How to add distressed/grunge look to photo on iMac

[R92024]

Hi,
Can anyone advise on the easiest way to add a distressed/grunge look to an image, please?
It's for a design that I want to print on a T-shirt.
On an iMac desktop (NOT on iPhone).
(Not Photoshop, Corel, or any similar program).
Low cost or free.
Many thanks!

 

[organicCPU]

This one is the free version of the great NIK Collection of Filters (Mac/Windows) 1.2.11 (works as standalone apps):
https://archive.org/details/nikcollection-full-1.2.11
For the sake of completeness, there is a newer paid version from DxO:
https://nikcollection.dxo.com

Another set of free filters (standalone app):
https://skylum.com/filters-for-photos
Also from Skylum (former Macphun) there is a paid plug-in that works with the native macOS Photos app, too:
https://skylum.com/luminar-flex
And another paid app from the same company (notice that luminar 4, the next version is already on preorder):
https://skylum.com/luminar

If you're searching for some complete suite for free photo editing, try the filters of Gimp or Krita:
https://krita.org
https://www.gimp.org

Then there are those Aperture or Lightroom like free DAM tools containing filters:
https://www.digikam.org
https://www.darktable.org

Depending on how and what you want to print on the T-shirt, sometimes a file containing RGB colors is not the right format, sometimes even just a pixel based file, isn't what you need. Talk with the printer or the studio that prints your shirt first and if they need a cmyk or vector file, it might be that your best choice is a look at the Serif apps Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer. If you print it at home on your own inkjet, just experiment with the mentioned apps. Good luck and have much fun.

 

[R92024]

Hi organicCPU,
Thank you very much for all that great information!
Much appreciated!
I'll dive in and investigate.