So lets review. This is the second part of a two part series of using layer styles as well as some simple Photoshop operations to create some great looking text. To make it easy on you I am going to review the two styles we did last week as well as a few more new ones. So lets begin.

Bold Text

Step 1a

Lets open up a document, any size will work. I’m using 620px x 300px. Now lets pick a dark red background color.

Step 2a

Now create a new layer with apple + shift + n and let get a lighter red color.

Step 3a

Now we are going to create a gradient. Click on the gradient tool and make sure you are using the radial setting. Create a small gradient in the middle of the document. Now using apple + t, we are going to stretch the gradient out past the document and move it up, as shown below. This will be the background for our image.

Step 4a

Now lets put in some text. For this I’m using ITC Franklin Gothic Heavy, all caps. I’ve found that a bold font with all caps will work best for this text. Use your foreground color as the color for the text.

Step 5a

Lets go into our layer styles and lets first do our shadow. Change the settings to something like they are below. If you have a different sized document your settings are going to be different, if so, adjust so it looks like the image below.

Step 6a

Now go into the layer styles again and this time we are going to go into the stroke options. Set your stroke options up like below. Again, if you are doing this in another document, make it look like the image below.

Step 7a

Finally go back into your layer styles and change your gradient overlay and bevel and emboss to the settings below, adjusting for different document sizes.

Step 8a

Now lets give the text a shadow on the ground in front of it. First create a new layer, now get your square marquee tool, click and drag a box in front of the text and fill it with black.

Step 9a

Now go to filter>blur>Gaussian blur. Change your settings like I have them. If you have a different sized document, make it look like I have below.

Step 10a

Stretch the blurred box you just made so it goes past the text both the sides and move it up some.

Chiseled Text

Step 1b

Repeat steps 1a-3a

Step 2b

Lets create some text, the font I’m using is Museo Sans 500, which you can download for free. Grab a yellow-orange color for the font.

Step 3b

Go into your layer styles and lets go to the bevel and emboss settings. Create a bevel with these settings.

Step 4b

Now go into the gradient overlay settings of the layer styles. Choose these settings.

Step 5b

Finally go into the drop shadow settings of the layer styles and change your settings to something like I have below.

Edge Shine

Step 1c

Create the background as shown in steps 1a-3a.

Step 2c

Now type out the word you want to use, or grab the logo you want to use. I am using ITC Franklin Gothic Demi for my font and I am picking a red color similar to the lighter part of my background.

Step 3c

Go into our layer styles and under the bevel and emboss options, set it up like I have it below.

Step 4c

Next we are going to go into our drop shadow and change the settings to the way I have them below.

Step 5c

Finally lets go in and change the gradient overlay to the setting I have below.

Glossy Text

Step 1d

Create the background as shown in steps 1a-3a.

Step 2d

Now type out the word you want to use, or grab the logo you want to use. I am using ITC Franklin Gothic Demi for my font and I am picking a yellow-orange color.

Step 3d

Now using the pen tool create a line with a few points so it looks something like I have below.

Step 4d

We want to change the points to a rounded edge so we are going to go in and apple + click on the line so the boxes come up. Now, holding the apple button down click and drag the anchor points out. Do that with the other point, and adjust them until you get something you like.

Step 5d

Let’s go ahead and hide that layer we just made and create a new layer that is above the text layer. We want to load our curve we just made, so we are going to do that by apple + clicking on the curve layer.

Step 6d

We are going to use that layer to make our upper glow. So go and grab the gradient tool from our tool bar. Change your foreground color to white, make sure you have your linear gradient selected. Drag your gradient from the top to bottom. Experiment until you get something like I have below.

Step 7d

Now we want to get rid of all the extra white parts that aren’t on the text, so apple + click on the type layer, then do apple + shift + I to get the inverse of the type, then delete. You should just have the white on the text now.

Step 8d

We are now going to darken the bottom part. So create a new layer and apple + click on the curves we made. Now do apple + shift + I. This will give you the inverse. Now start playing with your black gradients until you get something like I have below.

Step 9d

We want to cut out the extra like we did before, so apple + click on the text layer then do apple + shift + I to get the inverse of the text, then delete.

Step 10d

Now we are going to give our text some layer styles, so first we are going to add a slight bevel by going into our bevel and emboss settings and changing it so it looks like what I have below.

Step 11d

Finally we are going to add a drop shadow and a gradient overlay.

discuss this topic to forum