some fake ID templates lately just for fun and learning
Hey folks, I've been playing around with some fake ID templates lately just for fun and learning (I'm into graphic design and props), and I'm trying to figure out how people add those realistic holograms and subtle watermark effects to make them look more legit on camera. I’m not talking about physical ones—just digital for now. Anyone here tried doing that in Photoshop or Illustrator?
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I’ve actually spent a ton of time experimenting with this for theater props and student film projects. It’s a bit of an art to get those effects looking halfway believable without access to actual holographic printing. For the holograms, I usually layer a semi-transparent grayscale image (like a seal or emblem) and apply blending modes like Overlay or Soft Light in Photoshop. Sometimes I throw in a gradient mask to give it that “shiny shift” feel when lighting changes on screen. Watermarks are easier—they’re often just faint text or patterns, set super low opacity and sometimes offset with a blur to make them more subtle.
If you're looking for editable files that already have placeholder holograms and built-in layers to play with, check this out: https://fakeidtemplates.org/ — they’ve got fake ID templates with editable PSD layers, which makes it easier to reverse-engineer and add your own tweaks. I’ve used a couple of their designs as bases and learned a lot from how they set up the effects. Just make sure you’re using this stuff in a safe and legal context—educational or creative projects only.