Use overlays well
Short guides that get to the point. Each one ends with something you can do in the next five minutes.
How to add film grain in Photoshop (the right way)
Use a grain plate on 50% grey in Overlay mode. It is faster than the Add Noise filter and looks far more like film.
Screen, Overlay, Multiply: which blend mode for which overlay
Black disappears in Screen, white disappears in Multiply, 50% grey disappears in Overlay. Pick the mode by the overlay's background.
Add dust and scratches to a photo in Photopea (free)
Open the photo, place a dust plate, set it to Screen. Three steps, no Photoshop needed.
Make a halftone print effect with a PNG overlay
Place a transparent halftone PNG, set it to Multiply, recolour the dots. It takes a minute and needs no plugins.
Make a digital photo look like film: grain, dust and light
Lift the blacks, add a light leak, then dust, then grain last. Three overlays at low opacity look like a real negative scan.
How to add light leaks to a photo (Photoshop or free Photopea)
Place a leak plate over the photo, set it to Screen, push it to the edge of the frame and lower the opacity. One minute, no plugins.
Make digital art look printed with a paper texture
Put a paper texture on top of your artwork, set it to Multiply and lower the opacity. Pick the paper to match the style of the work.
Add bokeh lights to a photo with a free overlay
Place a bokeh plate, set it to Screen and mask it off the subject. Big, soft circles in the background look like a fast lens at night.
Add film grain in Photopea (free, in the browser)
Open the photo at photopea.com, place a grain plate, set it to Overlay and lower the opacity. No account and no Photoshop needed.
Make a photo look vintage in five minutes
Fade the blacks, warm the colours, then add paper, dust and grain at low opacity. Pick the overlays to match the era you want.
Fake a risograph print with free overlays
Map the image to one ink colour, add a coloured stipple screen, nudge it out of register and finish with paper in Multiply.
Add a grunge texture to text in Photoshop
Paste a photocopy or concrete texture into a layer mask on the text. Dark marks cut holes in the letters and the text stays editable.
Add dust and scratches to a photo in GIMP (free)
Open the dust plate as a layer, set the mode to Screen and lower the opacity. Invert it and use Multiply for dark dust.
How to use texture overlays in Procreate
Insert the overlay as a photo, put it on top, tap the N on the layer and choose the blend mode: Multiply for paper, Screen for light.
Put a photo in a film border (35mm, 120, instant)
Open the border PNG, place your photo under it and scale the photo to fill the window. Pick the border that matches your crop.