to 80 percent and the Blending Mode to Luminosity.
• Go to Layer, choose New Adjustment Layer, and select Vibrance. This will create a new vibrance adjustment layer. Name it Complete Saturation.
• Double-click this new layer thumbnail and make these changes by going to the Properties panel:
  • Vibrance: +25
  • Saturation: +10
• Go to Layer, choose New Adjustment Layer, and select Levels. This will create a new levels adjustment layer. Name it Complete Brightness.
• Double-click this new layer thumbnail and make these changes by going to the Properties panel:

• Create a screenshot by pressing Control-Alt-Shift-E.
• Desaturate this new layer by pressing Control-Shift-U.
• Change Radium to 2 pixels by going to Filter, Option, and High Pass.
• Change the layer’s Opacity to 80 percent and the Blending Mode to Hard Light.
• You’re done.

The process may appear complicated but once you start giving your photos the Cyberpunk look in Photoshop, you’ll realize it is easy. Enjoy!