A Simple Way to Create and Add Beautiful Custom Bokeh Overlays in Photoshop!
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You can create bokeh texture in Photoshop from a blank layer, using Add Noise and Threshold instead of a stock overlay pack or a night photo full of highlights.
I will be teaching you a simple way to enhance your photos by creating and adding beautiful bokeh overlays in Photoshop!
Tutorial photo from Adobe Stock: https://stock.adobe.com/308849960
This technique lets you create bokeh texture in Photoshop entirely from scratch. It was recorded in Photoshop 2020 (version 21.1), and every tool it uses still works the same way in the current version.
Key Takeaways
- Field Blur‘s Light Bokeh slider only brightens pixels that are already white, so you need Threshold to leave solid white dots on black before it can do anything.
- The Screen blending mode drops every black pixel and keeps only the bright ones, which is what turns a plain black-and-white dot layer into a see-through bokeh overlay.
- A duplicated, heavily blurred copy of your photo set to the Color blend mode is what tints the bokeh with your photo’s own colors instead of leaving it plain white.
- There is no fixed Add Noise or Threshold value. Both depend on your image’s resolution, so you adjust each slider by eye until the dots look right.
- Holding Shift while dragging a Free Transform handle no longer locks the proportions in current Photoshop. It does the opposite of what it did before 2019.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Keyboard Shortcuts to Create Bokeh Texture in Photoshop
- Creating the Bokeh Effect from Scratch
- Turning Specks into Bokeh Overlays in Photoshop
- Applying the Bokeh Effect on Your Photo
- Adjusting the Intensity of the Bokeh
- Transforming the Bokeh Layer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to build a bokeh dot pattern from a blank layer with Add Noise and Threshold
- How to shape and brighten those dots into real bokeh circles with Field Blur
- How to tint the bokeh using a blurred copy of your own photo
- How to blend the bokeh onto a portrait with the Screen and Color blend modes
- How to resize and reposition the finished bokeh layer with Free Transform
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2020 (version 21.1) or the current version
Keyboard Shortcuts to Create Bokeh Texture in Photoshop
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Reset foreground and background colors to black and white | D | D |
| Fill the layer with the foreground color (black) | Alt Backspace | Option Delete |
| Duplicate the selected layer | Ctrl J | Command J |
| Create a clipping mask | Ctrl G | Command G |
Creating the Bokeh Effect from Scratch
In this tutorial, I won’t be using bokeh stock photos to apply to your image. Instead, I will be teaching you how to do everything from scratch!
Start by clicking on the New Layer icon to create a new layer.
Then, press D to set the default foreground and background colors, black and white.
Next, fill the layer with black, which is the foreground color, by pressing AltBackspace (Windows) or OptionDelete (macOS).
Once you have filled your layer with black, go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. You are on the right track if your current layer is filled with the same pattern of white noise that you see on television.
The Amount value depends on the dimensions of your image, so adjust the value until the noise fill looks similar to the photo below. Then, press OK to exit the window and apply the filter.
Go back to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Same as what I did to the Bokeh, adjust the value of the blur until it looks like this:
Press OK again to exit the window and go to Image > Adjustment Threshold.
The Threshold adjustment makes pixels either black or white. Dragging the handle to the left and right will give me more or fewer specks.
For this tutorial, a couple of well-distributed specks is what I need, so I will set it at a Threshold Level of 126. But your image may require a different value. Press OK when you are done.
Turning Specks into Bokeh Overlays in Photoshop
Next, go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Field Blur.
In your workspace area, you will find the Light Bokeh under the Effects tab. From here, adjust the Light Bokeh slider to intensify the brightness of the specks.
Tip: Want one bright point of light instead of a scatter of specks? See how to get a precise flare center in Photoshop.
On the Blur Tools, adjust the Blur slider to enlarge the specks and truly emulate the bokeh effect.
Discover how you can turn ordinary photos into Neon Portrait Color Effect in Photoshop!
Back on the Effects tab, adjusting the Light Range slider will reveal more numbers of bokeh, so adjust accordingly. When you’re satisfied with the amount, size, and brightness of the bokeh, press OK to apply the changes and exit the window.
Applying the Bokeh Effect on Your Photo
Go back to the Layers panel, select the Background layer and press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) to duplicate the layer.
Then, I will drag and place the Background Copy above the Bokeh layer because I will be using it as the colors for the bokeh. To avoid confusion, I will rename this layer as Color.
Next, press CtrlG (Windows) or CommandG (macOS) to clip the Background Copy and only affect the layer below.
Go back to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Adjust the Radius slider until you can no longer see the silhouette of the subject and all that is left are the smooth gradations of the colors. Press OK again.
Then, change the Blending Mode of the layer to Color so the Bokeh layer will take in the colors of the Background Copy.
Change the Blending Mode of the Bokeh layer to Screen to get rid of the black pixels and only retain the bright pixels.
Color and Screen are only two of Photoshop’s 27 blend modes. See how Multiply, Screen and Color cut out glass in Photoshop for another example of the same idea.
You can also go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation to adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness of the colors in the layer.
Adjusting the Intensity of the Bokeh
If you still find yourself unsatisfied with the result, you can always go back and tweak the bokeh overlays in Photoshop until it suits your taste. To do this, go to Image > Adjustment > Levels. Here, you can adjust the intensity of the bokeh by dragging the handles to either side.
Transforming the Bokeh Layer
If you want to adjust or move the placement of the bokeh, drag the corner handles of the Free Transform box. This expands or contracts how much of the image the layer covers, so your subject is not overwhelmed or covered by the bokeh effect.
Free Transform has scaled proportionally by default since Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0). Holding Shift now does the opposite of what it used to: it unlocks the proportions instead of locking them.
And that’s how you create the bokeh effect from scratch! With this, you can enhance night photos and turn it softer and glowier. The possibilities for using this technique are almost endless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fill a new layer with black, run Add Noise, blur it slightly, then use Threshold to turn it into a scatter of solid white dots. Running Field Blur over those dots turns them into soft bokeh circles.
Threshold pushes every pixel to pure black or pure white. Dragging its handle changes how many white specks survive, which controls how many bokeh circles you end up with.
Field Blur‘s Effects tab has a Light Bokeh slider that brightens bright pixels into glowing circles, something a plain Gaussian Blur cannot do. Its Blur Tools slider then lets you enlarge those circles until they read as real bokeh.
Duplicate your Background layer, clip it to the bokeh layer, blur it heavily, and set its blend mode to Color. The bokeh layer, set to Screen, then picks up that color while dropping its black pixels.
Select the bokeh layer, open Image > Adjustments > Levels, and drag the handles in or out to raise or lower its intensity. Moving the handles closer together brightens more of the layer into visible bokeh, and moving them apart pulls the effect back.
Yes. Select the bokeh layer and use Free Transform to drag a corner handle until it fits your photo.
Not anymore. Since Photoshop 2019, Free Transform scales proportionally by default, and holding Shift now unlocks the proportions instead of locking them.
Conclusion
You just built a bokeh texture in Photoshop out of nothing but a black layer, without touching a single stock image.
The same three filters, Add Noise, Threshold, and Field Blur, work on any photo you want to give a soft, glowing background.
Comment on the video if you have any questions about the steps.
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