There are several ways to create rain in Photoshop. The most common way to get started is to use a noise filter. While it may take you longer to click here and there on the Photoship menu at first, once you get used to it you'll quickly get to grips with this rain effect.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Quickly Add Rain
Step 1. Create a new layer
Click the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel, or from File → New → Layer in the top menu. Click Edit → Fill if the menu doesn't appear yet, then set the Use drop-down to "50% gray". Name this layer "Rain" then click OK.
This method works best for Photoshop CS6, CC, or CC14. This method may not work in previous versions. The options may differ in some versions, for example the Action panel instead of the Style
Step 2. Add Image Effects to the Styles panel
If the Styles panel is not already open, choose Windows → Style from the top menu to open it. Click the small arrow at the top right of the Styles panel, then choose Image Effects from the drop-down menu. Click Append in the dialog box that opens. This will add a new collection of icons to the Styles panel.
Step 3. Click the rain icon
This gray, lined icon appears when Image Effects are added. If you're not sure which one, hover your mouse over the icon and wait for a text message (tooltip) to appear. The correct icon has the words "Rain".
Step 4. Change the blend mode to Overlay
In the Layers panel, with the Rain layer selected, change the Blend Mode drop-down menu from Normal to Overlay. This is so that the raindrops have a high contrast and are distinct when placed over the original photo.
Step 5. Adjust the appearance of the rain
After the last step, the words Pattern Overlay should appear below the Rain layer. Click on these words and a menu will open. Reduce the opacity and scale the layer to achieve the desired effect with the original photo coming back into view. Press OK.
Step 6. Change the angle of the rain with Free Transform
Usually it rains with a slope of 45º. You can make it happen by rotating the layer. Use Ctrl T (Mac: Cmd T) to activate Free Transform. Hover the mouse outside one of the corners that appear (not at the corner of the handle) until the cursor changes to a bent arrow. Click and drag to rotate the layer for each corner. The rotated image no longer covers the entire photo, so fix it by holding Shift alt=""Image" (Mac: Shift Option) and dragging a corner outward to resize the image. Press Enter (Mac: Return) when you're done to exit Free Transform mode.
If you can't find the corners, press Ctrl 0 (Mac: Cmd 0)
Step 7. Add a blurred foreground rain (optional)
The photo rain effect should look pretty good, but you can make the rain look more realistic and have a unique aesthetic. Add a second layer of "out of focus" rain in the foreground. Duplicate the rain layer with the Ctrl J shortcut (Mac: Cmd J). Use the Pattern Overlay menu described earlier to lower the opacity and increase the scale, so the raindrops look bigger and blurry in the foreground of the photo.
This effect will look best if the two rain layers are at the same angle
Method 2 of 2: Adding Flexible Rain
Step 1. Create a new black layer
Use the new layer icon in the Layers menu, or from File → New → Layer. Use Edit → Fill, change the Use setting on this layer to Black and name it "Rain", then click OK.
- If you change the default layer characteristics, make sure this layer is set to Normal mode and 100% Opacity.
- This method works best in Photoshop CS 6, CC, and CC14. In earlier versions, some menu options may be in different locations. The motion blur effect in the previous version will also create a slanted result at the edges of the photo. You can fix this by expanding the canvas space around the image before starting, then cropping the image again when you're done.
Step 2. Add a Noise filter
In the top menu, use Filter → Add Noise to add a white dot scatter to the Rain layer. In the dialog menu that opens, set the amount to 25% (for moderate rain), change the distribution to Gaussian (for a more natural appearance of less uniform rain), and then check the monochromatic box. Click OK.
If you don't like the end result of this method, check out the alternatives to this step in the Tips section
Step 3. Change the scale of the rain
The white dots may be quite small, so let's make them more visible. Open the scale menu from the top menu: Edit → Transform → Scale. Set the width (W) and height (H) to values around 400%. The white dots will now be more visible.
You can press the link icon between the W and H values to have the two automatically linked, keeping the size proportional
Step 4. Set the Blend Mode to Screen
The Blend Mode option is in the Layers panel which is most likely set to Normal. Change it to Screen and the original image will be visible under the white raindrops.
Step 5. Turn the rain into a smart object
With the Rain layer selected, click the icon, which looks like a small down arrow and a series of horizontal lines, in the top right of the Layers panel. Select Convert to Smart Object from the drop-down menu. This is so that you can edit rain layers non-destructively, meaning that any changes can easily be undone or modified.
Step 6. Add motion blur
Choose Filter → Blur → Motion Blur. In the dialog menu that appears, set the angle of the rain to whatever you want. Set the Distance value to 50 pixels. This is a default value that can be changed if you don't like the result. Click OK and wait a few seconds for Photoshop to apply this effect.
The Distance value determines how far the white dots are stretched to form rain streaks. Larger photos will look better with a larger Distance value
Step 7. Add a levels adjustment layer
It is used to change the brightness and contrast of the rain layer, which also has the effect of reducing or increasing the amount of visible rain. Start by pressing alt=""Image" (Mac: Option) and then clicking the New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. A dialog box will appear when you click this icon. Check the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask box so that this adjustment only applies to the rain layer, not to the original photo.
Alternatively, click Image → Adjustments → Levels, then right-click (Mac: Ctrl-click) the layer and choose Create Clipping Mask
Step 8. Adjust the level
If the Properties panel is not already open, open it from Windows → Properties at the top of the menu. If there is no graphic in the panel, select the adjustment view icon at the top of the panel (the pointed graph icon). Now adjust the slider below the graphic to change the appearance of the rain. Slowly move the black slider to the right to make the rain darker, and slowly move the white slider to the left for added contrast.
- Try changing the black panel to 75 and the white to 115, or just tweak it however you want.
- In Photoshop CS5 or earlier versions, use the Adjustments panel.
Step 9. Finish
If you are satisfied with the appearance of this rain, save the image and you are done! If you haven't already, tweak the motion blur settings and level adjustment settings to change the appearance of the rain however you like.
