In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a plastic wrap texture in Photoshop. I will explain everything in so much detail that everyone can create the plastic texture, even those who have just opened Photoshop for the first time.

Do you want to save time with a ready-made texture? Check out this Plastic Wrap Texture over on Envato Elements, where you can find thousands of awesome textures!

What You’ll Learn in This Plastic Wrapper Texture Tutorial

• How to create a plastic overlay texture
• How to make a clear plastic wrap texture
• How to create a crumpled plastic texture
• Transparent plastic wrap texture PNG ideas

1. How to Start Creating a Plastic Texture in Photoshop

First, create a new file. Go to File > New and set the Width and Height to 2500 px and the Resolution to 72 px/in.

2. How to Create a Plastic Wrap Overlay

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create a plastic overlay. Go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and name it Temp_1. Then, press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches, and go to Filter > Render > Clouds.

Step 2

Now go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise, and set the Amount to 25%, Distribution to Gaussian and check the Monochromatic option. Then, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels and enter the settings below:

Step 3

Go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Artistic > Cutout, and set the Number of Levels to 8, Edge Simplicity to 10, and Edge Fidelity to 1.

Step 4

Now press Control-Shift-N on your keyboard to create a new layer, and name it Temp_2. Then, press D to reset the swatches, and go to Filter > Render > Clouds. After that, go to Filter > Render > Difference Clouds.

Step 5

Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise, and set the Amount to 25%, Distribution to Gaussian and check the Monochromatic option. Then, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels and enter the settings below:

Step 6

Now go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Artistic > Cutout, and set the Number of Levels to 8, Edge Simplicity to 10, and Edge Fidelity to 1. 

Step 7

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Linear Dodge (Add).

Step 8

Now press Control-Alt-Shift-E on your keyboard to make a screenshot. Then, go to Filter > Stylize > Emboss and set the Angle to 135°, Height to 10 px, and Amount to 100%.

Step 9

Shift-click on the Temp_1 layer to select all layers between, and press Control-E on your keyboard to merge them into one layer. Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, and enter the settings below. After that, name this layer Texture_1.

Step 10

Now press Control-Shift-N on your keyboard to create a new layer, and name it Texture_2. Then, press D to reset the swatches, and go to Filter > Render > Clouds. 

Step 11

Go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Distort > Diffuse Glow, and set the Graininess to 6, Glow Amount to 10, and Clear Amount to 15. Then, go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Artistic > Cutout, and set the Number of Levels to 8, Edge Simplicity to 10, and Edge Fidelity to 1.

Step 12

Now go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Sketch > Chrome, and set the Detail to 10 and Smoothness to 7. Then, go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Artistic > Plastic Wrap, and set the Highlight Strength to 20, Detail to 1, and Smoothness to 15.

Step 13

Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, and enter the settings below:

Step 14

Now go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All to add a layer mask that reveals the whole layer. Then, set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick a soft brush, and brush over the too much highlighted surfaces to remove them. After that, change the Blending Mode of this layer to Hard Light.

Step 15

Alt-click on the Texture_1 layer, and drag to duplicate this layer, and position this new layer at the top of the layers in the Layers panel. Then, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, and enter the settings below. After that, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and set the Radius to 5 px.

Step 16

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Linear Dodge (Add), and name it Texture_3.

You Made It!

Congratulations, you’ve succeeded! You’ve now learned how to create a plastic texture in Photoshop. Now you can place the plastic wrap overlay texture over your design. Try changing the Blending Mode to Screen for blending the plastic overlay texture, and feel free to position and transform the texture as you like. You can also use a layer mask to reveal only specific parts of the texture. Here’s my final result placed onto a vinyl mockup cover design:

5 Transparent Plastic Wrap Texture PNG Examples From Envato Elements

Want to see more plastic bag textures? Check out this list of clear plastic wrap textures from Envato Elements, where you can find thousands of awesome textures, including plastic wrap effect Illustrator textures!

Plastic Wrap Overlay Texture (PNG)

Choose from nine plastic wrap overlay textures included in this set. The textures are available in transparent PNG format and work over any color!

12 Plastic Wrapped Textures (PNG)

Wrap your products with these plastic overlay textures with ease. They work with any color, and you can place them in seconds!

Plastic Wrap Overlay Textures (PSD, PNG)

This set includes editable PSD files, so you can create different sizes and shapes of the plastic wrapper texture. There are eight crumpled plastic textures included, and you can apply them to any image!

Plastic Overlay Textures (PNG)

You get 36 plastic wrap textures included in this pack. You can use them as individual elements or as overlays to add more detail to your products!

Plastic Foil Texture Pack (JPG)

You’ll find 30 high-resolution plastic film overlay textures in this package. Add them to your design as overlays, backgrounds, and so much more!

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