In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make sports edits in Photoshop. I will explain everything in so much detail that everyone can follow it, even those who have just opened Photoshop for the first time.

After we create the sports edit effect, I’ll show you how you can place the design into any sports photo templates or sports poster templates in Photoshop.

What You Will Learn in This Sports Edit Photoshop Tutorial

• How to make sports edits in Photoshop
• How to create cool sports edit backgrounds
• How to use sports flyer templates
• How to create more cool sport edits

What You’ll Need

To recreate the design above, you will need the following resources:

• Stock Image
• Flyer Template

1. How to Get Started

First, open the photo that you want to work with. To open your photo, go to File > Open, choose your photo, and click Open. Now, before we get started, just check a couple of things:

1. Your photo should be in RGB Color mode, 8 Bits/Channel. To check this, go to Image > Mode.
2. For best results, your photo size should be 2500–4500 px wide/high. To check this, go to Image > Image Size.
3. Your photo should be the Background layer. If it is not, go to Layer > New > Background from Layer.

2. How to Select the Subject in Photoshop

Step 1

In this section, we’re going to make a selection of our subject and then copy the subject to a separate layer. Choose the Quick Selection Tool (W) and select the background of the photo. Use the Shift-Alt buttons on your keyboard to add or subtract areas from the selection. After you’ve made a perfect selection, press Control-Shift-I on your keyboard to invert the selection.

Step 2

Now go to Select > Modify > Smooth and set the Sample Radius to 2 px. Next, go to Select > Modify > Contract and set Contract By to 1 px. Finally, go to Select > Modify > Feather and set the Feather Radius to 1 px.

Step 3

Press Control-J on your keyboard to create a new layer using the selection. Name this new layer Subject.

3. How to Make Cool Sport Edits by Creating Motion Effect in Photoshop

Step 1

In this section, we’re going to create the motion effect. Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate the Subject layer. Then, drag this new layer just below the Subject layer in the Layers panel. After that, choose the Move Tool (V) and Shift-click and drag anywhere inside the canvas to move this layer 50 px to the left.

Step 2

Now repeat the previous step 29 times to create 30 subject copy layers in total. Make sure always to duplicate the newest subject copy layer and to drag each new subject copy layer just below the previous one in the Layers panel. Here is my result:

Step 3

Select the Subject copy layer and Shift-click on the Subject copy 30 layer to select all layers between. Then, press Control-E on your keyboard to merge the selected layers into one layer. After that, go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and set the Angle to 0° and Distance to 500 px.

Step 4

Now press Control-T on your keyboard, Right-click anywhere inside the canvas to open up the transform options, and choose Perspective. Transform the layer as shown below:

Step 5

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, go to Filter > Stylize > Find Edges. After that, press Control-I on your keyboard to invert this layer’s colors.

Step 6

Now go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 5 px.

Step 7

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

Step 8

Now select the Subject copy layer and change the Blending Mode of this layer to Hard Light. Then, name the layer Motion Trace.

Step 9

Select the M_T_Glow layer, go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer, and name it Motion Strokes.

Step 10

Now Control-click on the Motion Trace layer thumbnail to make a selection of this layer. Then, press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches. After that, go to Edit > Fill, and set Contents to Foreground Color, Mode to Normal, and Opacity to 100% as shown below:

Step 11

Press Control-D on your keyboard to deselect the selection. Then, go to Filter > Pixelate > Mezzotint and set the Type to Long Strokes.

Step 12

Now go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and set the Angle to 0° and Distance to 150 px.

Step 13

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

Step 14

Now press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 2 px. Then, go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and set the Angle to 0° and Distance to 100 px.

Step 15

Name this layer M_S_Glow.

Step 16

Select the Motion Strokes layer and Control-click on the M_S_Glow layer to select both layers at the same time. Then, press Control-T on your keyboard, Right-click anywhere inside the canvas to open up the transform options, and choose Perspective. After that, transform the layers as shown below:

Step 17

Now select the Motion Trace layer and Shift-click on the M_S_Glow layer to select all layers between. Then, go to Layer > New > Group from Layers to create a new group from the selected layers and name it Motion.

Step 18

Go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All to add a layer mask that reveals the whole layer group. Then, set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick a soft
brush, and brush as shown below:

4. How to Make the Sports Edit Final Adjustments

Step 1

In this section, we’re going to make final adjustments to the sports edit. Select the Subject layer, and 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 as shown below:

Step 2

Now select the Subject layer thumbnail, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, and enter the settings below:

Step 3

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer, and drag this new layer just below the Subject layer in the Layers panel. Then, choose the Move Tool (V) and Shift-click and drag anywhere inside the canvas to move this layer 100 px to the left. After that, go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and set the Angle to 0° and Distance to 250 px.

Step 4

Now Alt-click on the layer mask of the Motion layers group and drag the layer mask over the layer mask of the Subject copy layer in the Layers panel to replace the layer mask. Then, change the Blending Mode of this layer to Linear Dodge (Add) and name this layer Subject Glow.

5. How to Use Sports Template and Sports Flyer Templates

Step 1

In this section, we’re going to place the design into one of the sports graphics templates. Select the Subject layer and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, hide this new layer, select the Subject layer and Shift-click on the Background layer to select all layers between. After that, press Control-E on your keyboard to merge these layers into one layer.

Step 2

Now Control-click on the Subject copy layer to select both layers at the same time. Then, drag these layers to the Flyer Template document, just above the Splash layer in the Layers panel. After that, using the Move Tool (V), position the layers as shown below:

Step 3

Control-click on the Subject copy layer thumbnail to make a selection of this layer. Then, select the Splash layer, go to Edit > Fill, and set Contents to Foreground Color, Mode to Normal, and Opacity to 100%. After that, select the Text Backdrop Shape layers group, and go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Selection to hide the selected area of the layers group.

Step 4

Now hide the Bokeh layer, and using the Horizontal Type Tool (T), modify any text layer in the template that you like. Then, select the top title text layer and drag it just below the bottom title text layer to remove the drop shadow effect over the bottom title text layer. After that, Double-click on the Levels 1 layer thumbnail and enter the settings below:

You Made It!

Congratulations, you have
succeeded! You’ve learned how to make sports edits and how to use sports graphics templates. Now you can create cool sports edit backgrounds, and you can place the design into any sports photo templates or sports poster templates in Photoshop. Here is our
final result:

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